Trip Report Back to Bali (Villa Alba, Tulamben)

[waterbubble]

What a shame. Used to be one of my favourite early morning dives watching them filing out of the wreck.

 

[sharkbear]

Hi,
are the bumphead parrot fish still in the wreck of the Liberty. I have seen some reports that they are all gone after the pandemic due to harpooning. Is this true?

I was just there last week and did not see them

 

[Tippytoes12]

I was just there last week and did not see them

When I was in Tulamben in March everybody said that they had disappeared during Covid.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The bumpheads were fished and eaten during COVID. Beautiful photos, @Searcaigh.

Sincerely, The Best Banana.

 

[Twiny]

Most of the time a question of dive guides rather than luck. There have been so many rhinopias all along the year, especially in Sidem.
Tulamben dive guides share the locaton of the critters they find with their friends also dive guides in Tulamben, but they won't share it with external guides coming from Amed or elsewhere.

That's why it's always better to hire local guides where you're diving at : dive Tulamben with Tulamben dive guides, dive Padang Bai with Padang Bai dive guides, etc.

Yes, and do not tell the local guide what dive sites you want to go, just tell them about the specific stuff you want to see. A dive site can be excellent one week and rapidly change to become almost empty, and they know it.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Yes, and do not tell the local guide what dive sites you want to go, just tell them about the specific stuff you want to see. A dive site can be excellent one week and rapidly change to become almost empty, and they know it.

@Searcaigh and I usually do this and it has worked very well for us!

 

[Outdiving]

Hi,
are the bumphead parrot fish still in the wreck of the Liberty. I have seen some reports that they are all gone after the pandemic due to harpooning. Is this true?

Did not see any when I was there in October.

 

[JonnieB]

Most of the time a question of dive guides rather than luck. There have been so many rhinopias all along the year, especially in Sidem.
Tulamben dive guides share the locaton of the critters they find with their friends also dive guides in Tulamben, but they won't share it with external guides coming from Amed or elsewhere.

That's why it's always better to hire local guides where you're diving at : dive Tulamben with Tulamben dive guides, dive Padang Bai with Padang Bai dive guides, etc.

Yep agree...saw so many Rhinos at Sidem, Melasti, and Batu Ringgit this year I got bored

 

[Searcaigh]

Yep agree...saw so many Rhinos at Sidem, Melasti, and Batu Ringgit this year I got bored