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Bali Scuba Dive Site Drop in at DROP OFFTo transport your equipment to that end of the pebble beach simply ask one of the porters to take your equipment to the Drop Off. Then make your way down that end of the beach following your equipment as it’s perched precariously upon the head of some young lady. Your equipment and you will end up at the far southern part of the beach among the brightly colored local fishing boats parked on this section of the beach. Once you are geared up and have gracefully clambered across the rocky swallows you can descend into the peaceful underwater realm. Around 5 meters the rocky beach gives way to the dark volcanic sands that gently slope away to deeper water, follow the slope heading in a south easterly direction slowly making your descent to deeper water When you reach 12 or so meters the slope becomes less steep and you should continue this direction until out of the blue you will find the first section of reef appear in front of you. Now the dark sand slope may appear a bit devoid of life but to the careful or trained eye many an unusual creature lurks below on the sand slope. At this point if you are new to the area a knowledgeable Dive guide is well worth the cost. He will be able to show you the rare and elusive ghost pipe fish that occasionally can be found hiding amongst the feather stars on the sand slopes. If you really are lucky you may encounter one of the many octopuses that call this area of the reef home. Watch them as they watch your every move, half afraid and ready to flee or hide but also curious at this ungainly creature making all that noise and bubbles. These camouflage experts can change there body colors and even appearance of texture in a blink of an eye to blend in to their environment. Get to close and you may even be warned that you are entering his personal space with a display of flashing white skin coloring. They say that the octopus is one of the most intelligent of marine creatures and if you are lucky enough to observe one up close look in those big inquisitive eyes. What you will see is something not only looking back but a creature that is studying and watching you as much as you are him. Night dives on these dark sandy slopes are one of the best times to catch the octopus out in the open and in dinning mode as he searches out his next unwitting meal. After a cruise of around 50 meters and at a depth of 16 meters the Drop Off as its name implies starts for real. This rugged near vertical wall starts around 8 meters from the surface and descends down to depths of over 70 meters. As you swim along the wall on the outward part of your journey watch out for any current present. Usually the current is mild to non existent but if one is present ensure you have ample air supply for you return journey to the beach. Drifting along the wall you will be greeted by an abundance of small reef fish busily going about their business along the reef wall. The wall its self is covered in brightly colored fans, soft corals and in deeper water the black coral branches. Get closer to the wall and you will notice it has many overhangs and crevices that shelter some of the larger fish as they stop of for a quick clean. Yes look closely and try not to frighten these fish away and you will see the many cleaner shrimp giving the larger fish a quick work over. It’s like the reefs version of a drive through car wash but here the fish are the vehicles and the shrimp work their magic cleaning off parasites and dead scales from the fish’s body. If you’re fortunate enough you may find one of the big groupers with mouth wide open while a cleaning crew of shrimp get to work on his dental plan. The reef wall is simply alive with action, as you hover over the deep water, schools of fish both large and small swirl around you taking in the nutrient rich waters flowing across this point. After about 100 meters the reef wall hooks out eastwards towards the ocean, here in 25 meters of water is a truly massive purple gorgonian fan coral measuring over 2 meters in width. Look carefully on the fan and you may find the long nose hawk fish hiding amongst the branches of the fan. This is the ideal turning point for divers to start making their return journey back towards the beach of Tulamben. If you are staying overnight in Tulamben, a night dive on the Drop Off reveals another world of underwater creatures , such as the Flashlight Fish putting on a private laser show just for you. So next time you are visiting Tulamben area don’t forget to drop in at the “Drop Off” To find out which Dive Center can best help you discover the Drop Off in Tulamben check out our Indonesia listing at www.dive-directory.com. Date: Tuesday - August 07, 2007 14:03 Article Index
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