Bali: Snorkeling

Our primary activity for this trip was snorkeling. After weeks of practicing with my snorkel mask and flippers in the pool, I was eager to experience the real thing. Our first attempt was the Japanese shipwreck in Banyuning, about a 15 minutes drive from Beten Waru. A couple boats were already anchored with snorkelers in the water and we swam out from the shore to join them. We never made out any part of the wreck itself, but found the coral and fish. Though I enjoyed my first time snorkeling, the current was a bit strong for me and once we were back on the beach I even felt a little seasick. I also managed to lose one of my flipper straps in the water; OD jumped back in and somehow located it within a minute (he has that kind of luck).  

Next we headed for the coral gardens of Amed. As our drive approached from the hill above, we could see the coral darkening the water all along the coast. Right away I liked it better than the Japanese wreck site, as the waters here were much shallower and calmer. Also, the water was clearer, with sunlight coming through and dappling the coral. OD was our official underwater photographer and managed to take photos and video with a regular camera put into a waterproof plastic cover. My favorite sights were a school of small blue fish hovering over a patch of yellow coral, a colorful medium-sized fish nibbling on the coral, and a number of large blue starfish. 

For the third snorkeling trip, we ventured out of Amed to Tulamben, the site of the USS Liberty Shipwreck. For a moment I got a bout of cold feet, as it seemed that we might have to swim pretty far out and the current was on the stronger side. After making OD promise that he wouldn’t swim ahead of me and let me get swept away by the tide, we headed out. The site had larger fish than we had seen so far and a school of them came right at us (apparently they are used to getting fed by the divers). A number of divers were down deep in the wreck, and I felt more secure with the thought that they could rescue me if I started to drown (OD says he could have saved me, but it’s nice to have backup). The photos are pretty dark, but you can make out a bit of the wreck. If we come back, we’ll have to dive it next time!