USAT Liberty Wreck

The USAT Liberty is a US Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 off the coast of Bali. It was beached near Tulamben and later slid into the sea when the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung shook it loose from shore, and it now lies on a sloping black sand bottom a short swim from the beach. The wreck is around 120 metres long, broken into sections and heavily encrusted with coral, with a maximum depth of about 25 metres, no current, and generally good visibility, making it a beginner-friendly dive overall. The fish life is dense: angelfish, batfish, bumphead parrotfish, snapper, sweetlips, jacks and trevally, reef sharks, turtles, and Napoleon wrasse are regularly seen, along with smaller finds like frogfish, ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses, and mimic octopus. Divers have also reported mola mola passing through along with hammerheads, mantas, whale sharks, and moray eels, plus various shrimp and pipefish among the coral growth. Penetrating the interior is a known feature of the dive, and some divers have noted sharp metal edges, entanglement risks, slippery pebbles underfoot, and stronger currents near the stern on exit.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Pygmy seahorsePygmy seahorseConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• Whale sharkWhale sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• LobsterLobsterReported here · unconfirmed
• Sea turtleSea turtleConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Reef sharkReef sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Moray eelMoray eelReported here · unconfirmed
• Harlequin shrimpHarlequin shrimpReported here · unconfirmed
• ButterflyfishButterflyfishReported here · unconfirmed
• CuttlefishCuttlefishReported here · unconfirmed
• StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
• Bumphead parrotfishBumphead parrotfishConfirmed present · 12 independent sources
• AngelfishAngelfishConfirmed present · 5 independent sources
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• Ornate ghost pipefishOrnate ghost pipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
• Manta rayManta rayReported here · unconfirmed
• SquidSquidReported here · unconfirmed
• WhaleWhaleReported here · unconfirmed
• SurgeonfishSurgeonfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• Mimic octopusMimic octopusConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
• FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed
• WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
• StonefishStonefishReported here · unconfirmed
• FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
• Leaf scorpionfishLeaf scorpionfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• TrevallyTrevallyConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• Harlequin ShrimpHymenocera pictaReported here · unconfirmed
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Ghost pipefishGhost pipefishConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
• GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 8 independent sources
• Napoleon (humphead) wrasseNapoleon (humphead) wrasseConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
• DamselfishDamselfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Zephyr HypselodorisHypselodoris zephyraReported here · unconfirmed
• Unidentia sandramillenaeReported here · unconfirmed
• Tryon's HypselodorisHypselodoris tryoniReported here · unconfirmed
• Black-margined NudibranchDoriprismatica atromarginataReported here · unconfirmed
• Ornate GhostpipefishSolenostomus paradoxusReported here · unconfirmed
• Bus Stop NudibranchGoniobranchus hintuanensisReported here · unconfirmed
• Bumpy MexichromisMexichromis multituberculataReported here · unconfirmed
• Leaf ScorpionfishTaenianotus triacanthusReported here · unconfirmed
• Bicolor nudibranchSamla bicolorReported here · unconfirmed
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 11 independent sources
• PipefishPipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• ParrotfishParrotfishConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
• BarracudaBarracudaConfirmed present · 10 independent sources
• SweetlipsSweetlipsConfirmed present · 8 independent sources
• Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Confirmed present · 3 independent sources
• Garden eelGarden eelConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• OctopusOctopusConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• UnicornfishUnicornfishReported here · unconfirmed
• ClownfishClownfishReported here · unconfirmed
• SnapperSnapperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• BatfishBatfishConfirmed present · 5 independent sources
• LionfishLionfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• Mantis shrimpMantis shrimpConfirmed present · 2 independent sources