Komodo, Rinca and the Komodo Dragon

Why would you want to visit Komodo or Rinca islands? Komodo and Rinca are part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. Particularly notable here is the native Komodo Dragon. In addition, the island is a popular destination for diving.

Apart of Komodo and Rinca, there are more smaller islands including Padar which are included in the Komodo National Park. The Komodo Dragon is for most travelers the main reason to visit. Other endangered species are the orange-footed scrub fowl, an endemic rat, and the Timor deer. However, as being a National Park, it is also a wonderful diving trip.

Over the years, the goals for the Park have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both terrestrial and marine. In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, both indications of the Park's biological importance.

"I'm big, I'm strong, I'm ugly, I'm dangerous and I know it!"

As being a national park, your only entrance is by tour from either Sumbawa (Bima) or Flores (Labuan Bajo). When you arrive in either of the two, you will quickly find a boat to bring you to the islands.

Komodo Dragon

The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is one of the biggest and heaviest lizards in the world. They can grow in the wild up to 3 meters long and weight up to 70kg. Komodo Dragons are monitor lizards which can be found in many places in the world. The Komodo Dragon is to be found only in Komodo, Rinca and some island in Indonesia.

These huge animals live mostly on carrion. Their sense of smell is excellent, they can smell a dead prey at over 8km distance. But as the Komodo Dragon is such a huge animal and there are no other carnivores living on the island where they live, they basically hunt anything they can get. This varies from birds to other mammals.

Komodo Dragons, despite their size and weight, are fast runners, good tree climbers and even excellent swimmers.

The mating season for Komodo Dragon starts in May until August. About 20 eggs are laid in September and incubated for seven to eight months. The eggs are hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic adults. It takes around 3 to 5 years to mature, and they may live as long as fifty years.

When visiting Komodo or Rinca, your guide will advice you to take a stick and a few stones in case the animals come to close. They can be very aggressive and are known to attack humans.

Lazy on a sunny afternoon

With 3000 to 5000 living species in the wild the Komodo Dragon is an endangered species. The largest threat is volcanic activity, fire and subsequent loss of its prey base. However, human activity is a main reason for the status of the Komodo Dragon and commercial trade in specimens or skins is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Even buffaloes are not always safe for the Komodo Dragon

Diving in Komodo

The variety of marine life for scuba diving in Komodo rivals the world's best dive destinations. This is the world's epicenter for marine diversity and you'll see loads of stuff here on a diving cruise that you just won't see anywhere else in the world.

Diving in Komodo photo copyright by Imran Ahmad, (EscapeInc), published with kind permission

From whale sharks, sunfish, mantas and eagle rays to pygmy seahorses. Ornate ghost pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs and blue-ringed octopus - all are at home amongst a spectacular range of colorful sponges, sea squirts, tunicates and corals - a macro enthusiast's heaven.

More about diving in komodo you can find here.

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