We offer shore dive trips to the dive sites around Dili. Prices start as low as 50USD for a single dive. Prices include the transport, one dive, a dive guide and refreshments. Entry for shore dives is over sandy beach or small pebble rocks. (High season Mid Sept-Nov surcharge applies)
Dive Timor Lorosae is the oldest existing dive shop in Timor-Leste and the only PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center (5-Star IDC). Established in 2000, they have operated with a spirit of adventure and exploration. Many of the dive sites in Timor-Leste were discovered, explored, and named by them. Committed to providing exceptional experiences, they continue to seek out new and exciting dive locations to keep divers happy.
However, their priority goes beyond just fun—they emphasize safety and comfort above all. Dive Timor Lorosae has a team of highly qualified professionals and maintains top-quality dive gear, which is regularly serviced by their own certified technicians.
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The area around Dili offers the diver some excellent close dives with great variety. Easy to schedule local dive trips at any time with our flexible schedules to fit yours. Only 5 minutes from our dive centre is Pertamina Pier, one of East Timor’s best dives for critters, octopus and schooling batfish. Diver’s are always surprised when they first dive it and the amount of what is seen at a dive site within Dili!
Just 10 minutes west of Dili is Dili Rock East & West known for its easy access and great conditions with a variety of sandy bottom and excellent corals Dili East also offers great opportunities to see macro critters and loads of colourful reef fish.
Along the same beach lies Tasi Tolu, Timor’s premier muck diving option with sea horses and many other photographer favourites on this mostly sandy bottom. Roda Reef an artificial reef project built by Dive Timor Lorosae, good for frogfish, nudis and more macro. Both sites sea grass shallows attract dugongs throughout the year!
Travelling east of Dili you can find both Front and Back Side of Christ Rei offering excellent coral reefs with huge varieties of fish life. The Pinnacle is a local boat dive that is known for pelagics, turtles and stingrays!
From the start, Dive Timor Lorosae has been dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism as an alternative source of income for the country. They place great importance on educating and training local staff, often taking them scuba diving to help them appreciate the beauty of their own land. Their goal is to make a positive impact on Timor-Leste through diving. They were the first to dive and explore Atauro Island, as well as many of the dive sites along the north coast. Dive Timor Lorosae offers a range of services, including dive trips, dive courses, whale watching, dive insurance, accommodation, and a restaurant.
Local Dive Sites Near Dili:
Dili Rock West has a beautiful sloping reef with an easy access from the beach on high tide. Hard and soft corals are covering the bottom until 15 meters, and slowly it become more sandy with some huge barrel sponges, fans and whip corals. Good spot for Nudibranchs, Scorpionfish, Shrimps and Crabs hiding in the shallow and some colorful reef fish all around.
Lucky day: Devil Ray, Turtles, Whitetip Reef shark, Bumphead Parrotfish, Blue-ring Octopus, Pygmy Seahorse…
Lens: Wide angle / Macro
Depth: 2 – 40m
Required skills: Discover Scuba diver
snorkeling: yes
One of the most accessible and popular dive sites in Dili. Dili Rock east is a sloping ridge bordering a sandy bottom down until 30 meters with an easy access from the beach any time. This dive site is very sheltered from current. A beautiful bommie around 16 to 25 mt is surrounded by shools of Snappers, hunting Trevallies, several Batfish and huge Lionfish. Octopus and Cuttlefish are often spotted in the shallower areas.
Lucky day: Turtles, Whitetip Reef Shark, Ornate and Robust Ghost Pipefish, Frogfish, Mimic and Blue-ring Octopus, Dugong …
Lens: Wide angle / Macro
Depth: 2 – 40m
Required skills: Discover Scuba diver
snorkeling: yes
Dili Rock East is the best place to see this cuttlefish! Diving with Dive Timor Lorosae!
Roda Reef is an artificial reef made out of old tires and concrete on a sandy bottom by Dive Timor Lorosae. Entry and exit are easy at anytime. It’s a fantastic muck dive for macro addict. Lots of shrimps, crabs and lobster hiding in the tires, as well with some juvenile Snappers, Bannerfish, Sweetlips and some Frogfish. On the sandy bottom look around for Nudibranchs, Pygmy Pipehorses, Seahorses and Eels. This place is even better at night!
Lucky day: Great Barracuda, Mimic Octopus, Seamoth…
Lens: Macro
Depth: 5 – 20
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Little beauty of Timor Leste. Diving with Dive Timor Lorosae
Tasi Tolu is the most famous muck dive in Dili. The dive site is a sandy sloping bottom with some soft corals and sponges here and there. Seahorses, Spider crabs, Shrimps, and Eels are very often spotted as well as some Nudibranchs, Flatworms, Pygmy Pipehorses and Frogfish … Good choice for a night dive to find Coconut Octopus, Bobtail Squid and more… Easy entry and exit anytime.
