The Drop-Off is Tulamben's wall dive: a beach entry onto a reef face that falls away to 60 metres. Recreational dives stay in the top 30 metres, where three main spurs, an overhang at 18 metres and a gorgonian fan at 27 metres break up the profile and the reef carries a thick cover of soft coral. Bumphead parrotfish and large barrel sponges are the regulars.
Also known as Tulamben Wall, Tulamben Drop-Off.
Where it is and how deep
8.2786° S, 115.5965° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Entry is from the beach, and the reef starts shallow before the face tips over and drops away. The wall runs down to 60 metres, well past recreational limits, so the dive is a matter of picking a depth and holding it. Most dives settle at a maximum of about 30 metres, where the reef is well covered in soft coral, and work back up the face as gas allows.
Three main spurs shape the wall, with an overhang at 18 metres and a gorgonian fan at 27 metres as the landmarks to swim between. Large barrel sponges stand out from the face, and the fish are the usual wall crowd: bumphead parrotfish, fairy basslets, pufferfish, hawkfish and damselfish. Because entry and exit are the same point on the beach, the turn is decided by your gauge rather than by a boat.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Tulamben: Diveable all year. April to July and October to November give the calmest, clearest water; December to March is the rainy season, with more run-off and fewer divers.
Know before you go
- The dive is an out-and-back from a single beach entry, so check the SPG before turning: there is no boat pickup and the whole return swim is on you.
- The face continues to 60 metres, twice the working depth, and it is easy to drift deeper than planned on a wall with no bottom in sight.
Dive videos
Tulamben Drop Off Dive to 100m- Bali · Tasmanian Underwater Explorer on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Tulamben Drop-Off?+
The wall drops to 60 metres. Recreational dives generally work at a maximum of about 30 metres, using the overhang at 18 metres and the gorgonian fan at 27 metres as reference points on the way back up.
Sources
- Kubu Reef / Tulamben Drop-Off dive site — ScubaGo (ex-SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Tulamben dive sites (Tulamben Wall) — Dive The World
- Tulamben Drop Off - ScubaGo — ScubaGo
In The Logbook
- DPV diving: what an underwater scooter changesGear & kit · 10 min read
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