Komodo National Park's beauty is both on land and underwater. One special way to visit this World Heritage Site and its rare species - the largest monitor in the world, is aboard a traditional Phinisi.
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Our majestic Phinisi schooner, the Feliana — sails and anchor down. |
The sun shone bright and clear as our Trigana Air flight took off from Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport towards Komodo's Labuan Bajo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. An hour and twenty minute flight on a 42-seater ATR. From 17,000 feet above sea level, the spectacle of blue with specks of islands below was certainly an eye catcher when looking through the passenger's window.
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Our plane descended upon Labuan Bajo. From land, the stretch of islands across the Komodo National Park was even clearer. Deep in my heart I said, "Yes Komodo, I'm back..." as memories of my last trip four years ago kept flashing back. This famed area is listed under the World Heritage sites by UNESCO, together with the largest monitor in the world, Varanus Komodoensis. Up until the 90s, the dragon became the highlight of the National Park, but only recently the natural beauty of its coral reefs has made it the main attraction among international visitors. The marine biodiversity here is among the worlds richest. And no doubt, as there are many dive operators who offer diving packages to the Park.
Even today, there are dozens of cruise companies that offer live aboard travel packages, from budget to several-hundred-dollar cruises. Arriving at Labuan Bajo at 11:20 Central Indonesian Time, our group was warmly welcomed by the captain and crew of the Feliana, a beautiful Phinisi schooner. The trip from airport to dock took only 5 minutes. At 11:30 we were onboard with welcome drinks in hand. She raised her anchor shortly after and cruised the coast of Flores towards Loh Buaya post at Rinca Island. Our agenda included a trek to see the dragons close up, and sightseeing in the beautiful environs.
A Black Marlin suddenly surfaced starboard as the Feliana cruised at a slow 6 knots. It was relatively large, with its long spear and beautiful sail fin. Never in my life had I seen one live in action - such a heartfelt greeting from nature. A fellow sailing mate Frank, who was from France, was very impressed. "Wow, this is really fantastic. There must be hordes of big fish in these waters," he exclaimed. I shared his enthusiasm and hoped to see more of them on next day's dive.
The Feliana moored at the jetty of Loh Buaya around 3:30pm. After submitting entrance and conservation fees, we entered the Komodo wilderness together with a guide from the Jagawana (Park Rangers). Four of the large monitors were seen lazing around near the watch post.
According to our guide, Komodo's are lazy and are only active when in hunting mode. Currently, their population on Rinca Island is an estimated 1,100, while on Komodo Island alone there are 1,200. Carefully we tried to approach, while at the same time trying not to wake them up, and then slowly capture them on video, taking photographic mementos of our close encounters with these beasts.
A successful triumph it was. Contented with our silent encounter we continued our trek in hopes of meeting more of them in the wilderness. There are several route options but we went for the medium of 3 kilometers, crossing the hills of Rinca and at the same time sightseeing at dusk. Unfortunately we didn't succeed in coming across even one more dragon. Not surprising, according to the ranger, as they rarely come out in daylight.
The scenic hills and the light breeze of dusk diminished our feelings of a trip in vain. From the hilltop we could also see the other small islands as well as the Feliana awaiting us at the bay, a tiny speck in the distance of a glistening backdrop. Nearing sunset, we headed back to the schooner and off we were on our sea voyage, with dinner onboard. Our next stopover was Pink Beach, where we spent the night onboard. The Feliana took us to Komodo with the same agenda, trekking to spot the dragons.
Komodo Island is a little different then Rinca. A fascinating thing about Komodo is that you can see from up close various wild bird species, especially the rare Yellow Crested Cockatoo. Its loud squawks are signs of their territorial reign on this island. We were lucky. At least 30 of them were in a flock that morning. Our luck became more complete when we left Komodo, as two large sea eagles, in predator action hunting fish, swooped right in front of us. Dazed by this rare sight, we forgot to shoot them on tape.
I was instantly regretful, realizing that this sight is rarely repeated. Four years ago, at the same spot, the same thing happened. Then, a sea eagle was hunting a sea snake. It dived, grasped, and then took its prey up into the air in a blink of an eye. The sight was paralyzing, thus no shot. All are engraved forever in the minds of those who witnessed.
The live sight of wilderness in action is the most remarkable of all experiences. I felt blessed. Our adventure continued back at Pink Beach with snorkeling and diving. The Feliana raised her brown sails. We docked here, famed for its pink sand -- a result of a type of pale reddish coral that abounds in the region. In we went for a dive. Thousands of colorful fish filled our view of the reef, as a stingray parked itself under a coral table. We left him alone. Meanwhile, a bright sea slug or nudibranch caught my eye.
This small marine mollusk is one of the many underwater wonders. An octopus shyly peeked through the reefs as two large emperor angelfish 'danced' above it. We were immersed in the beauty and wonders beneath Pink Beach for an hour. I couldn't wait to be back down there again... so little time, so much to admire. The cold depth of 20 meters did make us hungry though. And lunch was ready aboard. The Feliana took us next to Kalong Island, still within the region of the Park. According to its name, it is home to tens of thousands of kalong or flying foxes that thrive in mangroves.
At dusk, hordes of them emerge from their nests to feed, and at the same time serve as another phenomenon of the region, surpassed only by the beauty of a crimson sunset. The half of the day passed and barbeque on the beach wasn't actually on the itinerary, but it was the Feliana's Chef's own idea after being offered tuna and Spanish mackerel from the local fishermen. All the crew headed to an empty island not far from the Feliana onboard the sloop, except for the captain. Bonfires lit, the aroma of grilled fish, and a serene stretch of sand under a starlit sky.
This island was literally ours. We feasted, drank and sung together to the guitar strumming and some Flores tunes that we had never heard before. The Feliana's crew did indeed have golden vocals. The night passed to our heart's content. We didn't want to return home. After breakfast next morning we bid farewell, returning to Bali. On the trip home we flashed back once again to the 3 days, 2 nights of lasting memories of Komodo National Park. Wish and pray... Komodo. I'll be back again next year.
By Pariama Hutasoit, Program Manager, Reef Check Tourism and Education, Reef Check Foundation Indonesia
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