I see no ships: a failure to snorkle in Tulamben

On a previous trip to Bali, I'd been at Amed on the north coast when Mount Agung started rumbling (which meant I had to reconsider my plans to swing by Tulamben, directly below the volcano, to try and snorkel the site of the USAT Liberty). 

The volcano in question (Mount Agung seen from a bemo on the main north coast road)

So this trip, as I was passing along the north coast of the island on my route from Java to Lombok, I decided I was definitely going to get to Tulamben, to attempt to snorkel both the Liberty and the Coral Garden sites.

Best laid plans of mice and men....

Getting to Tulamben involved 3 bemos (first from Lovina to the western side of Singaraja, a second bemo from the western bus terminal to the eastern one, and then finally a third bemo from there to Tulamben), each one requiring hard negotiation as the drivers typically ask tourists for 2-3 times the standard fare. The total trip was about 2hrs travel time, plus a bit of waiting each time I changed bemos. It's times like this when I wished I drove.

I tried to snorkel the Liberty that first afternoon I arrived, but conditions weren't great -- the tide was in meaning the wreck was deep, and the visibility was poor, so I could essentially only see a large shadow from the surface. There was also a very strong cross current, meaning I was having to swim hard just to stay above the wreck. Within a short amount of time, I was exhausted, and called it an afternoon. I went for a walk around the area, had some nice food in an unassuming little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and ended up relaxing at my hotel pool, chatting to other guests.

Sunset over the arid Tulamben countryside

The following morning I tried to snorkel again, but this time the conditions were even worse. A stiff breeze was blowing 1m waves, and I stood on the rocky beach and watched multiple groups of divers trying to enter and leave the water, forming human chains to try and prevent being swept off their feet by the waves (and failing as often as they succeeded). I never even got wet that day.

The following day I left, to seek more sheltered bays over in Amed, further east along the coast. So, I still haven't seen the Liberty.

Maybe next trip....

Tulamben beach - you come here to dive or snorkel, not lie on the beach