Another Day, Another Uluwatu Cliff Collapse In The Wake Of Seawall Project - Stab Mag

Live Now... Stab Highway East Coast (USA) Presented By Monster Energy, Episode 3

1640 Views
Photo: Save The Waves

Another Day, Another Uluwatu Cliff Collapse In The Wake Of Seawall Project

“If you drill for months with 10 or 15 excavators, it’s practically an earthquake.”

news // Feb 3, 2025
Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Over the past six months, we’ve watched the Seawall Project at Uluwatu unfold in a mess of half-baked plans. From grotesque CGI leaks after the project had already begun, to the dark origins of this whole thing, to limestone pollution dumped into the ocean mid-project — threatening the waves and the international suits behind it. We even got a professor of coastal geography to weigh in on the environmental fallout.

Plenty of noise was made. But in the end, it fell flat, like shouting at a brick wall. Scientists warned, the public screamed, the surf community howled, and locals begged for their voices to be heard. Yet the project trudged on. The protests died down, and here we are, left hanging on a promise for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that was supposed to surface months ago.

Yesterday, the cliff face near Lurches — a surf spot just a hundred yards or so from the main development site — caved in on itself.

“We were surfing at Ulus yesterday, and the water was thick with limestone. We couldn’t figure out why, because we thought the developers had stopped dumping it,” says Piter Panjaitan, one of the loudest voices in the fight against the seawall project. “Then we figured it out — the cliff on the north side of Uluwatu Temple was collapsing. It’s a huge chunk, you can see it, a real big chunk, and that’s where all the murky water’s coming from.”

Piter’s not buying the coincidence. He’s convinced it’s tied directly to the development.

“If you drill for months with 10 or 15 excavators at once, it’s like a 2.2 on the Richter scale. Practically an earthquake. After all that drilling, all that digging, all that weight moving over the earth, it’s only a matter of time before the cliff collapses. It’s definitely not from the waves — it’s been flat for months.”

They’ve prodded, stirred the earth, and now it’s starting to crack open.

“The cliff under the development at the temple collapsed a month ago. Luckily, no one was working there, or they’d be dead. Now they’re trying to build the seawall there. They’ve already put in a bunch of tetrapods.”

A few weeks ago, Piter attended a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Public Works, special planning authorities, and local government representatives. In the aftermath, the elders of Pecatu Village were given a written promise that the road leading up to the temple would remain non-commercial — reserved for maintenance, emergency access, and religious ceremonies.

“Mega Samadhi and I were at the latest meeting, representing the board riders. They promised the Environmental Impact Assessment would be done by December, but now we’re two months into the year, and still nothing.”

Piter sums it up: “With all these cliffs collapsing, it’s hard to know where this is going. I just hope everyone stays safe. A few weeks ago, a woman died just below the temple. No one knows what happened. That’s two deaths now—one about five months ago, another just recently. This whole thing is insane, man. I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Watch: Channel 51 — A Lexus Pipe Pro Finals Day AltCast 

Live on Red Bull TV, featuring Coco Ho, Damien Fahrenfort, Josiah Amico, Hughie Vaughan, and…

Feb 8, 2025

Pipeline Erupts, Perfect 10s Drop, Slater Feasts On The Blood Of The Youth

Jack Robinson, John John Florence both eliminated despite posting 10s*.

Feb 8, 2025

Stab Highway East Coast (USA) Presented By Monster Energy, Episode 3

Outer Banks secret sessions, Waffle House meltdowns, and the worst way to try an air…

Feb 7, 2025

“When I Stand Up, I Want To Kill – Fucking Redlining Like I Want To Ruin The Wave”

Triple Crown winner Finn McGill blends vintage Pancho Sullivan power with a Stab High-worthy air…

Feb 7, 2025

International Crime Syndicate Steals Millions From California Surfers, Gets Caught By Local Vigilantes

Victims include: Taro Watanabe, Reef McIntosh, Tyler Gunter, and 'Snapt' creator Logan Dulien.

Feb 6, 2025

Attrition at Pipe: Six Specialists Eliminated After Grueling Day At Lexus Pipe Pro

Moana Jones-Wong, Erin Brooks, Vahine Fierro + other big names axed.

Feb 6, 2025

Big Idea, Small Budget, And A High Level Of Danger?

Who’s Stab gonna call: Miles Pitt.

Feb 5, 2025

The Story Behind Sammy Pupo’s Backdoor-Inflicted Shiner

“Everything went blurry and for 15 minutes, I was stumbling around, barely able to walk…

Feb 5, 2025

Once A Pipe Master, Always A Pipe Master

Robbie Page stars in Oxbow's 'Walkabout'.

Feb 4, 2025

Born or Built? The Psychology of Confronting Heavy Waves

Nurture in nature with Shane Dorian, Carissa Moore, Al Cleland, and CJ Hobgood.

Feb 3, 2025

SEOTY: Albee Layer Stars In ‘Pure’, Rants A Little, And Reveals His Post-Surfing Career Path

Plus, the one that got away.

Feb 2, 2025

Jah Bless: More Rasta Freesurfing Clips

Point break porn ft. two Dead Kooks ‘Yin Yangs’.

Feb 2, 2025

The 2024 Eddie Winner On Addiction, Jail Time, And His Long Road To Glory

The Stab interview with Landon McNamara.

Jan 31, 2025

Watch: Postcards From Motel Hell Pt 3 – The Ireland Section

Wade gets stuck in another cave, Craig breaks his hoof, Haz and Lowe get minced…

Jan 31, 2025

Stab Highway East Coast (USA) Presented By Monster Energy, Episode 2

Strip club weddings, phallic haircuts, Gorkin flips, and cavorting with sharks.

Jan 31, 2025

The First Score Of The 2025 Championship Tour Was A Tube… By Edgard Groggia

Not as good as it gets, but much better than we deserve.

Jan 30, 2025

“The Machine Makes The World Spin. Rage, Fear, Oppose – We’re All A Part Of It.”

Lucas 'Skywalka' Godfrey stars in 'Fear The Machine'

Jan 29, 2025

It’s Time For A New Rivalry In Surfing

Can the next-gen of women deliver the conflict every sport needs?

Jan 28, 2025
Advertisement