The Ultimate Guide to Tulamben Bali Diving
Imagine waking up in a beautiful beach villa with a world class shipwreck steps from your door. This is the reality of Tulamben, Bali diving, home of the world famous USAT Liberty Wreck. The Liberty is one of the most accessible wreck dives in the world. It’s suitable for everyone from beginners to experts and even free divers. So whether you are doing your PADI Open Water course or a professional photographer, you will enjoy this site. The best part is, there are no long boat rides to worry about, its only a few meters from shore. As an added bonus, Tulamben is not just wreck diving, there is a wide variety of sites to choose from.
WW Two History with a Twist
The most famous attraction to the area is undoubtedly the wreck. In fact, this dive site is what started an entire industry in the town of Tulamben, Bali. A US cargo ship, the Liberty was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine in 1942. Under the guidance of a US destroyer, the ship made it to Bali and beached on the shores of this fishing village. And there it sat for 21 long years, simply rusting away as a source for scrap metal. It was in 1963 where this shipwreck truly became one of a kind. The adjacent Mt Agung volcano woke up from a long slumber and created havoc in the area. The earthquakes from this strong eruption pushed the precarious ship back into the sea where it remains to this day.
With over 60 years of submersion, this wreck has become a living coral reef. Soft corals adorn what was once superstructure and an abundance of fish shelter amongst the nooks and crannies. It’s great as a day dive and also shines brightly as a night dive. We recommend a night dive or a dawn dive for experienced divers who are visiting for the first time. And non divers can also get a great look as the stern is shallow enough to snorkel. Freedivers and snorkelers are a common sight here as its a short swim from shore. The coral encrusted stern is home to an abundance of fish that are not shy of swimmers.
The USAT Liberty Wreck – Tulamben Bali Diving
Depth: from 5 to 30 meters
Experience: For everyone, is often used as a Discover Scuba and PADI Open Water training site
Marine Life: sweetlips, snappers, clown fish, hawksbill turtles, garden eels, soft corals
Ease of Access: Simple, it lies only 20 meters from the beach. Our professional guides will help you in and out of the water so you don’t need to carry your own gear.
Beyond the Wreck – Tulamben Bali Diving
The wreck is not the only attraction in Tulamben, there are a variety of sites appropriate for all levels. Coral Garden and Drop-Off are two well known sites that many visitors explore.
Coral Garden
Depth: from 3 to 25 meters
Experience: For everyone, this shallow reef is normally current free and shallow, a great site for beginners sampling Tulamben diving for the first time.
Marine Life: Many anemones and clownfish, ribbon eels, nudibranchs, sweetlips and butterfly fish. An artificial reef has been installed here and provides great cover for a variety of marine life.
Ease of Access: Very easy, walk in from shore. Our guides will give all the support you need to enter and exit. They will carry your tanks in and out as well as your camera gear.
Drop Off
Depth: from 3 to 30+ meters
Experience: A highlight of Tulamben diving and suitable for everyone. Beginners will normally stay on the sandy slope and the mini wall. More experienced divers can explore the deeper wall and the reef point.
Marine Life: Lionfish, nudibranchs, eels and cleaner shrimp are highlights of the sandy slope. The wall is home to many sea-fans and soft corals as well as anemones and schools of reef fish.
Ease of Access: Very easy, walk in from shore. Our guides will give all the support you need to enter and exit. They will carry your tanks in and out as well as your camera gear.
Liberty Slope
Depth: from 3 to 30 meters
Experience: This site is more for macro photography lovers rather than adventure divers. It features a rather barren sandy slope with a few bommies here and there. What may be boring for beginners is actually a top site for photographers and a keen eyed guide.
Marine Life: Ghost pipefish, long armed octopus, frogfish, cryptic shrimp and nudibranchs. The typical macro critters of the black sand Tulamben diving environment.
Ease of Access: Very easy, walk in from shore. Our guides will give all the support you need to enter and exit. They will carry your tanks in and out as well as your camera gear.
What’s Around the Corner?
There are four dive sites around the corner from Drop Off that are accessible by boat. Divers and guide simply hire a local “jukung” and set off for a short ride to these sites. These sites include Palung Palung, Alam Anda, Batu Kelibit, and Emerald. All of these sites offer hard corals in the shallows and slopes leading to the depths. The slopes are typically adorned with barrel sponges, sea fans and soft corals. These are great sites to encounter turtles as well as other larger fish swimming in the blue. All four sites are considered drift dives so are perfect for those with an Advanced PADI certificate. Divers will typically embark and disembark their “jukung” boat from Drop Off beach.
Book Your Tulamben Bali Diving
Are you ready to explore Tulamben? At the Underwater Tribe, our guides are experts in the area. Diving with our team means you have your own private guide and driver for your adventure. We handle your gear, snacks, drinks and transport. All you need to do is dive! Our team will pick you up in South Bali, transport you to your accommodation in Tulamben and stay with you throughout your stay. Tulamben is only one destination for keen divers in Bali. If you would like to see all that Bali has to offer then our custom Bali Safaris are the best way option. If you don’t have DAN diving insurance then please let us know before your trip. We are happy to sign you up for DAN Short Term diving insurance for the duration of your diving.
Contact Us today via email or WhatsApp to start planning your Tulamben diving holiday.
