Liveaboard Diving Komodo – Dive with the Dragon
Thursday, March 5th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Considered by many the diving destination of a lifetime, the legendary and remote Komodo Islands are approximately 490 kilometers east of the island paradise of Bali, Indonesia. The park which lies in the center of Indonesia, between Flores and Sumbawa Islands, is most easily reached by Komodo Liveaboard Safari. An area of legend from the time of Dutch sailors in the seventeenth century to the present day, the Komodo Islands were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986. Initially, the main purpose of the park was to conserve the habitat of the imposing Komodo dragon, but efforts have now been expanded to include the entire biosphere, aquatic and terrestrial. It is finally understood that this small area of the Indonesian Archipelago is one of the most biologically rich environments on the planet, both above and below the water. Komodo dive sites contain over 1,000 species of fish and 250 species of coral, and great efforts are being made to preserve them.
Komodo Liveaboard diving is not new by any stretch of the imagination, but it is only recently that the biological importance of the area has come to the attention of experienced divers and established Komodo as a world class diving destination. The challenging diving conditions of the area and the proliferation of marine life rivals the planets top dive destinations and truly elevates the Komodo Islands National park to another level. Geologically part of Flores Island, the Komodo and Rinca Islands are separated from Sumbawa Island to the west by the strait of Sape. The sea in the middle of the strait only reaches a maximum of 300 meters. When the higher tidal waters of the Pacific Ocean in the north flow through the shallow strait to the Indian Ocean in the south, the result is raging currents that are unequaled in this hemisphere. In addition, the upwelling’s from the deep surrounding seas bring nutrients and plankton to keep the Komodo waters rich and teeming with life. These remarkable conditions have created a diving environment that is truly magnificent and at times overwhelming.
From calm and colorful shallow reefs teeming with thousands of colorful fish and unusual invertebrates, to current swept deep water sea mounts, walls, and massive pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big pelagic’s Komodo has more than enough for the most experienced of divers.There are few places left on the planet where divers can experience such a bounty of aquatic life and such diversity of diving conditions. Whale sharks, sunfish, giant mantas, eagle rays, pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, and the blue-ringed octopus are all at home here among a never ending range of dazzling sponges, sea squirts, tunicates, and corals. The Komodo Islands has been declared by many as a macro enthusiast’s paradise found.
One of the highlights of every Liveaboard Indonesia cruise to the Komodo Islands is the rare opportunity to walk with the imposing Komodo dragon. An alert and agile hunter these awesome beasts can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh and an astonishing 125 kilos. Known to the locals as ‘Ora’ there are about eleven hundred of the world’s largest lizard living on Komodo Island and another five hundred on nearby Rinca Island. Walking through the bush of Komodo is an experience that should fill you with anticipation and will not soon be forgotten. World Class Diving and a rendezvous with one of the world’s last surviving dinosaur descendants all on one fascinating dive safari, what more can you ask for?
When is the best time to dive Komodo? The Komodo Liveaboard diving season is year round, with the best diving from April thru December. It is during these months that the seas are most calm, the visibility is spectacular, and there are unbelievable congregations of large pelagic’s. Diving Komodo is best accomplished on one of our world class Komodo Liveaboards from beautiful Bali or Flores Islands. Be one of the few to explore this legendary and exciting dive location. Macro to massive there are no better scuba adventures anywhere on the planet, Komodo has it all.
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