Komodo Straits

Dragons: Bima – Labuhanbajo – Bima.

His Majesty The Komodo & Rinca National Park in full with a liveaboard who can hardly be beaten in knowing the best dive sites in this really unique place in the world. An Indonesian Must!

• Embarking port: Depending on the route it will be Bima or Labuhanbajo. Airports: Bima in Sumbawa and Labuhanbajo in Flores.
• Disembarking port: Depending on the route it will be Bima, Labuhanbajo or Maumere in Flores

The Komodo National Park, the most reputed National Park in Indonesia thanks to the famous Komodo Dragons is a Nature wonder also Underwater. To embark any of this cruises you must get to Bima (Sumba) or Labuhanbajo (Flores) depending on the length of the cruise you chose.

 

Itinerary:

From Bima to Sabolan-Sebayor, thence to Rinca, Padar and Nusa Kode in the south of Komodo, Red Beach and the straits, Gili Lawa, Banta island and Sangiang. In the 6 nights onboard cruises we explore the warmer waters of the Northern part of the Komodo Straits and in the 5 nights onboard cruises we concentrate in the cooler waters of the Southern part of the Straits. The 11 nights onboard cruises cover the whole National Park with a very short stop over in Labuhanbajo. The last cruise of the Komodo season extends sail towards the east to Maumere to dive the amazing Maumere Bay (see the routes Maumere – Ambon and Maumere – Sorong )

Main dive sites:

Komodo & Rinca National Park: The narrow straits between these two islands communicate the Flores Sea with the Indian Ocean. Their tide currents provide a continuous exchange of water and nutrients between the inner sea and the ocean creating a unique ecosystem, favoring the biodiversity and the proliferation of peculiarities like the frog fish or endemic species that can only be observed here, like the sea apple. The depths are densely populated with fixed life, with great underwater variety of landscapes, from diving in vertical walls covered with soft corals resembling the Red Sea gardens to stone structures resembling the cold water reefs of the North Sea. Due to the high degree of protection that this National Park enjoys, it is also an area of great abundance of fish, with thick schools of carangids, sweet lips and butterflies, as well as frequent encounters with manta rays and reef sharks.
Batu Bolong, a pinnacle in the middle of the strait covered with coral and abundance of fish. In Nusa Kode, Cannibal Rock, is a submerged mountain literally covered with marine life and invertebrates. Castle Rock, another underwater pinnacle with sharks and schools of carangidae. Bubbe Reef, a beautiful coral garden on the slopes of a volcano with bubbles coming out from the black sand. Crystal Bommie, Yellow Wall and Manta Alley  are also some of the awesome dive sites we will enjoy.

Type of diving:

Walls and slopes, mountains and submerged pinnacles, muck diving in the black sand. Pelagic species, but also scenic and good macro.

Land tours:

• One of the main attractions of this route is the mandatory visit to the Komodo & Rinca National Park for the observation of the famous Komodo Dragons, a carnivorous variety of lizard (Varanus Komodiensis) which can grow up to 3 meters of length. Due to the strong currents of the straits surrounding these islands, and in spite of the fact that the dragons can swim, they have remained isolated in these two remote islands of prehistoric look. The visit is a two – three hours walk in one of the two islands, Komodo or Rinca, accompanied by a National Park guide, depending on how lucky we would be that day we will see, apart from the dragons, deer, wild boars, water buffalos, parrots and fowls. Wooden dragons carvings of different sizes and pearls from nearby farms can be bought to the natives of the island.
• Walk through the Bajo village where the gypsies of the sea live.
• Traditional construction of wooden boats by hand in the village of Wera.

Recommendations:

Bring light clothing. Use sunscreen during the day. Water temperature varies between 27º to north and 22 º in the south, so 3-to 5mm wetsuit is reccommneded. Visibility also varies between 20 m + in the north and 10-15 m in the south. This destination is ideal for shooting wide angle, but there are very interesting macro subjects too. Presents like used clothing, school supplies and ballons for the children of the village are always welcome.