Lurking below the undulating waters of Tulamben Bay, lies Liberty Wreck, a World War Two cargo ship that was stationed off the coast of Lombok. After being disabled by a Japanese torpedo early on January 11, 1942, USAT Liberty headed to a harbour in North Bali. Unfortunately it never made it there after taking on to much water, and instead was intentionally beached in Tulamben. Twenty years later the eruption of Mount Agung rolled the Liberty off its resting place on the beach and sunk her approximately 40 meters off shore, where she still rests today.

Skillfully lead by our dive instructor from Aqua Marine, we waded out from Tulamben beach and submersed ourselves into the warm alluring waters of the Indo Pacific to explore the Liberty Wreck. Aqua Marine, a small dive company located in Kuta, is one of a few shops solely dedicated to dive trips, diving all of Bali. As we slowly waded deeper into the waters, an overwhelming rush of excitement washed over us. Liberty Wreck is known as one of the safest wrecks in the world to dive, but also offers an amazing array of marine life, a rare combination. As we navigated towards the looming wreck, our small group of three divers was was a dream. With so much to see, being in a small group allowed us to easily swarm together to scope out intriguing aquatic finds.

Sprawling over 120 meters in length, Liberty Wreck pulsed with curious marine life as we approached from the the stern. Despite our excited behaviour the welcoming committee of fish didn't seem to notice in the slightest. In fact the reception was quite sociable, swarming around us to greet us more closely. Trailed by Wrasse, Batfish, and a slew of Surgeon fish we began to explore the wreck more closely. After only a few meters of our arrival, we met up with a bashful group of Garden Eels, poking out of their sandy homes by about 20cm. Swaying to the current, they displayed their familiar hypnotic dance. Drifting further down the wreck a fuller picture of this amazing phenomenon that lay before us grew. Increasing amounts of details began to appear from under the layers of coral such as portholes, doorways, and deck beams, creating an eerily surreal setting. My eye was interrupted by a school of Big Eyed Jacks, which continued to carry my gaze past the largest Grouper I have ever seen. This enormous fish appeared to weigh over 110kg, and after a slow but fleeting swim by, it disappeared back into the wreck. As we swam towards the bow we came across a couple of great finds such as Lion fish and massive Napoleon fish. Upon circling back to the boom for our 5 meter safety stop we were swarmed by Unicorn Fish, Sweetlips, Surgeon Fish and Angle Fish. Floating towards the surface the thrill of what we had just experienced didn't dissipate, but instead resounded richly in our minds.

This is the perfect place for any level of diving as there is little to no current, with great viewing no matter the depth or comfort level. The best time of year to dive the Tulamben Liberty Wreck is between April to October, Bali's dry season. If you want a chance to catch the elusive Mola Mola, August to October is a better bet.

Diving Liberty Wreck in Tulamben costs approximately $45 USD per dive, which includes gear and transport to and from the dive site. Be sure to verify that you use a PADI certified dive center with experienced local instructors who can show you all the great aquatic life.

Just a few meters down shore from Liberty Wreck is another dive site called Coral Gardens, aside from some of the most stunning soft and hard coral, this slow drift dive is on a sloping reef wall where seeing Reef Sharks, Goby and Shrimp, and Blue Spotted Stingrays is quite common.