USAT Liberty Wreck dive site description
The USAT Liberty is not just a dive, it’s a piece of history resting in Bali’s calm waters. Torpedoed in 1942, this 120-meter-long World War II cargo ship now lies peacefully on a sandy slope just 30 meters from the beach in Tulamben.
With depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters, it's accessible to both beginners and seasoned divers alike.
The wreck is covered in soft corals, sponges, and gorgonians, offering a visual feast and a gentle introduction to wreck diving. Thanks to its sheer size and open structure, it’s easy to navigate and endlessly fascinating to explore, each section revealing new angles and marine encounters.
At Amed Jepun Divers, we love to schedule early morning dives here, long before the crowds arrive. That’s when the light filters through the wreck, the marine life is most active, and the magic truly unfolds.
The History Behind the Liberty USAT Wreck
Before it became one of the most famous dive sites in the world, the USAT Liberty had a very different life, one marked by war, survival, and transformation.
Originally built in 1918 in New Jersey, the Liberty served as a United States Army cargo ship during both World Wars. She transported goods and supplies across the Pacific, playing a crucial role in military logistics.
In January 1942, while en route from Australia to the Philippines, the Liberty was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Lombok.
Badly damaged but still afloat, she was towed toward Singaraja on Bali’s north coast for emergency repairs. Unfortunately, the ship began to take on too much water, and her rescuers decided to beach her at Tulamben to prevent sinking.
For over two decades, the USAT Liberty sat idle on the beach, rusting under the tropical sun and slowly becoming part of the local landscape.
That all changed in 1963, when the eruption of Mount Agung shook the earth so violently that the ship slipped off the shoreline and into the sea. Since then, it has become a thriving artificial reef and a historic underwater monument, turning a vessel of war into a sanctuary of life beneath the waves.
Common sighting in USAT Liberty Wreck
Life has claimed every inch of this legendary wreck. From schools of sweetlips and trevallies weaving through the beams, to massive bumphead parrotfish grazing at dawn, it’s always buzzing with activity. Moray eels peek from nooks, and vibrant nudibranchs dance across coral-encrusted panels.
The Liberty is a macro and wide-angle dream, offering endless photographic possibilities. You may even spot a blacktip reef shark cruising the blue or a ribbon eel curling near the sand. Whether it's your first wreck dive or your fiftieth, this dive site never loses its wonder.
USAT Liberty Wreck
One of Bali’s most iconic dives, explore a WWII shipwreck just steps from the shore.
Location:
Tulamben
Depth:
Max. 30m | Avg. 12m
Dive Type:
Wreck diving, Shore dive
Difficulty:
All levels
