Jaco Island

Thanks to Dan, Alex, Juvi, Merek, Martin, Annabella, my dive buddy and star videographer Kym, and our tireless and intrepid leader Mark from Dive Timor Lorosae for a fantastic weekend of diving at Jaco Island. For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Timor, Jaco Island is part of the Nino Konis Santana National Park on the far eastern tip of Timor. The island is considered a sacred place by the Timorese; overnight stays and inland exploration of the island are prohibited. But the white sand beaches and tranquil coast line are reason enough for a visit. It's about a six-hour drive from Dili, but it's a stunning journey, and the serenity and beauty of Jaco makes the trip well worth the effort.

Of course we all went to Jaco to dive the unexplored reefs and troughs that attract large schools of fish, sharks, turtles, and rays. And we were not disappointed. So where are the photos? Well, anyone who has gotten past the title of UWET.NET knows that I rarely take a picture of anything larger than my hand. And most of the dives on or around Jaco are drift dives, perfect for running into big stuff, but not for tracking down sea spiders.

Having said that, here are a few shots I snapped along the way.

Palette Surgeonfish, Paracanthurus hepatus






















Forster's Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri






















Reticulated Damsel, Dascyllus reticulatus



Please note: Never, ever say Dascyllus reticulatus three times while shaking your dive pointer at your dive buddy!