Timor Leste – Underwater
Join Martina Trepczyk
for a trip of a lifetime in
Timor Leste, November 2027
The crocodile became an island.
The boy became a fisherman. And the ocean became a cathedral.
What to Expect
9 days in Timor-Leste — where the Coral Triangle meets one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on earth. Join us for an exclusive, conscious underwater photography and filmmaking expedition: an intimate creative journey crafted for storytellers, conservationists, and hobby image-makers and ocean lovers who want to go deeper.
Together, we'll explore the waters around Timor Leste’s northern coast and the island of Atauro, learning to photograph above and below the surface while immersed in one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. Hands-on workshops in still photography, underwater camera work, and editing take place in the field — right where the light and the life are. Seven spots only. This is intentional.
And for those who want to join but skip any camera or editing sessions, there will be space and time to indulge in cultural activities or simply stay back with your favourite book enjoying palm trees and coconuts. A Timorese claims that if you ever drink from a coconut, you will return.
I first came to Timor-Leste in 2022 to photograph the fishermen of Subaun — men who take only what they need and leave the rest to be. Standing waist-deep in water, I heard a rumble move through the sea before I ever saw the blow: four metres high, audible from shore. A Pygmy Blue Whale. The largest animal that has ever lived on this planet, within plain sight from the beach. I knew then I had to come back. And bring others with me.
Highlights
Swimming with Pygmy Blue Whales on two separate days during their annual migration — strictly regulated, maximum four people in the water at any one time (we take turns)
Up to 12 scuba dives in some of the most pristine coral reefs on earth around Atauro Island, where walls drop into the abyss within swimming distance of shore
Four creative workshops covering underwater camera, editing and colour grading — structured around your own material from the expedition, with room for feedback, questions, and co-working
Community exchange on Atauro — a shared workshop with local community members focused on visual storytelling and conservation knowledge, designed as a mutual exchange rather than a one-way teaching format
Early morning documentation at first light, when fishing and daily life unfold naturally and the light is everything, with bow and arrow or hand knitted webs at dawn.
Giving back — Just as there is parachute science, there is parachute tourism and photography – coming from the Global North into remote areas of the Global South and leaving, taking all the credit. Together we’d like to create a tandem day of learning, exchanging skills. Selected images shared with the community for use in conservation and local initiatives, creating a tangible outcome beyond the trip itself.
Meeting local culture — the incredible people, stories, food and traditions
Your Mentors & Guides
Martina Trepczyk is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and artist whose work explores female empowerment, environmental justice, and poetry. A Leica ambassador and ocean conservation advocate, her multidisciplinary practice is rooted in activism and reclaims narrative space. Her photography series Boys of Subaun, shot in Timor-Leste in 2022, was nominated for the LOBA Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2024. She has spoken at the UN Ocean Conference, lectured at BOKU University Vienna, and has spent more than a decade working in some of the world's most remote ocean environments.
“I came to Timor Leste with a camera and a hunch. What I found was a fishing community living in profound, practised balance with one of the most extraordinary marine ecosystems I have ever seen. Reefs hundreds of years old. Whale blows that shake the water column. Fishermen who cast arrows at dawn and call the big whale Ikan Boot — Big Fish — with the quiet reverence of people who have always known they share this place. I shot on analog and digital, underwater and above, because I needed both to tell it. The plankton was so thick it turned crystal clear water into something grainy, almost filmic. The ocean did the work. Now I want to take you there. Not as tourists. As storytellers.”
Fizzy Moslim is the founder of Seamore Solutions, Timor-Leste's leading marine tourism consultancy specialising in ocean research, conservation, and responsible expedition logistics. A former whale tour guide with deep roots in Timorese waters, she has since become one of the country's foremost advisors on marine tourism regulation and whale encounter ethics, including advising the government directly on responsible whale-watching policy. She brings unmatched knowledge of local dive sites, conditions, logistics, and community relationships — and a passion for ocean conservation that runs through everything she does. On this expedition,
Fizzy will co-lead all in-water activities and is available to guide participants through their PADI Advanced Open Water certification on-site.
An expedition of a lifetime with hands-on workshops in still and motion image and editing, all while being immersed in the field.
Dates
[exact dates tba] November 2027
Requirements
Open Water PADI / SSI
minimum 12 divesgreat swimming skills
Participants without Advanced certification (PADI / SSI) are welcome — the course can be completed in Timor-Leste with Fizzy during the expedition for an additional €500
Group
maximum 7 participants
(split in two groups for whales)
Price
4.550€ total
2.000€ – non-refundable deposit to secure your spot upon booking
2.550€ can be paid in one, two or three instalments in 2027
Questions?
please do not hesitate to reach out:
Email Martina Trepczyk
