Komodo National Park : Into The Heart of The Dragons
Real dragons spurt no fire, have no need to fly and cast no magic spells. And still, one look from them might render you speechless. These komodos, the real life dragons, are a sight indeed. Gigantic, the lizard-like creatures are about two or three meters in length. They can easily weigh about 165 kilograms. Despite of their sheer size and appearance, they are not active hunters. What makes them intimidating is the fact that they are a patient predator. In the wild, they stalk a victim, usually a weak or injured one. One bite and that's what it usually takes. After following the victim for a while, sometimes up to several days' time, the komodos will devour the dying prey.
The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
is an endangered species which can only be found in the Komodo National
Park (KNP) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Because of the unique and rare
nature of this animal, KNP was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
in 1986.
The
park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and
numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total
size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions
of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would
bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.At least 2500 Komodos live
in this area. Large dragons are usually three meters long and weigh up
to 90 kg. Their habitat has beautiful panoramic views of savannas, rain
forests, white beaches, beautiful corals, and clean blue seas. In this
area, you can also find horses, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar, snakes,
monkeys, and various types of birds.
KNP has a rich and amazing underwater sea biotica. Divers claim that Komodo waters are one of the best diving sites in the world.
It has fascinating underwater scenery. You can find 385 species of
beautiful corals, mangrove forests, and seaweeds as a home for thousands
of fish species, 70 types of sponges, 10 types of dolphins, 6 types of
whales, green turtles and various types of sharks and stingrays.
Or you can do some diving activities in Komodo Island. Go this link if you want to see more information about it.
