Freediving Family Reunion:
Whale Diving Adventure In Timor-Leste 2026 (10 spots)
What Are Freediving Family Reunions?
Freediving Family Retreats are our way of bringing the friends and family we meet at Deep Weeks together once again to use what we learned to have fun and dive together!
Each family retreat is a close knit and unique experience for those that join. Space is very limited at these events which opens us up to one of a kind opportunities to explore the world with friends.
A Wildcard of Marine Life
Timor-Leste has been on our radar for a long time and we’re so excited to finally explore its incredible marine life. Located along major migration routes, the area sees massive Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, Orcas, Pilot Whales, Beaked Whales and more. As with any trip, we of course can’t guarantee the sightings but, that said, with October being a high migration traffic time of year, we are pretty optimistic about our chances ;)
Regulations here are more relaxed, meaning that when conditions allow and our guides determine the animals are comfortable, we will have the chance to dive down alongside them. Many encounters will still happen from the surface and we’ll always follow strict ethical guidelines - but the possibility of sharing the depth with these majestic animals makes this destination truly special.
Discover Timor-Leste
Tucked between Indonesia and Australia, Timor-Leste is one of Southeast Asia’s most underrated and untouched destinations. In fact, it’s rated as one of the world’s least
travelled countries. Tourism here is still in its early stages, which means fewer crowds,
more genuine connection, and coastlines that feel wild and expansive.
Getting to Timor-Leste!
Getting to Timor-Leste is relatively simple with regular flights flying from Kuala Lumpur, Bali and Darwin. We recommend flying into Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL) where you can get a taxi right from the airport to the accommodation.
Once you are there, we will be staying in shared rooms at four star Sunset Hotel. If you don’t want to share a room, you can select the upgrade when you check out to get a private room.
We recommend that you purchase travelers insurance (as with all trips) in the event your flights to the island are delayed or interrupted.
Additionally, the hotel has a restaurant attached to it which is known as one of the best restaurants in the area so at the end of a long day we have some of the best food around right at our finger tips!
The Schedule
Our 7 day itinerary features 5 days of on-water whale activities! No rest day on this one so come prepared to smash it every day! The schedule also includes arrival and departure days so you don’t have to worry about missing any of the action!
Daily activities run from 9 AM to 3 PM, with the group deciding where to go each night for dinner, either selecting one of the many amazing restaurants in town, grabbing something from the hotel restaurant, or simply getting some take away and shoveling food into our faces before falling asleep!
Arrival Day
First day is spent getting to Dili settling into our hotel and going over what to expect during the week. This will happen around 5pm so please do your best to arrive some time before then!
Water Days
Every morning we’ll meet in the lobby of our hotel where we can grab breakfast before gathering our stuff and heading to the pier where we’ll load the boat for diving around 9am. All of the captains in the area are in contact with each other so we will keep our eyes peeled and our captains will be listening for their phones!
While we can’t guarantee encounters, we are almost certain to have a number of interactions during the week as this is peak migration season for the Blue Whales traveling south west along with other species including super pods of dolphins, sperm whales, melon headed whales and, if we are really lucky, pilot whales. If we struggle to find anything then we will head to one of the various fun diving locations around the area where we can check out beautiful reefs, cool rock structures and wrecks. We will return to shore by 2-3 PM daily to have a shower, change and then shift to whatever night time activities and explorations we decide!
Departure Day
We will have a chill day our final day packing up (Oct 31st), with a checkout time of 11:00am.
We recommend trying to get a mid afternoon flight so you aren’t stressing too hard on the final day about getting packed and ready for travel.
Ethical Diving in
Unregulated Waters
Timor-Leste is one of the few parts of the world where the government hasn’t implemented regulations and protections around the whales that travel these deep and nutrient rich waters. At Freediving Family, we work with local operators that reflect our values of respect for wildlife and sustainable experiences. We don’t take these experiences for granted and believe that, by diving with these incredible creatures, we can spread and demonstrate the value that healthy seas provide the world.
During this trip, we will get into the water when our guides deem the experience safe for us and the animals. We will not get too close and will NEVER touch the animals.
Our top priority is the ethical viewing of these animals and we will never force an interaction. Our five days of diving will give us the best opportunity for many chances of animal interactions in the water while also ensuring their comfort and safety. Sightings are never guaranteed (though this is one of the best places in the world to see these incredible creatures.)
By following these guidelines, we believe that we can support the protection of these animals through raising awareness of their beauty and importance in our waters.
