Dive Site: Tulamben Bay

Posted on May 3, 2024May 4, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

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Tulamben Bay: A Dive Site for Everyone

The small village of Tulamben, famous for both its black volcanic sand and the 120m USAT Liberty shipwreck, is quite rightly Bali’s most popular diving location. Tulamben is also the place in Bali where you are most likely to see internationally-recognised underwater photographers and journalists.

Tulamben Bay, like the rest of Bali, is situated in the world’s richest marine biogeographic zone: the Indo-Pacific. Due to Tulamben’s location on Bali’s north east coast, the Indonesian Throughflow (the major ocean current that moves from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean) supplies the bay with very plankton-rich waters.

This, together with the different physical environments within the bay, gives Tulamben a remarkably diverse underwater ecosystem.

Popular Tulamben Bay Dive Sites

The 120m USAT Liberty shipwreck lies 20m offshore in depths of 5-30M, and is completely encrusted with hard and soft corals. The extraordinarily dense marinelife includes Clown frogfish (juvenile and adult), Bumphead parrotfish, a huge school of Big-eyed trevally, Leaf scorpionfish, and various pygmy seahorses. Wonderpus and Mimic octopus can be seen on early morning dives. The Wreck offers magical night diving with flashlightfish, Spanish dancers and cephalopods.

The Coral Garden, which runs eastwards from the USAT Liberty shipwreck, provides wonderful shallow dives where you’re limited by air supply rather than bottom time. You can expect to see a wide selection of marinelife from Thecacera nudibranchs, Harlequin shrimps and Boxer crabs, to frogfish and Ribbon eels in all stages of development.

On The Wall/Drop-off you will find a wide variety of sponges, hard and soft corals, and Gorgonian seafans (one of 3m diameter) – while the larger marinelife includes reef sharks, with occasional sightings of Whalesharks and Mola-Mola. During the rainy season (Dec-March) the reef flats can receive some run-off but continue to yield surprises.

Being shore entry, Tulamben is also great for snorkelling and Discover Scuba Diving. Please note Tulamben has a stony, rather than sandy, beach.

Slightly north of Tulamben is Kubu, home of Bali’s newest shipwreck. Kubu reef has Gorgonian seafans, bommies with soft corals, scores of nudibranchs, and generally calm conditions.

Taking a local outrigger five minutes east of Tulamben Bay brings you to the sites of Palung-Palung/Alamanda, Batu Kelebit and Emerald Point. Within the Tulamben area, these are the sites where you are most likely to see pelagics including, on rare occasions, dolphins.

Decrease Single-Used Plastic

Posted on April 26, 2024April 28, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

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One Voice to a Global Movement to Decrease Single-Used Plastic

by Mardia, AMD-B’s 2023 Divemaster Internship

Plastic, a widely used material, has gained immense popularity due to its affordability, lightweight, and easy manufacturability. The past century has witnessed an exponential increase in plastic production, surpassing almost every other material. However, the alarming fact is a significant portion of plastic produced is intended for one-time use, resulting in an enormous amount of plastic waste.

An estimated 6,300 million tonnes of plastics have been discarded since the beginning of mass production in the 1950s. Approximately only 9% of plastic trash worldwide gets recycled, while 12% is incinerated. Due to its strong durability, most of these plastics are accumulating in either landfills or the natural environment.

The consequences of plastic waste are far-reaching, affecting both the ecosystem and the livelihoods of those who rely on them. Environmental effects range from short-term, such as animal entanglement, to long-term, such as harmful component bioaccumulation in the food chain.

Growing worry about the usage of single-use plastics can be seen all across the world. It is becoming abundantly evident that the contribution that each of us makes to the reduction of plastic waste is of the utmost importance as our understanding of the effect that our routine actions have on the environment expands.

What can one voice achieve in the face of such a large-scale problem?

Quite a lot, as it turns out. We can make a difference by reducing our use of single-use plastics and encouraging others to do the same. A single voice can become a powerful force when it joins with others in a common cause.

Simple actions such as using reusable shopping bags, refusing plastic cutlery, and drinking from reusable water bottles can significantly reduce our plastic footprint. We can also support businesses that prioritize sustainable packaging and participate in local clean-up efforts to remove plastic waste from our communities.

The issue of single-use plastic is daunting, but it is manageable. Each of us has the power to influence change through our daily actions and by raising our voices to advocate for sustainable practices. Remember, the journey to a plastic-free world begins with one voice – yours.

Bali Topside Activities

Posted on April 12, 2024April 12, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

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Bali Topside Activities with AquaMarine

It is difficult to know where to start when listing Bali’s topside activities as they range from bird-watching walks and Balinese cookery courses to downhill cycling tours through Bali’s heartland and the ever-popular surfing as well as world-renowned golf courses. You can study puppetry or make your own batik sarong, learn the Balinese gamelan (xylophone) or try Balinese dancing.

Whitewater rafting is available and you can horseride on the beach or through the rice fields. Several companies offer Daytime and Dinner cruises. Watersports abound: fishing, wind-surfing, para-sailing, banana-boating.

These days Bali is the spa capital of Southeast Asia with many hotels boasting their own spas and many independent spas throughout the island. Holidays are the perfect time to indulge yourself: treatments for jetlag and sunburn are usually available!

Shopping and therefore bargaining (hard) is a way of life here, whether it’s for handicrafts, furniture, paintings, stone and wood carvings, fabric and soft furnishings, clothing, jewellery; whatever you need, it’s here in Bali. There are many cargo companies, too…

But perhaps the most enjoyable and educational activity of all is to learn about and experience Balinese culture. Deeply rooted in daily activities, ceremonies (such as tooth-filing) to mark each stage of this life can be witnessed all over the island. Visits to beautiful and spectacularly located temples are within 1-2 hours of most hotels in Bali.

Come and experience
The Island of the Gods for yourself
– you’ll find it hard to leave!