Drop Off (Tulamben)

The Drop Off, also written Drop-Off and sometimes called the Wall, is a shore dive on the Tulamben coast of north-east Bali. The Jakarta Post's 2009 report locates it on the right-hand side of Coral Garden, reached on foot across a rocky beach, and says the formation was created by a volcanic eruption. The dive begins on a sandy slope, which the report calls the starting point of the standard Tulamben dive, before reaching vertical walls.

What divers report

The Jakarta Post describes walls decorated with sponges and black coral and marine life much like that of the nearby shipwreck: butterflyfish, angelfish, Moorish idols, groupers and anthias, with whitetip and hammerhead sharks seen by lucky divers. Blue Season Bali, the operator whose page is retained for this record, describes a wall covered in sponges and gorgonian fans, pygmy seahorses that are often found there and a huge purple gorgonian at about 25 metres at the end of the wall. It also names lionfish, crabs, moray eels and frogfish in the crevices, and triggerfish, pufferfish, tuna and trevally away from the wall. The operator adds that the site is usually fairly quiet because most visitors head for the shipwreck. These are single-source reports and should be read as such.

Depth and conditions

The maximum depth is recorded as disputed. The operator's text says the wall eventually drops to more than 70 metres, while the depth column of the same operator's site card states 5 to 20 metres; the card range may describe a typical route rather than the wall itself. The Jakarta Post says only that the walls reach tens of metres. Until an independent source settles it, no maximum depth is published and divers should plan their depth with their guide.

No hash-bound coordinate source was captured, so the site is published without a map position. Blue Season's card for this site lists 26 to 30 °C water and calm conditions, but the identical card accompanies its Coral Garden entry, so these values are treated as generic: water temperature and currents are recorded as unknown rather than estimated. The Jakarta Post gives visibility of 12 to 30 metres and subtle currents for Tulamben's waters in general, not for this site, so visibility is also recorded as unknown here. Best season and the certification normally expected are not stated by either retained source.