More than dragons

KOMODO National Park, in Flores, Indonesia, is synonymous with its famed land animal the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) – the top predator of the park.

It rules supreme on the three larger islands, Komodo, Rinca and Pagar of this national park, which also includes 26 small islands plus the surrounding sea. The park was officially opened in 1980, declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage Site in 1991.

The park not only protects this highly endangered Monitor Lizard, which is listed in Appendix 1 of the of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) but also the biologically diverse marine life.

The cold and warm tropical waters surrounding the park can be treacherous as the currents are the meeting point of five seas. Rip tides, whirl pools and dangerous tides have protected the marine life (and the dragons) while creating ideal conditions for life-giving phytoplankton to thrive.

In 2010, approximately 45,000 mostly international tourists visited this park predominantly between June and August, when the unpredictable waters are the calmest.

However, I visited this park in December 2012, at the start of the monsoon season and was fortunate not only to see the famed and mythical Komodo Dragons, but to come face-to-face with the under and above water world of Komodo National Park.

The experience started as soon as we cruised out of the Labaun Bajo harbour in western Flores, the jumping off point for visits to Komodo National. The sparkling clear blue water spoke only of what was to come. The rugged volcanic islands, still coated in brown grasses spoke of adventure along with the sparkling seas.

Rinca Island, the second largest island in Komodo National Park, one of the two main domains, was the first port of call. The short, relatively easy, walk started from the dock. It was flat. The Komodo Dragons had installed themselves at the park headquarters perhaps attracted by the smells of the food. Wild buffaloes, of which we saw several, were a staple for the dragons.

People and dragons live on the same animals in an uneasy truce and dragons have been known to hunt humans. Two villages are located on Rinca and one on Komodo.

At dusk, with the lights of Kampung Rinca in view, we waited for flying foxes to leave the daytime haunt of a mangrove forest rising out of the sea, for the mainland. We were told the bats headed inland to avoid hunters.

We bobbed in the sea waiting. As the sun shifted over the horizon circling bats swirled above the mangrove forest and heading off, away from Rinca.

There are few safe harbours, and we sailed away for Goat Island (I looked for this island on a map and could not find one by this name, although I am sure this is what the guide called it).

We could not resist the call of the clear waters, the next morning, and jumped into the shallow waters around the island.

The coral had been damaged, but the fish swarmed, danced, bobbed, creating a kaleidoscope of colour as we hovered above, face down barely able to breathe in case we disturbed the performance.

I saw clownfish, angelfish, damselfish and an octopus (yes – I was stunned at this unexpected encounter). The mottled green eight-legged creature pushed off and propelled itself down the beach.

The current around the tiny bay of Goat Island lulled us into security and we decided that we were going to swim around the point. Bad idea, we experience the unexpected, the current suddenly rushed in and we swam urgently back to the safety of the cove.

Then the cruise continued. Our guide pointed out flying fish and then several dolphins were there.

They gracefully leaped out of the water parallel to the boat. In a single day, our dreams had become a reality – we saw the famed Komodo dragons, swam among beautifully coloured fish, a pod of dolphins had raced the boat and there was more.

We were off to Komodo Island, the largest of the islands in the national park. For some reason, Komodo felt wilder than Rinca, but the reason eluded me. It might be that the trees were taller, there was a greater variety of wildlife, the part of the island open to visitors was rugged. For whatever the reason, it felt wild. We saw dragons, but not as many as on Rinca.

Komodo National Park is rightly gaining an international reputation as a diving site. The species diversity is astounding with over 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of reef building coral, sponges, molluscs, crustaceans, sea turtles and sea mammals including dolphins, whales and dugongs.

One diver I met said that on most dives he swam with sea turtles. And on the boat, as we were cruising away from Komodo Island, we saw one pop its head up to breathe.

Red Beach (Pantai Merah) on Komodo Island, is on the snorkelling itinerary for day and overnight trippers, and is a spot of unspoiled wilderness and in the off-season we pretended that we were alone. The pink sheen of the sand is from the broken red coral that is intermixed with the grains.

The snorkelling was beyond imagination. Orange and black clown fish darted through the waving coral. Shimmering psychedelic blue fish nibbled on broken coral. Some fish floated with immunity through stinging tentacles. Multitudes of fish species flew up and down the coral reef which dropped at an almost 90 degree angle only a few metres from the beach.

Silvery white fish raced along the sandy beach even at shallow depths. We lazily swum back and forth and with each kick, a fish, a coral, a rock, a ravine was new. We explored the explored.

The abundance of phytoplankton attracts the gently giant manta rays. We arrived at their calm feeding grounds after being tossed about while crossing river-like rip tides speeding between islands. These harmless gentle giants can reach 1,350kg and constantly move through the water flushing clean oxygenated water through their gills.

The two species – ocean and reef – in the Mobuilidae family are fully protected by the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Despite this, they are still being hunted.

Manta rays are filter feeders and as they swim through the water phytoplankton and fish larvae are directed into their mouths. Food is filtered out before the oxygenated water is guided over their gills.

As the manta rays swam off and we headed back to harbour, we gazed hoping for another glimpse of the wonders of Komodo National Park.

For more information on Komodo National Park or Flores go to www.florestourism.com.