When is the best time to dive Tulamben?

The best months to dive Tulamben are April, May, October, November, when conditions are most favorable.

What certification do I need to dive Tulamben?

Tulamben requires a minimum certification of Open Water. Currents are typically moderate and the maximum depth reaches 30 m.

How much does it cost to dive Tulamben?

A 2-tank dive at Tulamben averages around $70 USD. The destination is in our mid range tier.

What will I see diving Tulamben?

Tulamben is known for manta ray, mola mola, sunfish, with 9–30 m visibility and 24–29°C water temperatures.

Why does Tulamben score 62.7/100 on OkToDive?

Tulamben earns a 62.7/100 Score based on 12 weighted categories including marine life, coral health, visibility, operator quality, and value. Backed by 820 operator reviews.

Tulamben Diving — USAT Liberty Wreck & Bali Macro

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World Class

Intermediate

Tulamben

IndonesiaAsia-Pacific

62.7

SCORE

-8.2789°N

115.5943°E

Tulamben's USAT Liberty — a WWII cargo ship torpedoed in 1942 — is one of the most accessible wreck dives on Earth. Sitting in 5–30m right off the black sand beach, it's encrusted in soft corals and swarming with bumphead parrotfish at dawn. The adjacent coral garden and drop-off are world-class muck sites.

Home of the Liberty Wreck

Visibility9–30 m

Temperature24–29°C

Max Depth30 m

Currentmoderate

2-Tank Dive$70

Best MonthsApril, May, October, November

CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

Marine Life

40.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity

Megafauna Encounters

Reef Fish Abundance

Macro Life

Endemic Species

Marine Life Diversity

40.0

Coral & Reef Health

71.0

Visibility & Conditions

70.0

Dive Site Variety

70.0

Water Temperature

69.0

Depth & Access

56.0

Operator Quality

78.0

Topside Experience

64.0

Getting There

68.0

Value & Cost

60.0

Crowding

57.0

Social Proof

57.0

Key Species

manta ray mola mola sunfish

Dive Types

reefdriftmuckshorepelagic

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.

Activities for Non-Divers

snorkeling the Liberty WreckMount Agung trekkingTirta Gangga water palacefreedivinglocal warung dining

Nearby Cultural Sites

Tirta Gangga Royal Water Palace
Besakih Mother Temple

Non-Diver Partner Score

5/10

Limited topside — plan ahead for non-diving partners.

Family FriendlyYes

Restaurants & Nightlifebasic

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org

Hyperbaric Chamber80 km — Sanglah Hospital Hyperbaric Unit, Denpasar

Nearest Hospital50 km

2-hour drive to Denpasar for chamber; basic clinic locally

Skill LevelIntermediate

Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Tulamben Wreck Divers

PADI

4.8

350 reviewsNITROX

Liberty Dive Resort

PADI

4.7

290 reviewsNITROX

Dive Concepts Tulamben

SSI

4.6

180 reviewsNITROX

Compare This Dive Site

Current conditions

9/10Excellent

Waves0.42 m

Swell0.4 m

Wind5.5 km/h

Air27.7°C

Slight rain showers

9d ago

Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives

25+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification

Open Water

“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

→Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
→Variable visibility
→Navigation in low viz

What will surprise you

→Thermoclines can drop water temp by 5°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
→Short dive season — only 4 months worth going (April, May, October, November). Book well ahead or miss it.
→Tulamben has more marine life variety than most divers expect
→Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss

Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning

Viz
high
Current
moderate
Crowd
light

reef exploration
photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon

Viz
moderate
Current
moderate
Crowd
moderate

drift diving
second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month	Viz (m)	Temp (°C)	Current	Sea	Rain	Confidence	Highlights
Jan	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Feb	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Mar	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active, peak season crowds
Apr	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
May	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
Jun	9–20	28	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active
Jul	9–20	28	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Aug	9–20	28	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Sep	9–20	28	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active, manta season
Oct	9–20	28	Mod	Mod	Wet	70%	reef fish active
Nov	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active
Dec	20–30	27	Mod	Calm	Light	70%	reef fish active

Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects49

Wide angle69

Viz stability51

Hover friendliness55

Natural light60

Recommended kit

→General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site

Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

Buoyancy precision
intermediate
Macro subjects demand millimeter-level hover control.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget

$2,000–$2,800

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US): $1,100–$1,300
Accommodation / day: $50–$100
Diving / day: $60–$70
Food / day: $10–$25
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Mid-range

$3,150–$4,600

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US): $1,550–$1,850
Accommodation / day: $120–$220
Diving / day: $70–$90
Food / day: $30–$60
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Splurge

$5,250–$8,200

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US): $2,250–$2,750
Accommodation / day: $260–$500
Diving / day: $90–$120
Food / day: $70–$140
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here

Tulamben Diving — Indonesia