Arrival into Dili and transfer to your accommodation for the week; a boutique hotel with views over Dili Bay.  The afternoon is yours to adjust to the new surroundings and relax, before your early start tomorrow.

Today is the day where it all begins.

The first morning you will prepare for your search of wildlife, after breakfast and your safety brief. With your photographic guide and Phase One camera expert, you and your camera equipment shall explore the region, marking the annual blue whale route in hope for a sighting. Your skipper shall adjust the day dependent on tracking history to maximise your chance of witnessing these gentle giants.  You will be met by local indigenous Timorese, and offered garland necklaces as a welcome. With a smile, your introduction begins about your cruise, before a traditional calling is made with cone shell and buffalo horns to the whales, dolphins, wildlife and in respect and awe of the sea.

From that moment forth, you shall climb about M/V Atauro, a comfortable diving vessel with 360 degree views. Relax in this setting on bean bags, deck chairs as you nibble on ginger jellies in awe of your experts.  From here, each day you shall spend 5 hours or longer, on the lookout for wildlife. Dolphins and whales can come right into Dili harbour, so this is the first call.

Led by world renowned whale researchers, we have a high encounter rate in the hotspots to the East and West of Dili, particularly the blue whale, sperm whales, risso’s dolphins, spinner dolphins, fraser’s dolphins, pilot whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, cuvier’s beaked whale (the worlds deepest diver at 3km) and occasionally but more rarely, orca.   Most times of the year, clients see resident whales and even witness superpod form.  On our Mission05 departure, the peak of the Southern Blue Whale Migration lies between September and December, coinciding with our greatest months for dive visibility.  In early forecasting it appears we may have El Nino conditions again, making plankton plumes for blues more prolific around the upwells.

The early mornings make a great start to the day with spectacular sunrises, calmer seas and often the perfect light and horizon to see whale spouts and wildlife activity.  With both Mission05 leaders, £50,000 PhaseOne camera equipment and your naturalist, "Bertie" onboard, photography is the focus to this expedition. Early mornings with sweet light and wildlife action are the best time to be on the water.

Bertie will host naturalist information and provide photography tips for you, in an intimate setting. Ask the professionals for advice, tips and tricks to perfect the best underwater shot, all whilst partaking in heritage research each day. Here you will learn of the Coral Triangle Heritage Alliance experts on local biodiversity and indigenous heritage protection, restoration and development of this areas globally significant heritage area too.

Today is a slight change of pace. Explore a local muck diving site at Tasi Tolu, spotting many species of seahorse, cephalopods, crustaceans, and more. This dive spot is best known for its famous resident dugongs: Douggie and Debbie. Most mornings, one or the other can be found feeding a short wade from shore.

Back to the seas, you will have another 2 days focussed on tracking whales, dolphins and other sea life. The pressure is now on for the team to get you up close and personal with whales, with an aim to get you in the water, the team will go above and beyond to ensure your expedition is a success. The reason for Timor-Leste’s marine riches lies in the Ombai-Wetar Strait. Located in the pathway of the Indonesian Throughflow (the major current connecting the Pacific and Indian Ocean), the Strait boasts the largest movement of water on the planet: 5 million cubic metres per second works its way through this narrow gap, at depths of over 3000m.

In the morning you shall be transferred to another renowned dive spot, Anemone Garden, which lies a bumpy two-hour drive from Dili. Located off the side of a remote and dusty road, it is one of the strangest sites you will ever visit. Yet once you wade in, you will find yourself immersed in a gigantic patch of anemones, pulsing with clownfish, barely a grain of sand in sight.

Depending on rainfall and forest access, your afternoon option may be available to hike the Vemasse Gorge for a day out of water. Follow your local guides deep into the gorge to make the natural pools that will cool you off! Should this not be enough, a unique experience is available deep within crocodile habitat. Embark on a sacred houses expedition, and learn how the locals worship the crocodile reptiles with such respect.

Today is the day is completely your choice. Depending on the successes of the week, you may decide a deep sea dive is on the cards (flight times permitted). But if not, then a snorkel and underwater exploration can happen. Either way your team shall take you out into the sea Coral Triangle to learn, explore and photograph, one last time!

Today is the day you leave this mysterious and magical place. With encounters you could only have dreamt of having, and knowledge you would never have known, you will become a changed person after this expedition. Not only will your improved imagery bank mark this moment of success, but the spirit of Timor Leste will somehow, always stay within.