The scuba divers group for the Alor dive in August 2017.

First and foremost, many of you may need to learn where Alor Island is, so here is a rough idea. You can also see it on the map below.

Alor Island is part of East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur or NTT in Bahasa Indonesia), which belongs to the Alor Archipelago and is located just next to Flores Island (Labuan Bajo and Komodo).

Alor is an island and one of the least developed places in this part of Indonesia. Visitors and divers will visit only one town, Kalabahi, located on the island’s northwestern side.

Alor Island’s only airport is called Bandar Udara Mali-Alor.

Only one airport is serviced by the local Indonesian airlines, and flights here are a few times daily. Sadly, this is the best way to get to Alor, as other alternatives include taking a fast boat from Sorong, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara, on West Timor.

Alor Island is also recommended for experienced divers or those with advanced open-water certification levels. I am serious; though it looks harmless, you should read it below.

Donovan Withford from Dive Alor Dive briefs us for the first dive. Nick, Shelley, and Jackson are on the right.

Dive Operators in Alor 

While the organiser arranged our Alor dive, we were fortunate to be diving with the pioneer dive operator with 25 years of experience in this region. Dive Alor Dive was our operator and was run by Mr Donovan Whitford, who originally hails from Australia and spent most of his diving career in Indonesia.

Speaking to Donovan during the trip, he explained that to date, there are only four or five dive operators in Alor, and three of them had only recently opened. This is likely due to the island’s infrastructure, and managing a dive business here is tricky.

But lately, due to dive operators overcrowding Bali and Komodo, a few have been exploring other places, including Alor Island. Donovan says, “They come and go; at the end of the day, it’s how you manage your business, keeping costs low, and many new operators do not see this.”

I agree with Donovan on his statement; after all, he has seen it all, spending a whopping 25 years of living and scuba diving around here. Many need to understand the dive economics of operating a business, the high cost involved, and so on; hence, Donovan is one of the innovative operators.

Scuba Diving in Alor with fantastic visibility.

Best Time to Dive in Alor

According to Donovan, the best time to dive in Alor is from March to December. Other months are the rainy season, which is not conducive for diving, but it is still possible. The best time is also from October to November for those wanting a sure thing.

Donovan has mentioned that the optimum time to dive in Alor is from August to October, with the peak in September. Some even say that chances to spot the unique Mola Mola or Sunfish are also good in September, and if you are lucky enough, you can spot an Orca or Killer Whale passing by.

Scuba diving in Alor Island. Marischka Prudence in frame.

Water Temperature in Alor

Alor is the place to dive for those who love cold waters. The underwater temperatures here can be as low as 25° Celsius and average around 27° to 28°. From May until September, the temperature can reach 31° or 32° Celsius, depending on the monsoon.

This means you can still dive with your 3mm wetsuit, but if you feel cold during and especially after a dive, I recommend using a 5mm wetsuit. At some sites, as you go much more deeper, the temperature can change drastically and drop to as low as 21° Celsius.

When I explored the many dive sites around Alor, I initially started with a 3mm full wetsuit, but the chore of getting in and out of it resulted in me diving in my t-shirt and shorts with a temperature of 27°-28 °. I wish I had brought my O’Neill shorties along.

There was fantastic visibility while diving at Alor Island.

Underwater Visibility at Alor Island

One of the main selling points of diving in Alor is the incredible visibility found at almost all dive sites. On a perfect day, you can get up to 40 or even 50 meters of visibility, but on average, we are looking at around 25-30 meters of visibility. Isn’t that amazing?

The visibility can change mid-dive due to the sudden current changes, but overall, if you are an underwater photographer, Alor is one of the fantastic places for landscape shots. Thanks to the rich marine and coral life, you can only imagine a free diver doing his or her thing with beautiful colours and excellent visibility.

The strong currents are seen along the Alor Straits.

Currents in Alor

One concern for beginner divers and a bonus for current lovers is that currents can change from mild to strong around Alor Island. Most dive sites have mild or medium currents, but they can change within hours.

This says you must listen carefully to your divemaster or guide during the briefing. What he or she shares is very important, especially if the current changes during mid-dive.

Because of the strong currents that flow through the channel and into the bay area, you see massive sections of water ripples on the surface, sometimes whirlpools too, and they can look terrifying from the boat.

A traditional Bubu fish trap is seen at the Babylon dive site on Alor Island.

Popular Dive Sites in Alor

I counted 43 dive sites in the main Alor area, which is stunning. However, there are 62 recorded dive sites all over Alor Island. We only managed to dive at five of them, which Donovan claimed were some of the best.

The most famous dive sites at Alor Island are The Cathedral and Kal’s Dream, but due to strong currents, we had to forgo both dive sites for safety reasons. We had two full days of diving in Alor, which was quite impressive. The list of dive sites in Alor that we dived are;

1. Babylon – Easy and enjoyable dive by Ternate Island.
2. Mike’s Delight – This site is located by Pura Island and has mild currents.
3. Aquarium – The name says it all. It is located opposite Ternate Island on the central Alor Island.
4. Clown Valley  – This is my favourite dive site in Alor. One word – Amazing!
5. School’s Out – This is one of the best drift dives on Pura Island.

You can read a more detailed description of the Alor Island dive sites, as I focused on each site mentioned above. The description includes information about the depth, currents, marine life, etc.

A beautiful Sea Apple among the corals at Alor Island.

What to See While Diving in Alor

Generally, the marine life here is overall rich as the entire place is undisturbed by mass diving. This is excellent news for those who love quiet dives. As for what to see while diving in Alor Island, you can find many interesting things.

First of all, at some of the dive sites, you may get the opportunity to see the local Alor Bubu Fishermen in action underwater. These are the local Alornese people who free dive and set their fish traps underwater at incredible depths.

In general, marine life is extremely rich here because the locals only catch what they need to consume. The entire place is gazetted as the Alor Marine Park, and you can be sure that no illegal fishing techniques are practised here.

Part of the sea anemone is seen at the Clown Valley dive site on Alor Island.

As for muck divers or macro divers, Alor is well known for this, and those who enjoy anemones can request the Clown Valley dive site, which is touted to be the largest sea anemone concentration in the world. One unique coral to look out for is the Sea Apple, which is bright and stands out from the usual corals. I must have seen about four to five of them while diving at Alor Island.

The traditional Bubu fishermen of Alor Island.

Conclusion

After I have shared all of the above, you will get one of Indonesia’s best dives. Imagine rich marine life, cold waters, and mild currents for drifts with no one else around; this is truly a scuba divers’ paradise.

My dive trip report and review on Alor Island were based on my overall experience exploring this part of Indonesia. Tourism Indonesia arranged the trip under the Wonderful Indonesia Adventure Dive campaign for 2017.

We travelled with nine other divers from Bali to Alor, then to Komodo Island and Raja Ampat for some of the best scuba diving in east Indonesia. Follow me for more articles on scuba diving in Indonesia, as I will publish my other dive trip reports here.