The wreck of the Liberty lies parallel to shore on a steep sand slope. Part of the superstructure is within snorkeling distance from the surface. The hulk is broken into large chunks, and there are lots of big holes in the hull, making it easy to explore the vessel’s innards. Don’t expect to find any interesting mementoes inside, however. Remember, this ship was stripped while still on the beach.
The treasures of Tulamben are swimming in and around the wreck: hundreds of species of fish in good numbers, most having become semi-tame and used to divers. We saw several fairly large a meter or so-specimens, but it is the huge numbers of medium-sized fish-30-80 centimeters-that make the wreck such an interesting dive. If you planned just one or two dives here, we guarantee you will regret not having more time. Unfortunately, not everything is perfect in Tulamben. When we dove there in late June, visibility was just 12-15 meters, and this seldom improves much. Expert underwater photographers and marine biologists, men like Rudie Kuiter, John E. Randall and Roger Steene, dive Tulamben over and over, coming up with great shots and even new species. Australian Rudie Kuiter, author of the definitive guide to Indonesian reef fishes, estimates that some 400 species of reef fishes live on the wreck, which is also visited by perhaps 100 species of pelagics. These are remarkable numbers for an area just 100 meters long.
On our dives we never saw any sharks or other really big fish at Tulamben. There were a few good sized tuna, bonito, several 80-centimeter plus emperors, and jacks, Napoleon wrasses pushing the meter mark, and one huge 80-centimeter scribbled filefish. On the sandy bottom next to the wreck, where I thought rays would abound, I saw only one small eagle ray, and a very large blue-spotted stingray. Both ducked for cover before I could say “Glenfiddich.” We also saw a meter-long barracuda, but one of my dive partners, Wolfgang Bresigk of Baruna Water Sports, says a 1.5 meter barracuda regularly forages on the wreck. Another dive buddy, Wally Siagian, saw a huge oceanic sunfish (Mola mola) close to the wreck, four times in a one-week span. On one of these occasions, he saw this most unusual fish being cleaned by several singular bannerfish (Heniochus singularis). Off to one side of the wreck Wally took us to visit a colorful black-spotted moray eel
(Gymnothorax melanospilos), a beautifully marked animal with a yellow body and black markings. The eel lives at the base of a barrel sponge at about 40 meters.
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