One of the least known countries in the world, Timor-Leste is becoming slightly better known for the annual migration of blue whales. Timor-Leste is one of about ten countries where swimming with whales is permitted, and is possibly the only country where this is possible with blue whales (usually it is with humpback whales). This article shares the whale watching (and swimming) experience, and offers some tips and suggestions.

Pygmy blue whales are the most common species of blue whale, and can grow up to 24m long, only 6m shorter than the longest blue whale species. Between mid-October and the end of November they migrate east to west through the Wetar Strait between Dili and Atauro Island, but they can also be seen along much of the northern coast of Timor-Leste.

Useful to know

• The majority of whales travel through over a fortnight during a 6-8 week period, but when this is changes every year. Recently they have been coming through later, so November probably offers the best chance to see them, though it is certainly not guaranteed that you will see any.
• Dolphins can often be seen in the same area, a consolation if you don’t see any whales.
• Expect to pay around $250 for a half day and $400 for a full day whale watching, with the possibility of swimming with them, and $100 less if you just want to watch from the boat.
• Dive companies in Dili and Atauro Island offer whale watching and swimming trips. Whales are typically found in the Hera area which is close to Dili so expect an extra 15-30 minutes each way if you are coming from Atauro Island.
• It is also possible to see whales close to Baucau (2.5 hours east of Dili).
• In 2020 a set of guidelines for whale watching and swimming were developed. These are purely advisory and appear to be ignored by the majority of operators. There is almost no government oversight of the industry.

The experience

I went with an Atauro Island based operator in late November 2024 during the week on a half day trip. Operators use either dive or fishing boats so don’t expect a toilet onboard or many comforts. Ear plugs or headphones can be useful to deaden the noise of the engines.

It took 45-60 minutes to reach the waters by Hera, where we slowed down and kept our eyes open. We spotted a couple of fins belonging to a marlin or sailfish, and a pod of dolphins.

Two other boats from Dili based operators were also in the area, and had seen a blue whale. So we joined with them on the look out for their return, and it wasn’t long before a first sighting.

I took plenty of photos from the boat with a 300mm telephoto lens and these were the best ones. The blue whales are trying to get through the strait as fast as possible, and didn’t really display the classic whale tail shots more associated with whale feeding behavior.

By far the best way to get a good view of a blue whale is by using a drone. Someone else had the same idea though and flew close to the whale below mine, getting in shot but at least there wasn’t a collision! Getting the drone back on board was a little tricky…

The blue whales are swimming fast which is why diving with them isn’t possible. Instead people snorkel, jumping out of the boats in front of the whales to hopefully see them pass by. I stayed on the boat but have done something similar with giant manta rays at Ningaloo Reef in Australia, and spoke to others who did get in the water with the whales.

It isn’t the relaxing, sublime experience that is often sold. Instead everyone is trying to swim toward the whale, which may be visible on the surface nearby, but is harder to see under the water. The whales instinctive behaviour as soon as people get in the water close to them is to dive out of the way. I’ve watched amazing videos of whales going by snorkellers but this isn’t the experience for most.

Once a whale has been spotted the boats basically take it in turns to try and get head of it, drop snorkellers, pick them up, and then catch up for another attempt. Which basically ignores all the guidelines developed for the industry…

The longer I spent on the boat, and the more I saw, the more uncomfortable I felt about the whole experience. There is a reason why many countries, including my home of New Zealand, don’t allow people to swim with whales. Unfortunately (for the whales) there is plenty of money to be made, and little government oversight so it is hard to see much changing, and things will only get worse as more boats chase the whales.

This article is also worth reading – unregulated tourism risks disrupting Timor-Leste’s whale migration