While many divers come to Tulamben for the famous USAT Liberty Wreck, we were drawn to the area’s world-class macro diving and were not disappointed. We spent four fantastic days diving with Dive Concepts while enjoying the comfort and convenience of nearby Ocean Sun Dive Resort. Exploring renowned muck and macro sites such as Seraya, Batu Niti, Pura Gerombong, and the black sand slope near the Liberty Wreck, we discovered an astonishing variety of marine life hiding in plain sight. Highlights included pygmy seahorses, colorful nudibranchs, frogfish, ghost pipefish, octopus, mantis shrimp, tiger shrimp, crinoid shrimp, harlequin crabs, squat lobsters, flounder, stonefish, puffers, and numerous eels. Much of the credit goes to our exceptional dive master, Gita, whose eagle eyes seemed capable of spotting creatures no larger than a grain of rice. Above the water, Tulamben offered equally enjoyable experiences, with excellent meals at Chops and Hops and Slice and Brew, where we found delicious European and Asian dishes at remarkably affordable prices. Despite several days of rainy, unsettled weather, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Tulamben and would return in a heartbeat for more of Bali’s incredible macro magic.
Our bungalow at Ocean Sun Dive Resort in Tulamben
Diving with Dive Concepts in Tulamben
Tiny juvenile warty frogfish
Thuridilla gracilis (sap-sucking sea slug)
Juvenile Taylor's inflator filefish
A pair of bumpy Mexichromis (purple wart nudibranch)
Aegires villosus nudibranch
Bullock's hypselodoris nudibranch (Hypselodoris bullockii)
Samla macassarana nudibranch
Goniobranchus preciosus nudibranch
Bus stop nudibranch (Goniobranchus hintuanensis)
Tryon's Hypselodoris nudibranch (Hypselodoris tryoni)
Peacock-tail anemone shrimp
Cheesecake nudibranch/Black margin glossodoris (Doriprismatica atromarginata)
Bushy backed nudibranch (Dendronotus frondosus)
Gem sea slug/twin sea slug (Goniobranchus geminus)
Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) measuring less than 2 cm. They live exclusively on gorgonian sea fans
Anker's whip coral shrimp
Sexy shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
Faithful sea slug (Goniobranchus fidelis)
Paradise hypselodoris nudibranch (Hypselodoris paradisa)
Samla bicolor nudibranch/orangeband nudibranch
Valentin's sharpnose puffer
False bird-of-paradise (Heliconia psittacorum)
Robby enjoying a well earned beer after a long day of diving
A delicious bowl of laksa soup
A staghorn fern on a tree at our resort
Our new dive buddies Lauren and Clement from Switzerland
Becky enjoying the pool at Ocean Sun Dive Resort
The "lumberjack" meal - pork schnitzel stuffed with onions, bacon and mushrooms at Chops and Hops Restaurant
A pair of pygmy seahorses
White's hypselodoris nudibranch (Hypselodoris whitei)
Fried egg nudibranch/varicose wart slug (Phyllidia varicosa)
Hypselodoris zephyra nudibranch
Tenellia goniophaga nudibranch
Bargibant's pygmy seahorses are masters of camouflage with colors and tubercules (fleshy bumps) that mimic the gorgonian sea fans they inhabit
Unidentia sandramillenae nudibranch
Thorunna florens nudibranch
Octopus hiding in a crevice
Anker's whip coral shrimp
This urchin-tail mantis shrimp (Echinosquilla guerinii) is a rare, Pacific-dwelling spearing mantis shrimp known for its ruby-red color and highly modified tail (telson) that perfectly mimics a rock-boring sea urchin
Pelagella longicornis nudibranch
Harlequin crab in an anemone
Phyllodesmium poindimiei nudibranch
Bumpy mexichromis nudibranch (Mexichromis multituberculata)
It rained the entire time we were in Anilao except the day we were leaving! We finally caught a glimpse of Mount Agung (as seen from Ocean Sun Dive Resort)
Taking a photo with dive master Gita (who we had as our dive master several years ago in Amed)
A man carrying fresh fish on the back of his motorbike
The Titi Banda Statue is a massive landmark in Denpasar depicting King Rama and his army
Surfing statue at Denpasar Airport
Statue on display at a convenience store in the Denpasar Airport
