Interns Journal by Corinna Stoecklein
Snorkeling initially sounded a bit weird to me – staying at the surface of the water but seeing the marine life and underwater scenery by putting your head underwater while keeping on breathing the air… It is possible though. With this thing called “snorkel” we can keep our head in the water and breathe the at the same time
A Snorkeling Trip with Blue Season starts early in the morning. After getting fully equipped with wetsuit, mask, fins and – of course- a snorkel, everyone met their Instructors and Divemasters who introduced themselves and tell the plans for the day. My destination for this day was supposed to be Tulamben. Based on experience, by the way, Tulamben is one of the best spots for snorkelers, especially first-timers like me who like the calmer water without missing out on the exotic underwater view 😉
Upon reaching the spot, everything is already prepared for the snorkelers and scuba divers – the equipment car brings all the necessary stuff and the guests just have to go down the beach and put them on. The two main spots in Tulamben are pretty close to each other and are just a shore walk away. The USAT Liberty’ shipwreck is on the left when you face the ocean and just a few meters on the right hand side is the Coral Garden. The shallowest tip of the Liberty Shipwreck is only approximately 3m from the surface. This is definitely why this spot is awesome even for a beginner snorkeler or diver – there’s so much you can see, even from the surface!
For me as a first-time snorkeler it was just overwhelming. It is hard to describe how it feels to see what is happening under water – it is like entering and exploring an unknown world. I enjoyed watching all the different fish, the colours, reefs and the whole marine life. After 45 minutes we went back to the beach and had lunch. Tired from all that new impressions and action in the water the food was even more delicious. With all the new power collected from the food and a short nap, we could not wait to jump in the water again.
Our second spot, Coral Garden, was also reachable from the beach. It took us just a few minutes, then I noticed a big creature a few meter below. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I realized what it was – a reef shark! I was so fascinated by the lovely creature, I forgot to move my hands to take a picture… Let’s hope I have a quicker reaction next time so I have a picture to show …
When we came back to the Dive Center around 5 pm, I was pretty exhausted but I can actually say that I had a great day experiencing snorkeling for the first time in Bali. Snorkeling is definitely a great experience and truly a ‘must do’ in Bali. Now that I have tried Tulamben, my next destination is Nusa Penida. Stay tuned and I’ll keep you updated.
If you are inspired by this post to try snorkeling, try out half day snorkeling trip to Lembongan first to see if you’re ready for a full day one 🙂
