Tulamben · Indonesia · Muck & macro · Reef
Sidem
Harlequin shrimp and flamboyant cuttlefish on black sand
Photo: Bernard DUPONT · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sidem is a black-sand bay a few minutes from the main Tulamben strip, dived from shore in calm, protected water for its muck life. A gentle slope and minimal current make it an easy setting, and a coral wall on one side of the bay adds reef diving to the search for critters on the sand.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Tulamben and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The dive runs over a gentle black-sand slope from 4 m, where a wide variety of nudibranchs, flamboyant cuttlefish pulsing across the bottom, pairs of harlequin shrimp on starfish and frogfish camouflaged against the rock are the finds.
On the right side of the bay a healthy coral wall rises from the sand, a calm stretch of reef for coral diversity, and the slope continues down past 30 m.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Frogfish
- Macro critters
| 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.
Photos from Sidem
Bernard DUPONT · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bernard Picton · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
MACRO Diving HEAVEN At Sidem In Bali! 🇮🇩 · Blue Horizon Diving on YouTube
Sources
- Sidem — Amed Jepun Divers
- Tulamben Dive Sites Guide — Bali Aqua
Photo credits
- A spiny orange-and-brown porcupinefish with a large dark eye hovers over grey sand among algae-covered rocks. by Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- A small yellowish cowfish with blue spots and two short horns swims low over grey-green sand. by Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- A flat mauve-brown nudibranch with small pale-rimmed pores rests between orange and pink sponges. by Bernard Picton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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