Alor - Atauro Island
Okay, so you’re looking at Atauro, specifically the Alor site. It's not one of those mega-famous spots, which, for us, is half the appeal. What you’ll find here are healthy reefs, a good spread of critters, and crucially, fewer divers bumping elbows with you. We’ve had some truly tranquil dives here, just following the contours of the reef, spotting everything from the usual reef fish to some cool nudibranchs if you keep your eyes peeled. If you appreciate a relaxed pace and aren’t chasing that one specific bucket-list animal, Alor offers a solid, unhurried dive experience.
- Location
- Atauro Island, Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.200000, 124.750000
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 5-20m
Best Time to Dive in Atauro Island
The warmest water temperatures in Atauro Island occur in January, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 30.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 30.1°C (air: 24.0°C)
- February: 30.1°C (air: 23.6°C)
- March: 30.1°C (air: 23.9°C)
- April: 30.1°C (air: 24.1°C)
- May: 30.1°C (air: 24.5°C)
- June: 30.1°C (air: 23.9°C)
- July: 30.1°C (air: 23.3°C)
- August: 30.1°C (air: 23.8°C)
- September: 30.1°C (air: 24.4°C)
- October: 30.1°C (air: 25.3°C)
- November: 30.1°C (air: 25.6°C)
- December: 30.1°C (air: 24.4°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Atauro Island
- Adara - 5-30m (wall)
- Barry's Place - 5-25m (muck)
- Kal's Dream
- Whale Shark Alley - 10-40m (drift)
Nearest Dive Centres to Alor
- Dive In Alor
- Nautika Dive Alor - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Atauro Island
Home to 263 recorded species including 241 reef fish, 8 seagrass & algae, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 other, 2 clams & mussels, 2 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Two-tone wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) - Reef Fish
- Two-spot Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Ternate Chromis (Chromis ternatensis) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) - Reef Fish
- Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Pinktail triggerfish (Melichthys vidua) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Si (Syringodium isoetifolium) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Alor
Based on average water temperature of 30.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories