Diving Alor: when to go and what it is really like

Is Alor worth diving now?

Cold upwelling in the Pantar Strait can bring hammerheads within reach and occasionally push up a thresher or mola. Those dives are attempts, not appointments. Between them you get very good walls, odd macro and far fewer boats than Komodo or Raja.

When is the best time to dive Alor?

Go in October — November. This calendar does not reward shoulder season: those are the months I would actually spend the money on, not merely months when an operator can run a trip. Warm at the surface, sometimes cold below it. Channel current can change quickly.

What will you actually see?

Hammerheads, Threshers, Mola, Pristine walls are the reasons to make the trip. Wild encounters vary, but the ranking assumes the best months above rather than an average week across the year.

• Hammerheads
• Threshers
• Mola
• Pristine walls

How difficult is the diving?

Advanced. Warm at the surface, sometimes cold below it. Channel current can change quickly.

Trip format: Liveaboard or a specialist local resort.

Why is Alor ranked #12?

Alor is an excellent trip with one meaningful tradeoff—usually animal reliability, reef consistency or demanding conditions.

The 8.7 score is one editorial opinion, not a visitor average. It weights sharks and other pelagics heavily, then asks whether the reef and the rest of the itinerary justify the flight.