Diving at magnificent Tulamben

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Tulamben, Bali

Two weeks after obtaining my diving certificate, I stood nervously on the beach at Tulamben in the northeastern part of Bali, a two-hour drive from Sanur.

Sure, the dive site, as rich with marine life as it is with history with the wreck of USS Liberty lying underwater, is said to be gentle on even the greenest novices.

Nevertheless, it was going to be my first time without my loyal instructor and I was nervous as I clumsily walked over the beach's fist-sized volcanic pebbles, a testimony to the wrath of Gunung Agung when it erupted in 1963, and arrived at the water's edge.

I felt considerably more at ease as I dumped the air in my buoyancy control device (BCD) and started to go down. A parade of surgeonfish and snappers welcomed our group, hoping for bits of banana or bread that some divers bring.

Then came the garden eels, dancing with their tails dipped into the sand and heads snapping the plankton washed along by the current. They retreated into the sand as quickly as a fading dream whenever a diver approached and wriggled back up as the intruder swam past.

To the left looms the treasure of the dive site: the Liberty, a World War I-vintage cargo ship that was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942, which stretches for 100 meters along the sloping sand.

The vessel, which was also armed, was supposed to be towed to Singaraja in North Bali, but went aground at Tulamben and was then stripped of its cargo.

Locals were getting ready to cut her up for scrap when the earthquake that accompanied the massive explosion of Gunung Agung shifted the vessel to its present location. The top of the ship is just 3 meters under water, while the bottom lies up to 29 meters beneath the surface, making it easy to access for open water certificate holders, who by law cannot go deeper than 18 meters.

The magnificent structure -- it takes half an hour just to leisurely circle the vessel -- is now home to more than 400 species of reef fish. By comparison, the whole of the Caribbean region has only 700 plus species.

Beautifully colored corals and most of the tropical fish featured in dive books can be found here. Had it not been for the my mouth piece, I would have been busy uttering "ooohs" and "aaahs" all around.

Moorish Idol, Ovalspot Butterfly Fish, and Longfin Bannerfish swim leisurely across the Liberty, now completely covered with coral. Small Damsels stream past here and there. A Parrotfish shed its lunch and left a trail of excrement as I marveled at its wonderful combination of green, blue, and yellow.

Chris, the owner of Bali Scuba, the diving operator that invited me to Tulamben, scanned the sea fans for pigmy seahorses. We were not so lucky. There was no sign of the tiny creatures, which are only as big as the tip of the little finger.

Gazing down at the vessel, we saw a giant Napoleon Wrasse on a standstill, lazily watching the smaller fish like a godfather supervising his subordinates.

The Liberty is so filled with wonders that everywhere you turn, there is something new to see, be it baby fish playing hide and seek on the crown of a coral or a long thin Flutemouth resting on the coral-encrusted hulk of the vessel.

Away from the ship, Chris stopped at one of the cleaning stations to have a natural "manicure" -- a small shrimp nibbling away at the dead skin.

We teased the blue spotted stingrays as they hid beneath the sand, betraying their covers by the smallest of holes in the tops of their heads. Sorry to disturb your rest, folks, but your gracious flaps as you fly off the sandy bottom are too precious to miss.

Just as we were ready to surface, we saw a Boxfish with orange spots and Clown Fish, cute but ready to fiercely attack any fingers that come near, and their anemones.

Aside from the wreck, there is also a wall drop-off nearby. I opted not to go there, as for me, the wreck, the corals and their glorious colors are more than enough to feast the eyes on during the two dives I took.

Besides, I should leave something new for the next time I come back, shouldn't I?

Bali Scuba Jl. Danau Poso 40, Blanjong - Sanur
Phone : +62-361-288610
e-mail: letsdive@baliscuba.com
www.baliscuba.com