Be advised that Tulamben is all about free nitrox, private guides and shore diving. We just had 3 dives there and it was 2 more that was required in that place. Still trying to figure out all the hype...
Those 3 dives, did you do them with a group, just with a buddy or with a private dive guide? I did a few dives with a group first, and yes, I saw some amazing critters, but some of the divers in the group were pretty bad, and the dives weren't that amazing. The fact that the visibility at the Liberty was pretty **** didn't help.
The next day I did 4 dives with a private guide, and these blew me away. It was like ticking off a list of small critters. Pygmy sea horses, ornate ghost pipefishes, all kinds of little crabs and shrimps that I can't even name (some just a few mm large), nudibranch everywhere, weird little box fishes, frog fishes ... the list is endless. But I also saw bigger stuff like barracudas, bumphead parrot fish, a black tip reef shark (20 meters from the resort) and the tamest and one of the biggest moray eels I have ever seen. And I had my teeth cleaned by shrimps, brilliant experience.
Below are a few of the photos I have taken in my 2 days (8 dives) at Tulamben. I'm a total beginner for underwater photography, and I shoot with a small compact camera (Panasonic TZ35) but I was pretty impressed by what I managed to shoot.
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I would skip Nusa Penida and head directly to Nusa Lembongan. Big Fish, 2Fish or one of the best diving resorts on the island. Molas are in season starting in July, but mantas, bamboo and guitar sharks are around.
I have actually done my Dive Master internship on Lembongan, with Big Fish, so I can definitely compare the two. Yes, the sites there are definitely more colorful, the corals are amazing, and you do get to see some BIG stuff there:
- the mantas - though you usually just find them at otherwise pretty boring rocky south coast (I saw dozens of these),
- the Mola Ramsayi (which is not the Mola Mola as advertised everywhere) - though they are rare and seasonal (I never saw one in 6 weeks) and if you see them at the famous Crystal bay it's likely there will be loads of people around,
- sharks (only seen about 3 or 4)
Also there's an abundance of very colorful reef fish around, and stuff like sea snakes and turtles, but most of it you'll see in a drift dive.
My opinion: for macro stuff and taking photos Tulamben is much better, while Lembongan/Penida is much better for pelagic fish and rich, colorful reefs. Together they make a perfect dive holiday.