USAT Liberty Wreck · Tulamben

The story

A WWII ghost,
moved by a volcano.

The USAT Liberty was a US Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese sub in January 1942 off the Lombok Strait. She was towed to Tulamben beach, run aground, and stripped of her cargo. For 21 years she sat on the sand. Then in 1963, Mount Agung erupted.

The volcano's tremors shook her loose. She slid into the sea, settling on her starboard side 30 metres from shore on a sloping sand bottom. Stern at 5 m, propeller and rudder visible to snorkellers. Bow at 30 m on the deeper sand. The 120 metres of hull are now Bali's most famous reef.

"The ship the volcano finished sinking."

The wreck supports everything — bumphead parrotfish at dawn, garden eels in the sand, ghost pipefish in the cargo hold, schooling jacks above the gun. Beach entry, no boat needed. You walk in over the cobblestones and the wreck appears 30 metres out.

Topography

How the dive unfolds.

The classic Liberty profile: walk in from the beach over cobblestones, drop down to the stern at 5 m, swim along 120 metres of hull lying on its starboard side, reach the bow at 30 m, return along the keel, safety stop at 5 m, walk back up the beach.

Plan a typical 45–60 min dive: walk in over the cobblestone beach, swim 30 m to the stern at 5 m, follow the hull down past the bridge to the bow at 30 m, return along the keel, slow ascent, safety stop at 5 m, walk back up the beach. NDL-friendly. Pro tip: dawn dives (06:00) — bumphead parrotfish school over the wreck.

Marine life · what you might see

The ocean's not a zoo.

Sightings are pure chance — current, season, time of day, and luck. Below is what divers spot at this site, but no operator can guarantee any specific encounter on any specific dive.

Resident Bannerfish 95%

Resident Batfish 90%

Resident Garden eels 85%

Resident Anthias clouds 90%

Resident Glassfish clouds 85%

Resident Moray eels 80%

Resident Scorpionfish 80%

Resident Lionfish 75%

Resident Nudibranchs 90%

Resident Cleaner shrimps 80%

Resident Ornate ghost pipefish 60%

Resident Octopus 70%

Visitor Sea turtles 55%

Visitor Schooling jacks 35%

Visitor Whitetip sharks 25%

Resident Hard coral wall 100%

Always-presentThe wreck structure, the cargo holds full of glassfish, anthias clouds at the bridge, garden eels on the sand at the bow.

Sometimes-presentPelagics that pass over — bumphead parrotfish at dawn, jacks at dusk, occasional whitetips. Lucky moments, not guarantees.

Practical

What you need.

01 · Cert

Certification

Open Water minimum. The stern section (5–18 m) is OWD-friendly. Reaching the bow at 30 m needs AOWD or equivalent. Snorkellers see the propeller + rudder from the surface.

02 · Entry

Entry · Distance

Beach dive. Walk in over the famous Tulamben cobblestones (water shoes recommended), kit-up at the water, swim ~30 m to the wreck. No boat needed.

03 · Flow

Currents

Usually mild — wreck is sheltered in Tulamben Bay. Strongest currents around full/new moon. We check conditions before every dive.

04 · When

Best time of day

Dawn (06:00 – 07:30) for bumphead parrotfish school. Dusk for activity peak. Night dives for hunting octopus + Spanish dancers — Liberty's most magical hour.

05 · Fees

Park fee

No national park fee. Local entrance + parking ~30,000 IDR (€2) — included in your PMD safari price.

06 · Schedule

Surface intervals

Beach-side warungs (cafés) for lunch + nasi goreng between dives. Three-dive days standard at Tulamben since wreck is 30 m from your tank rinse station.

Ready?

Dive USAT Liberty
on a Tulamben safari.

All-inclusive: flights, transfers, villa, dives, food, fees. Tulamben rotation includes Liberty (dawn + dusk + night), Coral Garden, Drop-Off, Boga Wreck — three sites a day, beach entries.

Plan Your Trip ← Back to Bali map

A WWII ghost,moved by a volcano.