Diving at shipwreck the USAT Liberty

Name Dive Site:	USAT Liberty
Depth:	9-30m (29-98ft)
Visibility:	10-30m (32-98ft)
Accessibility:	Shore
Inserted/Added by:	lars, © Author: Lars Hemel
Rated:	Rated 4.9, 9 votes
Specifications:

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This 120 meter long wreck, the USAT Liberty (often misnamed as USS Liberty) was working as a cargo ship during World War II, when a torpedo from a Japanese submarine hit it. They tried to get the wreck to Singaraja near the north coast of Bali, but she got too much water. Instead, they towed her to Tulamben where she sat for more than twenty years. Then, in 1963, the volcano Mount Agung erupted and the earthquakes broke the Liberty at bow and stern. This caused the wreck to slid further down the slope, which is still her present location.

Usually, divers are driven here by bus, gear up and swim perpendicular to the beach for about 35 meters. Try to get here early as this is a very touristy dive site and as soon as the first divers have started visibility will be going down. The variety of life is amazing. Early in the morning turtles can be spotted, but they disappear quickly when divers start to be numerous. Before even seeing the wreck you will be encountered by a few species of fish. A huge school of big-eyed trevally, unicorn fish and surgeonfish which try to enter your mask and goatfish and wrasses that try to nibble around your feet. This diver fanatism is unfortunately caused by dive crews that feed them rice, bread or banana.
The top of the wreck is at 5-10 meters and here it touches the black volcanic sand slope. It is a spectacular dive site for photographers, not in the last place of the contrast between the black sand and the colorful fishes. The wreck is covered with coral and you can still see the guns, boilers, toilets and anchor chain.

Diving here and you will see just about everything in any Indo-Pacific Reef Guide book. Anglerfish, ghost pipefish, neon nudibranches, shrimps, garden eels and schools of batfish, fusiliers, sweetlips and butterfly fish. Multi-colored clouds of anthias and damsels can be found and don't forget the invertebrates, sponges, sea fans and the hard and soft corals. Also pygmy seahorses, white tip sharks, huge parrotfish and giant trevalley can be spotted near the wreck.

Take a look at all the pictures!