Lucky day: Dugong, Mimic and Blue Ring Octopus, Spanish Dancer, Ornate and Robust ghost Pipefish, Flambuoyant Cuttlefish…
Lens: Macro
Depth: 2 – 20m
Required skills: Open Water
Snorkeling: yes
Also known as Pertamina Jetty, Pertamina Pier is an awesome dive site. Underneath the jetty of the Indonesian fuel company Pertamina is a complete different world. Each pole is covered with sponges and massive sea fans. The shade of the jetty is perfect habitat for school of large Sweetlips, Barracudas, Batfish, Snappers and a lot of huge Scorpionfish. The rocky bottom offers a large diversity of Nudibranchs, Shrimps, and Eels. This very shallow dive site, down to maximum 12-13 meters allow very long dives especially on slack tide as the tide current can be pretty strong.
Lucky day: Frogfish, Ornate and Robust Ghost Pipefish, Giant Trevallies, Jenkins Stingray…
Lens: Wide angle / Macro
Depth: 5 – 14m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: no
Half way between Dili harbor and Christo Rei statue, a quick boat trip, the Pinnacles top is around 12-14 meters and drops until 40 meters to a sandy bottom. Slack tide is the best time to dive it as the current can be pretty strong. The top and the edges of the pinnacle are covered with hard and soft corals. Some juvenile Whitetip reef Sharks are hiding under the rocks, Turtles, Barracudas and Jack-fish are very often passing by.
Lucky day: Dolphins, Sailfish, Eagle Ray …
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 12-40m
Required skills: Advanced Open Water
Snorkeling: no
Christo Rei is a sloping reef with an easy access from the beach at high tide. An easy and pretty dive site it has hard and soft corals are covering the bottom in the shallow area until 12-13 meters to end up on a more sandy slope with some huge whip corals. Shrimps, crabs, and Nudibranchs are hiding all along the shallow part, with some colorful reef fish swimming all around.
Lucky day: Turtle, Devil Ray, Whitetip Reef Shark, Eagle Ray, Bumphead Parrot fish.
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40
Required skills: Discover Scuba diver
Snorkeling: yes
Sometimes known as the backside of Jesus! The backside of Chrisoe Rei is a beautiful sloping coral reef with an easy access from the beach on high tide. Colorful corals and fish all around and lots of shrimps, crabs and Nudibranch hiding in it. Keep an eye in the blue for some pelagic passing by such as Sharks and Giant Trevallies, and the other eye on the reef for some Ribbon Eels.
Lucky day: Hammerhead Shark, Devil Ray, Eagle Ray…
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
snorkeling: yes
Outstanding experience with the dive team at Dive Timor Lorosae. Such a highly professional and knowledgeable team that make you feel so welcome and relaxed from the outset. I couldn’t recommend this business more highly. Thank you for an amazing introduction to the coral triangle!!
Great dive center, very professional staff. The installations and equipment are very good.
Instructors are friendly and take safety seriously. Do everything to meet their divers needs.
The location of the dive center is perfect, in the center Dili.
Wow!! Just can’t rate this place enough!! Management and staff are all outstanding!! They are all so professional and passionate with what they do!!
My friends and I went out on their whale watching tour yesterday and were so lucky to find so many sperm whales we didn’t know where to look!! Also had the opportunity to swim with them!! What an experience!! Thank you for a fantastic day!!
This is just one of the great things Dive Timor Lorosae has to offer!!
Dive Timor Lorosae really impressed me with its professionalism. I’ve done previous snorkels in Phuket and Sabah and when Marianne, the British general manager who’s been in Timor Leste for 23 years, asked me to come in the day before to get fitted out, I was surprised. This was the first time an operator made sure I was properly fitted out in a dive short suit, scuba shoes and fins for a snorkeling trip. I really appreciated this focus on doings things properly and safely.
Dive Timor Lorosae has very professional staff as well. My friend and I were assigned Selina as our guide, and we’re so thankful to have Selina taking care of us during our two snorkels off two different spots along the rocky Timorese shores. We’re not super confident in the ocean, but Selina’s chilled, patient and caring personality encouraged us to explore the fantastic anemone garden at the second dive spot (we were tired after the first snorkeling spot and were going to pass on the second snorkeling spot). In the end we were glad we ventured out under the choppy waves because I felt like I was touring an acquarium filled with colourful fishes and anemones. Unforgettable experience.
I highly recommend Dive Timor Lorosae as a well-run, professional and caring outfit for your snorkeling and diving trips in Timor Leste. I’ll love to come back during the whale migration season and take a tour with Marianne and her crew 👍👍.
I did both a snorkelling trip and my whole PADI open-water certification with Dive Timor Lorasae. The whole team was incredible: it was easy to get things booked, get gear fitted and work out a schedule that suited me. Giovanni is a marine biologist who led our snorkel trip, he was so kind and was able to answer all (literally so many!) of our questions with ease, plus point out interesting creatures and facts about life on the reef. Selina was my sucuba instructor for the pool session and my 4 open water dives, in different beautiful locations. She was an incredible instructor, patient, easy to understand, knowledgeable, and so kind. She made scuba diving feel safe and fun, and be an altogether unforgettable experience. East Timor has some amazing reefs and beaches, pristine and with some of the most biodiversity waters in the world – most times we were the only divers there. Delicious lunch (they even made me a vegan option) was served on the days when we went to two different beautiful locations (a couple of hours drive away from Dili) with their van! So happy I got my certificate here, and thank you so much to Selina and the rest of the team for making it possible and such a great experience!