Freediving the USS USAT Liberty Wreck in Tulamben, Indonesia

The Ship

A US Army cargo ship torpedoed in 1942, beached at Tulamben, and was later pushed off the shore by the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung. It has sat in the shallows, 40 metres from the beach, ever since. It's one of the most extraordinary accidental reefs in the world.

The Wreck

The Liberty is 120 metres long, lying on its side in 3 to 30 metres of water. The superstructure and bow are the shallowest sections at 3 to 8 metres. The main deck runs from 10 to 15 metres. The deepest sections of the hull reach 28 to 30 metres. The scale of the structure means no single dive covers it fully. Every surface is encrusted in coral, sea fans, soft corals, and sponges. Every surface alive.

The stern of the ship faces southward and is the shallowest section of the shipwreck.

Current is generally mild. The site receives heavy diver traffic from operators across Bali, particularly between mid-morning and early afternoon. Arrive early. The difference between first in the water and arriving mid-morning is dramatic.

The Life

Reef fish in numbers that are genuinely difficult to quantify cover every section of the wreck. Turtles on the coral growth, untroubled. Reef Sharks working the water column. Trevallies above and around the structure. The density and diversity of colonization on the Liberty reflects over 60 years of undisturbed growth on a protected structure.

Before You Dive

The shallow superstructure and bow suit newer freedivers. The deeper hull sections and swim-throughs need real experience, good depth control and proper supervision. Freediving the Liberty is a fundamentally different experience from scuba diving it.