Meet Your Hosts
Join the Freediving Families static fanatic, Deep Daddy and International Event Manager Brandon Reed as he takes you on an adventure to do one of his favorite things in the world: dive with large marine animals!
Hugo, lead instructor at Reverse Freediving School, will be joining us as our guide for this adventure. Hugo has a background in animal protection in South Africa, and aims to promote Timor-Leste’s marine interactions in an ethical way.
Pricing
$5,800AUD
Payment Schedule:
A $1,400 AUD deposit is required to book your spot
A secondary deposit of $2,100 AUD is due 10 weeks before the event begins
The final payment of $2,300 AUD is due 6 weeks before the event begins
Please double check and acquaint yourself with what is and isn't included in the above cost. To ensure your booking is confirmed, please provide a non-refundable deposit at the above AUD rate. As we are an Australian company, prices are charged in AUD. Balances must be made in a timely manner based on the above payment schedule. Email reminders will be sent to remind you of this payment schedule. Please whitelist deepweek@freedivingfamily.com in your inbox to make sure you get all event updates. Your transaction is securely processed through Stripe. Terms of Service.
Frequently Asked Q’s
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Included in the price of booking for this trip is the following:
Professional whale and event guide/captain
Captain and crew
5 days on the water chasing whales and large water animals
Lunch on the boat
7x nights of group accommodation at a local hotel
What is not included
Gear (limited rentals available, all participants should bring their own gear)
Airfare
Breakfast and dinner food costs
Travel and medical insurance
Anything not explicitly mentioned as included
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Unfortunately you have to have joined us for a Deep Week or one of our multi day events in Australia in the past to be able to join us at a Freediving Family Reunion.
We do this because, not to brag, but theres something special about our events that you just need to see to fully experience! But don’t worry, we will be running more and more reunions as we move ahead so you will have plenty of opportunities to join us in amazing places around the world.
In the mean time, check out our upcoming Deep Week dates by going to the Deep Week tab in our menu and join us for our next Deep Week!
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During our Family Reunions, we don’t offer certifications. You must be at least Wave 1 certified to be able to attend these events!
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Due to the unique nature of the events and how each one is individually planned, we are only able to transfer your deposit to a future Freediving Family Reunion and only if you have requested the deposit within the appropriate time frame. We do not issue refunds. Please see the terms and conditions for more information on the cancellation policy:
From booking until 8 weeks before the event: your entire balance paid thus far is transferrable to a future event.
From 8 weeks until 4 weeks before the event: your entire balance except the deposit is transferrable.
Within 4 weeks of the event: your entire balance is non-refundable and non-transferrable.
Due to the planning and many moving parts that goes into these events, we do not have the flexibility to move payments around close to the event. Please keep this in mind when booking!
We cannot issue cash refunds.
For more info, check our terms of service.
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The conditions during this time of year are pretty incredible, though poor weather is never impossible.
Since the season is booked so tightly in Timor, getting a make-up day is not possible. This is partially why we plan so many days out on the water; to ensure that our chances of encountering something are higher.
If there is a day where getting into the boat is dangerous due to surface swell, current or another situation, we will instead head into town to explore, go for hikes (if it isn’t pissing rain!) or take a rest day to check our footage and clear those memory cards!
There are no cash refunds for missed boat days.
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Unfortunately it’s not included. You can either bring your own gear from home or you will be able to rent gear from our local partner! Use the contact form below for assistance with gear rental.
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The water is quite warm! We are talking anywhere from 28-30 celsius so bringing a 1.5mm or 3mm should be plenty! Brandon usually wears a 1.5mm top and leggings for sun protection!
Also please note that we will be doing a bunch of sitting on the boat searching for whales so you may get hot! We will take breaks to jump in and cool off but its hard to imagine anyone will be super cold on this adventure! -
You can pay an initial deposit to secure your spot and then the remaining payments follow the structure below:
Initial Deposit - Required to book your spot
Second Deposit - Due 10 Weeks Before Event Start
Final Payment - Due 6 Weeks Before Event Start
With no deposit, there is no booking confirmed.
As soon as you book in, you will receive an email with a button that says “Pay Remainder Balance”. You can click that button anytime you like.
You can also choose to pay in full after you receive that email.
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Nothing during the reunion is compulsory.
If you feel like you need some time to chill and relax by skipping a dive session or want to go out for dinner close by with a group of friends you made separate from the group, then by all means do so!
If you decide that you do not want to join for a dive session, that is totally okay but we are unable to provide you a refund in the event you do not join.