A small village of fishermen and sailors on the eastern coast of Bali is considered the most popular diving destination among all the island's resorts. The name of the village came from the word “batulambih,” which translates as «many stones»; over time it transformed into Batulambin, and then changed several more times until the present-day name — Tulamben.
The many stones in the vicinity of Tulamben appeared thanks to Mount Agung, which periodically becomes active, erupting magma and rocks. The last major eruption of Agung occurred in 1963-1964, claiming hundreds of lives, destroying thousands of homes, and noticeably changing the surrounding environment.
However, it was precisely the volcanic eruption that gave Tulamben its main attraction, the reason divers now come here. This is the Liberty, a sunken US transport ship that was pierced by a Japanese torpedo in 1942. The Liberty was hit near the island of Lombok, which is separated from Bali by a strait, and from there it was towed to the shore near Tulamben to save the cargo and crew. The eruption of Agung caused shifts in the earth's crust that threw the ship 25 meters from the shore and split it into 2 parts.
It is precisely these picturesque ruins, overgrown with tropical algae and corals and providing shelter to schools of colorful exotic fish of every color and shape, that attract divers. Moreover, even beginners seeing scuba gear for the first time will be able to admire the sunken ship and its inhabitants, and it can be reached by swimming from the local beach.
