Liberty Wreck
A historic artifact revitalized into one of the richest marine environments in the world. Resting 3-30m deep, the Liberty is one of the most accessible wreck dives and Bali’s most famous scuba diving and snorkeling site.
Depth
3 – 30 meters
Difficulty
Easy
Description
The USAT Liberty was a United States army cargo ship built in 1918. The ship served during both WWI and WWII. In 1942, the ship met the end of its sailing days when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Lombok Strait. The damaged ship was towed to Bali, where it was stranded on the shores of Tulamben.
The boat remained here until the 1963 eruption of Bali’s Mt. Agung volcano. The tremors from the eruption forced the ship off the beach, sinking it under the water.
The 120 meter long ship now lays on its side, just 25 meters off the rocky shore. Over the years, the Liberty has transformed from a barren heap of wreckage into an ecosystem teaming with life. The ship itself is covered in soft and hard corals, gorgonian fans, sponges, sea anemones, and crinoids, providing the perfect sanctuary for all different kinds of marine wildlife.
The Liberty is one of the most accessible wreck dives in the world. Because it sunk right offshore, divers are able to enter the water directly from the beach. The shallowest part of the ship is only 3 meters below the surface and the deepest is about 30 meters down. This makes the Liberty a great wreck dive for all levels of scuba divers, even beginners.
Marine Wildlife
The Liberty Wreck is an underwater wonderland that is home to a wide array of marine wildlife. A huge school of bigeye trevally (or jackfish) is often seen swirling around the wreck, while reef fish like sweetlips, angelfish, batfish and surgeonfish find refuge in and among the ship’s nooks and crannies. Turtles, napoleon wrasses and great barracudas are also common visitors to the wreck. On the way back to the shore, you can spot a group of garden eels poking out from the sandy seabed and swaying in the current. Night dives and sunrise dives provide a chance to see the resident school of bumphead parrotfish that makes the wreck their sleeping quarters.