Komodo
Dragons and Fierce Currents
Komodo Island and national park reserve offers just about every type of tropical diving imaginable - from calm and colourful shallow reefs alive hundreds of colourful reef fishes and crammed with invertebrates, to current-swept deep water sea mounts, walls and pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big fish.
The variety of marine life in Komodo rivals the world's best. This is the world's epicentre for marine diversity and you'll see loads of stuff here that you just won't see anywhere else in the world - From Whale Sharks, Sunfish, Mantas and Eagle Rays to Ornate Ghost Pipefish, Leafy Seadragons, Clown Frogfish, Nudibranches and Blue-ringed Octopus - all at home amongst a specatcular range of colourful sponges, sea squirts, tunicates and corals - a macro enthusiast's heaven.
Geologically, Komodo and Rinca are part of Flores, separated from Sumbawa to the west by the Sape Strait. In the middle of the strait, the bottom drops to almost 300m. The many islands and relatively shallow seas between Flores and Komodo's west coast mean very fast currents at tidal changes. There are deep seas both north and south and upwellings bring nutrients and plankton to keep the seas rich and well-fed.
Unlike other parts of Indonesia, the reefs around the south Komodo have suffered relatively little damage from dynamite fishing. Much of the area now lies within the protection of Komodo National Park. The shallow reefs between Flores and north Komodo however, have been extensively bombed and are in the process of slowly recovering. This damaged sector covers 15% of the Komodo Archipelago, and even here steep drop-offs and current-swept points offer good diving.
Komodo island is also famous for the Komodo Dragon monitor lizard, the largest lizards in the world. An alert and agile predator and scavenger that can reach 2.5m in length and 125 kg, they are known locally as 'Ora' and now about 1,100 inhabit Komodo and about half that live on nearby Rinca island.
Komodo Diving Reef Basics: Rich marine diversity
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 5 - 30m - best late November to January
Currents: Can be very strong - up to 8 knots
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 20 - 28°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Diving Season: All year round - best late March to early May and late September to early November
PADI Course Compatibility: Great for Underwater Photography and Videography
Distance: ~490 km east of Bali
Access: Bali liveaboards to Komodo
KOMODO SCUBA DIVING SITES
For more detailed information on the dive sites of Komodo, click on the links below:
|
Select; your Komodo - Bali liveaboards cruise
