This weekend we are snorkeling in Tulamben. Tulamben is a
small fishing village on the north-east coast of Bali. It is among the most
popular dive sites on Bali since the wreck of the Liberty, a US Army Transport
ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 lies just off shore. The town's name is derived from the word
batulambih, which roughly translates as "many stones", a reference to
the destructive eruptions by Mount Agung that have affected this part of Bali
from time to time. The beach in Tulamben is not made of sand, but is entirely
covered with fairly large, smooth stones. The modern name evolved over time,
first to "Batulamben" and finally settling on the contraction
Tulamben ("batu" means "stone" in Indonesian)
This is my friend's first time to snorkel, and to snorkel
in Tulamben--whereas we can go into the water just from the beach. You can also
scuba dive along the USAT Liberty wreck here.
The wreck lies in shallow water and is considered
appropriate for divers of all certification levels. The ship rests in 30 metres
of water, is roughly 25 metres from shore and can be reached with a short swim
from the beach. The highest point of the wreck tops out about 5 metres from the
surface. The ship was torpedoed by the Japanese off the nearby Island of Lombok
and the ship was towed to the beach at Tulamben for salvage operations. The
1963 eruption of Mt. Agung, which devastated much of the eastern side of Bali,
drove the ship into the water just off shore, where it became encrusted with
coral and a home to other sea life.
The best time for diving here are during October and November, when the weather is generally calm and during the start of southeast monsoon, which typically extends from May to July. In addition to a wide variety of corals and invertebrates on the wreck itself, large fish frequent the wreck in some seasons, most popularly Mola mola and whale sharks, as well as Black-tip reef sharks. Professional divers have praised local residents for minimizing local fishing activity.
thank you all for stopping by and viewing the post...
xxx
