USAT Liberty Wreck

The USAT Liberty Wreck lies a short swim off the stony beach at Tulamben on Bali’s north-east coast. The ship is about 120 m long and rests on its side on a sandy slope, with its shallowest parts only a few metres below the surface and the deepest sections near 30 m. That puts it within reach of snorkellers, new divers and experienced divers alike, all without a boat.

Decades underwater have turned the hull into an artificial reef. Hard and soft corals, sponges and gorgonian fans cover the frame, and reef fish gather in big numbers, from schooling jacks and batfish to resident groupers. Bumphead parrotfish are often seen around the wreck at dawn, and garden eels sway from the sand beside it. The holds, masts and the gun at the bow are easy to make out, but the structure is collapsing in places, so stay outside unless you are trained for wreck penetration.

The site gets busy from mid-morning, when groups arrive on day trips from the south. Early morning and night dives are quieter and bring out different marine life.

Divers walk in straight from the beach, which is made of large, smooth volcanic stones that are awkward to cross in surf, so wear booties. Snorkellers can see the upper parts of the wreck when the sea is calm, and visibility is usually best in the dry season.

The Liberty is the headline, but Tulamben’s coast has more shore dives close by. The Coral Garden, just off the beach, is a shallow mix of coral and rock that suits macro life and night dives. The Drop Off, at the southern end of the bay, is a wall with overhangs and large reef fish. Batu Kelebit, a short ride by local outrigger, is a deeper slope with good visibility and a chance of reef sharks. For gentler reef snorkelling, the bays of Amed are just down the coast.

The Liberty was built in the United States in 1918 as a cargo ship and later served as a US Army transport. In January 1942, during the Second World War, she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Lombok Strait while carrying cargo that included rubber and railway parts. The crew tried to tow the damaged ship to the harbour at Singaraja, but she was taking on too much water, so she was beached at Tulamben instead.

The hull sat on the shore for two decades. In 1963 the eruption of Mount Agung shook the region and the ship slipped off the beach into the sea, where she has lain ever since. Her presence turned a quiet fishing village into one of the best-known dive spots in Indonesia.