Tulamben and the Liberty Dive Resort

     This morning we transitioned from Lipah Bay to the Liberty Dive Resort at Tulamben.  It was a bitter sweet experience.  Sandra and I are extremely fond of the staff at Bayu Cottages.  In as much as it is very
difficult to get to Bali, it is more than likely that this was our final parting.  Handshakes and hugs all around. Plus a photo op with Sandra, Nyoman and Ketut posing as Japanese Girls.  That's always enough to bring out the smiles.

     We were taken aback when our driver arrived to take us to Tulamben.  It was Ketut, our driver form five years before.  When we booked the trip, we tried to contact him.  The owner of  Bayu Cottages denied any precise knowledge of his whereabouts.  It now seems that receiving email was difficult for Ketut and that Marcel was deliberately withholding information so his driver could get the business.   A Machiavellian soap opera in Bali! How intriguing!

Three Spot Angelfish Tulamben Nov. 2014

    Ketut was as surprised as we were and we enjoyed a fond reunion as we made the 45 minute drive from Amed to Tulamben.  He had lots of news.  In the past five years he and his wife have  had a second son (named Ketut) and his father has passed away.  Moving his flag from Vienna Beach,  he is now the chief diver for the Liberty Dive Resort.    

    All of our family news aside, I suspect that you are more interested in the particulars of Tulamben and our lodgings.  As I promised at the beginning of this series, we are staying in pretty nice places for around $40 per night. At the Liberty Dive Resort we are paying 1,600,000 IDR for three nights.  divide by 12,005 and you get about $43 per night.
 For this we get a modern air conditioned room in a landscaped courtyard facing a pool.  And breakfast.  Bali is clearly the answer to a world class snorkeling experience on a budget. 

Fishes of the Java Sea  Coral Gardens, Tulamben 2014

    Of course, the reason we came was access to one of the most famous dive spots in the world, the wreck of the USAT Liberty.  The Liberty was a transport ship in WWII.  In 1942 it was torpedoes by the Japanese and beached here on Bali.  In 1963 Mount Agung erupted, destroying Tulamben and the surrounding area.  This destruction is still apparent as you drive into the Tulamben area.  The earthquake that accompanied the eruption moved the Liberty about 50 meters off shore where the deteriorating wreck rests to this day.

    Having left Lipah Bay before 8:30, we were all checked in and ready to go look at the fishes before 10 AM.  It is a short walk, less than 100 yards, down to the Java Sea.  Here one finds a long shingle beach. The Liberty Dive Resort is about 50 yards west of the wreck and so, after a stroll on the stony shore,

Sea Star,  Naroda spp  Coral Gardens,  Tulamben 2014

 we entered in that vicinity.  Us and a couple dozen other divers and snorkelers.  The mix favored the Japanese (some small irony there, not so dissimilar to tourists from the Land of the Rising Sun visiting the USS Arizona.  Tora, Tora, Tora.  But we're all friends now, so no worries.)  There were plenty of Europeans and Australians and at least two game Yankees.
 
    The dive site at Tulamben is divided into two portions, at least for snorkelers.  The wreck itself, which extends from about 50 feet almost to the surface is, of course, the first.  Further to the east, about 100yards or so, is the area known locally as Coral Garden.  We swam along the shore for just a few

Choir of Sponges, Wreck of the Liberty, Tulamben

minutes to reach the garden.  The water was warm clear and without current or chop.  Perfect conditions. 

    The Coral Garden is, in my opinion, is curiously named.  One might expect a profusion of coral.  As far as we can tell, this is not the case.  The hard and soft corals of Lipah Bay are infinitely larger, more profuse and diverse.  What we have at Tulamben, in front of the Matahari Resort, is a shelf that slopes from about a meter down to about twenty feet.  This shallow field is about 40 yards at its widest and is littered with small corals, other stationary invertebrates and rubble.  And fish.  For some reason, which may run heavily towards the diving community here at Tulamben not harassing the fish, there is a profusion of marine animals here in the garden.  On this dive, we saw two species of anemonefish (Skunk and Pink) in the garden and a third (Clark's) at the wreck.  What a relief to get that particular monkey off our backs.  We also saw a a pair of Three Spot Angelfish and a Diagonal Sweetlips back at the wreck, thus filling in the list for two  (at least up to this point in our trip)  under represented groups.  And we got two new sea stars for the trip.

Fish Curry at Lesehan Segara Tegeh

    We really enjoyed the new fish and the invertebrates, especially the sponges clinging to the wreck.  I hope you like the pictures.

       The day was filled out with a minimally adequate lunch at the resort followed by a well deserved nap.  Dinner was spectacular.  For dinner, we went out to the number one restaurant in Tulamben as rated by Tripadvisor,  Lesehan Segara Tegeh.  The owner, Wayan,  picked us up, and his wife, Wayan, prepared a gourmet meal.  As both the owner and his wife are named Wayan, one might think that this would lead to some confusion.  (Do the Balinese have jokes along this line?)   While Wayan prepared dinner, we enjoyed the sun setting behind Mt. Agung from the second floor of the restaurant.  As the light dwindled, Wayan made his way through the garden below, placing offerings of incense and flowers at the small shrines, finishing  in the two shrines within the small dining area.  Only in Bali.

jeff