Trip Report North Sulawesi Trip Report Part 1

[Centrals]

The Gado Gado looks yummy and the Indonesian prawn cracker!!!
I will cook Sayur Lodeh without tempeh(out of stock) for lunch tomorrow!

 

[Wisnu]

If that's the only wildlife you had in your shower, call yourself lucky, to my mind. I've had to try to soap up, shampoo etc. whilst running around under the stream to keep the skeeter off of me. Let's not even talk about the spiders and other interesting creepy crawlies.

Hey, that's a bonus. Now you can fully use your macro lens not only for Lembeh critters

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hey, that's a bonus. Now you can fully use your macro lens not only for Lembeh critters

I don't photograph whilst diving, nor am I much good at it on land. I've got a few shots of the view though, be still my heart.

 

[drrich2]

it looked like Bali was going to be ahead of elsewhere so some plans started to evolve with some of my friends in the US and Australia to meet up in Bali and dive at Tulumben.

When seasoned divers of a region compare and contrast different destination options there, it gets interesting. Lembeh I've read of for the muck diving; Bali for good diving for those who also want topside cultural experiences. But Tulumben is one of those places I've heard mentioned once in awhile, yet I don't recall what it's known for. Coral reef or wrecks, big animals or macro, drift diving or not, etc...?

Please tell me a bit about Tulumben, and what led you to choose it.

 

[Luko]

But Tulumben is one of those places I've heard mentioned once in awhile, yet I don't recall what it's known for. Coral reef or wrecks, big animals or macro, drift diving or not, etc...?

Please tell me a bit about Tulumben, and what led you to choose it.

Firstly, TulAmben that is for the correct spelling. It is located on the North east shore of Bali island.

Tulamben stands at the foot of the Agung sacred volcano, meaniing black sand and volcanic pebble beaches where all sorts of critters lie in the sand. This is another type of Lembeh with unique sorts of nudibranchs specific to the area like Doto greenamyeri aka the "donut doto" you won't find anywhere else in Indonesia or in the world except in PNG.


Agung is also the cause of Tulamben's fame which is the USAT Liberty wreck (the Agung's eruption and lava flow in 63 pushed the boat away and sank it for a beginner dive (5 to 28m deep) starting from the shore , it is well known for the growth of coral and its resident bumphead parrotfish school.

USAT Liberty Bali

Liberty Wreck in Tulamben Bali

www.flickr.com

 

[Searcaigh]

Thanks @Luko

I'll be posting my Tulamben experience in part 3.

@drrich2 this was my fourth trip to Tulamben, and it was for the muck diving more than for anything else.

 

[Searcaigh]

Some more photos from the Bangka dives here

Bangka 2022 - Gordon Smith

UW Photos from Bangka, April 2022

searcaigh.smugmug.com

 

[jjmochi]

Thanks for writing this up, I always enjoy reading the long ones. Did you only do macro dives in Bangka? I thought it was more of a reef destination but I only see macro in your photos (which are great btw). I’m thinking of going there in July doing 5 days in Bangka 5 in Lembeh and 1 in Bunekan thinking it’s half macro half reef - but now I’m thinking maybe that’s too much macro…

Look forward to reading the rest!

 

[Searcaigh]

Did you only do macro dives in Bangka? I thought it was more of a reef destination but I only see macro in your photos (which are great btw)

Thanks.

Yes I generally only do macro but there's heaps of wide angle opportunities at Bangka. My buddy @outofofficebrb was shooting WA and hopefully she'll post some WA pics of Bangka when she returns from Raja Ampat.

 

[Centrals]

I’m thinking of going there in July doing 5 days in Bangka 5 in Lembeh and 1 in Bunekan thinking it’s half macro half reef - but now I’m thinking maybe that’s too much macro…

Surely Bunaken deserves more than 1 day. My opinion only.