Tulamben's dive

To the north east of Amed lies Tulamben whose claim to fame is the wreck of the USS Liberty, torpedoed off Lombok in WWII and towed to its present site for salvage. Unfortunately the 1963 Mt Agung eruption broke and scattered the hulk but it’s a great snorkeling and diving spot just 30m from the beach and is home to literally hundreds of species of fish.

DESCRIPTION OF TULAMBEN'S DIVE SITES:

Elegant Squat Lobster, Tulamben, Coral Garden Tulamben has become Bali's most famous diving area and therefore where you are most likely to meet internationally recognised underwater photographers and writers. Tulamben Bay, like the rest of Bali, is situated in the richest marine biogeographic zone in the world. Being on the north-east coast, the bay receives very plankton-rich waters from the major ocean current that moves from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. This, coupled with the fact that the three main dive sites provide totally different physical environments, mean that Tulamben contains a stunningly diverse underwater ecosystem.

The beach is fist-sized black volcanic rocks that become sand in the shallows. This black sand does not provide the reflective properties of white limestone sand and, combined with the amount of plankton in the water, accounts for the relatively low visibility (12-25M). It does however provide a dramatic contrast, which brings out the colours of the corals, gorgonians, fish and other marinelife. The 100s of macro-species that live here both blend and contrast beautifully with the sand.

Tulamben is a wonderful place to learn to dive and to learn about underwater life. There are occasional sightings of Mola-Mola (Sunfish), Manta Rays, Whale Shark, tuna and other pelagics but it is the permanent population of Tulamben that brings people here for the 1st and 100th time.

The USAT Liberty Shipwreck

Bali's most famous dive site. Built circa WWI this cargo ship was equipped with guns for WWII, torpedoed by the Japanese off Lombok; despite attempts to tow the ship to N Bali it was taking on too much water so was semi-beached at Tulamben. Over the years anything reusable was removed. In 1963, with the earth tremors from the last eruption of Mount Agung, the wreck slid further down the slope where it still lies (as close to the beach as it can be and still be underwater!).

The Liberty lies approximately 30m offshore almost parallel to the beach on the sand slope and is suitable for all levels of qualification and experience. The wreck lies in depths from 9-30m; the shallowest part of the wreck, where it touches the sand slope, is at 5-10m. Depth along the middle of the wreck is 16-20m. The lower edge of the wreck, ie: furthest down the slope, is 20-28m (at high tide). The wreck is 120m long, it's pretty broken up (ie: no penetration possible) but you can still see the guns, toilets, boilers, anchor chain, etc. It is a lovely dive site, possibly the world's easiest wreck dive.

You can also snorkel on the wreck - the highest point of the stern is about 4m below the surface.

Visibility is usually 18-25m, lower when it has been raining. There is rarely a current present, at most it will be mild. During the 3 days before the full moon, there are usually waves. The air temp is 25-32degrees, the water 26-28degrees.

Trevally (Jacks), Liberty Wreck, Tulamben The wreck is very popular with photographers as it is totally encrusted in anemone, gorgonia and corals. The black sand provides an excellent colour contrast for the incredible variety of marinelife, which includes a huge school (literally 100s) of 10-12inch silver fish called Big-Eyed Trevally and over 400 other species of fish. All the fish are very tame (partly as a result of some guides feeding them, a rather unenvironmentally-sound practice!) from the Goatfish and Wrasse that nibble around your feet and fins during entry/exit to the Unicornfish and Surgeonfish which make a (slightly alarming the first time you see them!) beeline for your mask as you swim down towards the Wreck.

It is quite difficult to list what you will see because you'll see just about everything in any Indo-Pacific Reef Guide book if you dive here. From the minute Anglerfish, neon nudibranches, Ghost Pipefish, shrimp/goby sets, through to the areas of Garden Eels and multi-coloured clouds of anthias and damsels and on to the schools of Sweetlips, Batfish, fusiliers, Butterflyfish, the variety is amazing. Then there are the invertebrates, the hard and soft corals, black corals, sponges with crinoids, sea fans, tunicates.