Jaco Island

Jaco Island is a raised coral island off the far eastern tip of Timor, and the island and its waters lie inside Nino Konis Santana National Park. It is reached in a few minutes by local fishing boat from Valu Beach near Tutuala, but the channel between the mainland and the island carries a strong current that rules out swimming across. Around the island the water is very clear, and coral gardens with scattered bommies sit on white sand close to the beach. A diving magazine report from the island describes a hawksbill turtle, a young grey reef shark, a school of gold-striped sweetlips, a giant grouper, jacks and a great barracuda along the reef. The island is sacred to the Timorese, so it stays uninhabited and visitors come for the day only, with no overnight stays allowed.