The Last Coral Kingdom

Originally from Balibo, close to the border with Indonesian Timor, Blue Ventures’ Dedy Martins shares his thoughts on the wonders of the ocean, the ancient customary practice of Tara Bandu, and having faith in the younger generation to take part in sustainable tourism and secure Timor-Leste’s future.

Asiem Sanyal, a Blue Ventures Science Manager based in Timor-Leste, reflects on his work supporting the first coral reef monitoring program run by local Timorese divers and encourages us all to engage as much as we can with nature and the ocean.

On the island of Atauro, located in the young Southeast Asian country of Timor-Leste, a group of resourceful and skilled women fishers have broken away from traditional gender roles to provide for their families.

Timor-Leste’s most precious resources may well be the crystalline waters that ring it, where favorable geography and limited development have fostered a uniquely diverse maritime ecosystem. The question facing the country is what role these waters will play, and what legacy they will provide.

The SeaLegacy team arrives in Timor-Leste, where they will be guided by its people to tell the story of this young country, from national heroes to some of the most amazing coral reefs in the world.

Meet the Wawata Topu, or the mermaids of Atauro Island, who have rekindled the practice of Tara Bandu, teaching each other to free-dive and engaging in collective resource management.

Timor-Leste’s former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta goes scuba diving with the team, stepping into the biodiverse seas that encircle his home country for the first time.