The most famous dive site in Bali and rated one of the best shipwrecks in the World... If you are visiting Bali this is a MUST do!
A brief history
The USAT Liberty (originally USS Liberty) is a 125 meter long Ship which was built in New Jersey, USA in 1918 and was used in World War I and World War II. It was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in January of 1942 which did a lot of damage to the ship. Luckily no one died in this incident and they decided to try and tow her to the nearest port, in Singaraja by 2 other vessels. She was letting on a lot of water and the crew had no other option but to beach it on the rocky shoreline of Tulamben. The Liberty lay on the beach until the strong tremors from the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung which caused her to slide into the water where she now lies on her side in 3-28 meters of water. It is now the most dived site in Bali.
The Dive
The best way to experience the USAT Liberty is with a 2 dive trip. The wreck lies just 15 meters from the beach which makes it a shore dive. The first dive is spent checking out the outside of the wreck and on the second dive we dive more the middle section which also includes some penetration and swim throughs depending on your experience level.
You will see the common reef fish such as Butterflyfish, Indo-Pacific Surgeonfish, Angelfish, Batfish, Trumpet fish, Trigger Fish and Surgeonfish. We also have a wide variety of Anemonefish including Nemo! You can also see Nudibranchs, Turtles, Garden Eels, Blue Spotted Stingrays, Bumphead Parrotfish, Napoleon Wrasse, Electric Clams... and the list goes on! If you are really lucky - Sharks, Whale Sharks and Mola Mola have also been sighted here.
The Liberty is commonly dived as a sunrise dive. It is the most popular dive in Bali which means it can get quite crowded. On the sunrise dive, there will be much less divers around and you get a chance to see the famous Bumphead Parrotfish which are up to 1.5 meters long and frequently school in groups even up to 30 at one time!
Another popular option is Night Diving. Chances to see large Groupers, hunting Moray Eels, Spanish Dancers, weird and wonderful Shrimps and Crabs, Squid, Octopus and more!
'It was pretty surreal to dive at such beautiful sites with such diverse marine life. The highlight was seeing a sea turtle, school of bump head fishes and swimming through a ship wreck.'
'The conditions were perfect and the USAT Shipwreck was amazing.'
'me and my boyfriend had the most amazing dive around USAT Liberty!'
Who can Dive it?
Everyone! Even non divers can enjoy some beautiful snorkelling as the Liberty wreck starts at only 3 meters. As it is so close to the shore, it makes for a really easy entrance and a short swim to the wreck.
We are normally blessed with really good visibility and due to the fact that the Liberty lies on a rocky foundation, even when we have waves, it takes a lot to reduce the visibility.
New Divers - Because it lies so close to the shore and starts so shallow it is a good wreck for newly certified divers as long as you have good control of your buoyancy. We can often have currents on this dive but our experienced Divemasters know where there are places to shelter while still enjoying the beautiful dive and abundance of marine life.
Advanced Divers - The wreck goes to a maximum depth of around 28 meters and there are plenty of cool critters hanging around down there along with some really exciting penetration options ranging from very easy to a bit more challenging.
Courses - It is a perfect location for an Advanced Open Water Course, Wreck Diver Specialty and Deep Diver Specialty.
Where is it?
It lies just 15 meters from shore in an area called Tulamben which is just a 20 minute drive from the popular dive and tourist destination Amed and 3 hours from the Airport.
When to visit?
The Diving in Bali is all year round. Our rainy season is typically from December to April but luckily for divers the rain seldom effects the water conditions. Diving in the rainy season means Bali in general is much less crowded which also means the Liberty is quieter. July - September you will rarely have any rain and the wether is hot and sunny but it's also the busiest months in Bali. Whenever you choose to come - you will be amazed!
