That’s Claude Loren, Ketut (our dive instructor) and me, just before our last dive in Tulamben, Bali. And right after this dive, we were certified as advanced open water divers. Shot taken by Anup, with us decked in our scuba diving equipment.

We were staying at this cosy little beach side resort, with small cottages, with a very green and Bali feel to it. Rooms were cheap at 15$ a night, for two. One can find many such similar resorts in and around Tulamben.

The most beautiful part of this dive was, since it was a shore dive, we would just leave our stuff on our tables, wear our scuba diving equipment and walk into the sea. All the dive sites were just a 100 metres or so off the shore. So much more awesome, when compared to the long boat rides one has to usually endure for good diving spots.

A short video of our dives will be up soon. In the meantime, some photos taken by Anup underwater can be seen here.

Tulamben has everything a diver could ask for. Schools of fish 10 metres into the sea. A ship wreck, loaded with nooks and crannies and fighter planes. A sloping shore that can take you 40 mts and deeper into the sea. A wall face, which has the most beautiful corals I’ve seen in my short diving experience. To top it off the night dives are just gorgeous!

Underwater photography tip – Most of us like to shoot underwater with the Go Pro, but white balance goes for a toss. If you can, try carrying lighting equipment along. Also, remember to tether the go pro onto a string or rope, else if knocked off, in places like Tulamben, you will never get it back from the extreme depths.