Pioneer of scuba diving in Indonesia

I have spent two-thirds of my life here, made a lot of great friends and enjoy sharing my knowledge with the children around me, hoping they will be respectful of their environment in the generations to come.
A true legend, Wally Siagian is a pioneer of open water diving in Bali, if not in Indonesia. His story dates back to 1976, when he first went scuba diving at the young age of just 16. Before there were fancy regulators and BCDs, he started out by renting minimal gear, and had to rely on his skills and logic to be able to dive safely. Instantly, he was captivated by the beauty of underwater marine creatures in their natural habitat.
After many years of travelling and diving all over Indonesia, he earned his certification as a diving instructor in Manado. Impressively, there were 13 instructor candidates, and he was one of just two who passed the instructor examination!
He taught in Bali and worked as a guide for underwater shoots, tourists and diving enthusiasts alike. By 2011, he hit a huge milestone by being awarded the Platinum Pro Diver status by Scuba Schools International, meaning he had completed at least 12,000 dives! In the years that followed, Wally surpassed that number significantly, and later went on to co-author “Diving Bali” and continues to partake in underwater photography.
Tell us your story – how did you get here?
I arrived in Bali in 1985. I started working at Baruna Watersports in 1986; there were only three diving operators at that time. I was guiding professional photographers and had many of my own photos published in their books.
While working on the Diving Indonesia book, I was introduced to David Pickell – we quickly became friends and decided to venture out for a new book, Diving Bali.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My proudest accomplishment was the discovery of three new species of fish and one squat lobster. I have the honour of having the squat lobster named after me, Lauriea Siagiani.
What impact have you made in Bali?
After the Diving Bali book was published, the number of dive centres skyrocketed. This was something we didn’t imagine would happen; a surprise which I later came to regret. The impact of the increased number of divers had a very negative impact on nature and the ocean’s reefs. The positivity I witnessed however, is that a lot of local Indonesian divers were presented with opportunities and became very good divers, and were able to make a living after so many jobs were created.
What does the future look like for you?
I see the future being a reprieve for nature but not for the pocketbook. I have since retired from working in the dive industry, but still enjoy fun diving when I can, as well as DDTB (diving, drinking and talking bullsh*t).
What do you love most about Bali?
I love the people, culture and nature of Bali. I have spent two-thirds of my life here, made a lot of great friends and enjoy sharing my knowledge with the children around me, hoping they will be respectful of their environment in the generations to come.
Who is your Local Legend and why?
As for a Local Legend, many people would name myself. But I have to give credit to my diving instructor, who is also my mentor, Nur Singih, from the Indonesian Frogman 1976. He taught me to respect all nature and not to kill creatures that are older than I am!