Diving

Everything is so easy in Bali and needs about three minutes advance planning. I reluctantly left the shabby but charming Classic Villas and hopped on a moped to go about 10km north to Tulamben. The view of the volcano was stunning - it looms ever present and my driver told me how when it erupted in 2019 he left the area and went to Jakarta for a year. It is hard to imagine this beautiful lush green area thick with smoke and ash and uninhabitable only a few years ago.

The dive centre where I had booked for a night was not on the beach but perfect for a night and within an hour of arriving I was getting my diving stuff ready for a reef dive. Dive Master Steve briefed me with his Grimsby drawl so incongruous in Bali. The dive was so beautiful - very easy and gentle and the sea bed littered with temple ruins and full of fish of all types, sizes and colors. Steve had warned me that it was likely we’d see sharks but they didn’t show up and the warm water, unbelievable marine life and the joy of it all just made me forget about sharks or any worry about anything! I particularly liked the dragon eels - tiny little things - less than 8 cms but with wide jaws and much more attitude than anything that tiny should have.

It is so pleasurable to dive - so effortless when you’ve finally got sorted and are in the water. I felt very fortunate indeed.

The area is famous for the huge Liberty wreck which is next to the reef dive. We planned to dive it first thing in the morning. ‘Not early doors mind, the nutters dive early doors,’ Steve told me laconically. We’d dive at 8am - after the nutters.

I love diving from the beach - something about the whole on and off boats thing is just another layer of the hassle of diving. For both these dives we walked in off the beach - bliss. Steve and I were joined by Carol - a Czech anesthesiologist who works to dive wherever he can around the world.

Liberty wreck was just amazing. Not only was the marine life overwhelming - color, quantity, size - everything - the wreck itself is covered in coral and algae and is now a day-glow beacon of the power of Nature to take advantage of any opportunity. We went inside, through port holes, and swam the 140 meter length of the massive ship. There were quite a few divers around, many with beeping cameras or go-pro’s which spoils one of the joys of diving; the sound of the sea and silence.

Despite the noise, I felt so fortunate to be there and nothing really could spoil a dive like that. No sharks again but I am sure when I come back with Des they’ll appear.

Paddy fields and jungle on the way back to Ubud

Stayed Ocean Villa Dive Resort