DIVING BALI INDONESIA
DIVE TODAY RESORT BALI
PADI SCUBA DIVER COURSES BALI
ENVIRONMENTAL COURSES IN BALI
BALI'S BEST DIVE SITES
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Tulamben
Tulamben, a small village, is three hours north of Denpasar on Bali's northeast coast. Gunung Agung, an active volcano, dominates the landscape. If you didn't know there was great diving here, there would be no reason to stop.
Tulamben Bay is 1300m (~1mi) long. The beach is covered with smooth black rocks that are difficult to walk on. There are three dive sites: the Liberty wreck, the Drop-off, and the Reef. Resorts are along the beach so you simply gear up and step into the water. Porters are available to assist divers. |
| From June through August waves on the beach reduce visibility and make for slightly rough entries and exits. The rainy season is December through March and wind from the north kicks up the surf. Best diving times here are April-May and September-November, but diving is good all year around. If you can't get in off the beach, other entry methods using local boats are possible. Water temperatures run 26º - 27ºC (82-84ºF) with occasional thermoclines to 24ºC (78ºF). Visibility is generally 15-30m (50-100ft) but can drop to 5m (15ft). |
The Wreck
| The wreck, on the western end of the bay, is 30m (100ft) from shore. The USAT Liberty sits on a sand slope with the stern at 15m (50ft) and the bow at 40m (130ft). During WWII, in 1942, the ship was disabled and eventually ran aground. In 1963, Gunung Agung erupted in a big way, and the wreckage was pushed off the beach by the lava flow and ended up beneath the surface right offshore. It lies on its side in two large pieces, beautifully overgrown with marine life. Over 400 species of fishes have been recorded here. |
| It's a wonderful dive as all you have to do is to have the local porters carry your gear down the beach (this is compulsive, keeping the villagers active in the tourism industry-see below), slip into the water, roll over on your stomach, and descend onto the wreck. It's a perfect 45-minute to one-hour dive, and large schools of fish, as well as small critters like ghost pipefish make the dive extremely interesting. It's the kind of dive you can do over and over again. |
The Drop-off
| At the opposite end of the bay a sand slope leads to a rocky wall with nice corals and sponges. Reef crevices shelter elusive Cometfish, eels, shrimps, and cleaning stations. The drop-off is good for spotting Napoleon wrasses, barracuda, and schooling fishes. |
The Reef
Between the wreck and the drop-off is a black sand slope dotted with coral outcrops festooned with feather stars, sea fans and giant sponges. Schools of snappers and cardinalfishes gather near branching corals. Groupers, cleaning stations and shrimp gobies are easy to find.
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Tulamben Porters
| Tulamben divers must use porters when they dive anywhere but directly in front of their hotel. Even if you choose not to use them, you'll be charged as if you did. The Tulamben porters have banded together and worked out a deal with dive operators for their services. They're well organized and have set rates. Divers pay the equivalent of about US$1- to have their gear toted to either end of the bay. And here's where the fun begins. |
Tulamben Bay is about 1300m (almost a mile) long and the beach is covered with smooth black rocks. Walking doesn't seem difficult until you try it with scuba gear on. There's something about these rocks that makes people's feet and legs wobble like jelly. Add scuba gear and they have a propensity to tip over. Thus, the porters....
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| The porters are tiny Balinese women of all ages. They are tiny but these women are a marvel to watch. Each one can handle two tanks with BCDs and regulators attached, which they balance on their heads. Then they sling a weight belt over each shoulder, a pair of fins in each hand, and trot off down the beach leaving divers behind to navigate the stony beach with nothing to carry but their masks. They wait patiently at the other end and when the dive is finished, they carry your gear back. It's fun to experience first-hand, and it's a great example of local people getting involved in tourism, working hand-in-hand with operators to help the villagers gain something from the tourist's presence. And, it cuts down on the number of irritating vendors in the area. |
Tulamben Bay offers some of the best shore diving in the world. With these three wonderful and easily accessible dive sites, you can spend a week or more here enjoying the peace and quiet, and the great diving. There is not much to do here, as you are hours away from any kind of nightlife or tourist attractions. But the resort has a friendly atmosphere, wonderful food, and breathtaking scenery. Liveaboard dive boats also leave from this area for trips up and down the Bali coast, and to the Komodo National Park, east of here. |
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