The U.S.A.T. LIBERTY is a 120 meters long shipwreck, the remains of a US World War II freighter, which was torpedoed on 11th January 1942 at 4 : 15 am. by a Japanese submarine. The ship has been crossing the Lombok Strait carrying material (rubber and railway parts) from Australia to the Philippines. Two US destroyers hitched up to the ship and tried to tow it to the port of Singaraja. The damage was immense, she was taking in too much water and her crew ran the vessel up onto the beach of Tulamben 70km away from the nearest safe harbor.
For 21 years she stayed there, the people of Tulamben secured all items of any value, even parts of the deck. In 1963 the Liberty was pushed to her present location by the fatal eruption of the volcano Gunung Agung. During this process the hull broke into two pieces. Now she is laying only 30 meters from the Tulamben beach on a sandy slope, at a 90° angle on her side, parallel to the shore. The deck side faces the ocean.
The Liberty ship wreck is the most visited Dive Site of Bali, and it is at the perfect depth for scuba diving ranging from 3 meters down to 29 meters. There are a couple of impressive swim throughs, but care must be taken as the structure of the wreck is unstable with parts collapsing every year. An amazing growth of encrusting animals cover the wreck, marine biologists estimate that about 400 different species of reef fish live on the Liberty.
• Excellent growth with hard and soft corals and sponges
• Around 400 species of reef fish live on the liberty. Surgeon fish and bump head parrot fish welcome you at the wreck, barracudas, napoleons and turtles hang around … sharks can be seen as well as small creatures like the tiny pygmy seahorse.
• Current : none – mild
• Visibility : 10 up to 25 meters
