Tulamben Drop Off

Tulamben Drop Off is a steep, coral-covered wall formed by a 1963 lava flow from Mount Agung at the southern end of Tulamben Bay on Bali. The site begins as a shallow coral garden (about 3–10 m) and quickly becomes a near-vertical drop that starts around 1–3 m and plunges to roughly 60–70 m, with hard and soft corals, sponges and large gorgonian sea fans. It is noted for excellent biodiversity, with frequent sightings of reef fish, schooling trevallies and jacks, sea turtles, pygmy seahorses and small reef sharks. Access is by shore entry from the black volcanic beach; divers walk in and swim a short distance to the wall. Typical conditions are warm (about 27–29 °C) with visibility commonly 10–30 m and generally mild to moderate currents that can allow drift diving but are usually manageable; multi-level dives along the wall are common. The dive is open-water style with no overhead or decompression requirements; the bottom near shore is uneven with volcanic rocks, so care is needed on entry.