Wreck of HMAS Voyager - Dili Coast
Romulus Reef, tucked away in the often-overlooked cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, truly stands out. Forget your preconceived notions of what "coral reef" means; here, we're talking soft corals and anemones that explode with colour against the muted tones of the Pacific. Drop down and you're immediately greeted by the sway of metridium anemones, often so dense they form a ghostly white forest. We’ve had incredible luck spotting giant octopus here, sometimes just their observant eyes peeking out from a den, other times lumbering across the rocky bottom. Look closely amongst the anemone stalks for the bright red of a California Spot Prawn or the delicate branches of a Four-Spined Squat Lobster. Our favourite time to dive Romulus is on a slack tide, usually an hour before or after high or low, when the currents mellow out and you can really take your time admiring the micro-life. Visibility can vary wildly, as is common in this region, but even on a greener day, the sheer density of invertebrates makes for fascinating exploration. It’s a site for those who appreciate the subtle beauty of temperate waters, for divers willing to slow down and scour every crevice. We’d suggest bringing a good torch; the light often doesn’t penetrate far, and the colours really pop under a beam.
- Location
- Dili Coast, Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -9.250000, 125.750000
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Dili Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Dili Coast 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: 27.5°C)
- February: 30.1°C (air: 27.2°C)
- March: 30.1°C (air: 27.0°C)
- April: 30.1°C (air: 26.9°C)
- May: 30.1°C (air: 26.8°C)
- June: 30.1°C (air: 26.0°C)
- July: 30.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
- August: 30.1°C (air: 25.9°C)
- September: 30.1°C (air: 26.7°C)
- October: 30.1°C (air: 27.7°C)
- November: 30.1°C (air: 27.9°C)
- December: 30.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Dili Coast
- Dili Rock - 5-15m (muck)
- HMAS Voyager - 1m (wreck)
- Tasi Tolu - 3-18m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Wreck of HMAS Voyager
- Akuatica
- Compass
- Compass Diving - ["PADI"]
- Dive Timor Lorosae - ["PADI"]
- Sunshine Snorkeling Timor Resort - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Dili Coast
Home to 270 recorded species including 246 reef fish, 8 seagrass & algae, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 other, 2 hard corals, 2 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) - Reef Fish
- Two-tone wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- 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
- Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) - Reef Fish
- Ternate Chromis (Chromis ternatensis) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) - Reef Fish
- Pinktail triggerfish (Melichthys vidua) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor) - Reef Fish
- Charcoal damsel (Pomacentrus brachialis) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Wreck of HMAS Voyager
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