Indonesia > Encounter with the Komodo Dragons

Today I leave Labuan Bajo. I have breakfast in the seaside restaurant. Then I settle the bill for the meals and the laundry at the reception. At nine o’clock, four cars are ready to take us to the harbor. Here, we transfer to the boat that will take us around the Komodo Islands for the next two days. When we arrive at the harbor and are ready with our luggage, we have to go inside the harbor building for the barcode. This procedure is new to Stickman as well. He is clearly irritated about it. We walk around the building, only to end up back at the same spot a moment later. In two groups, we are taken to our ship, the Hatirah, by a small boat. I had prepared myself for a primitive sleeping arrangement, but nothing could be further from the truth. On board, there are eight cabins with beds, toilets, and air conditioning. I have a cabin at the rear of the upper deck—a perfect room. The crew gets the boat ready for departure. We sail out of Labuan Bajo harbor. After about half an hour, we arrive at the first snorkeling location. The ship cannot get close to the beach, so a small boat takes us to shore. From here, we can snorkel above the coral. Once again, it’s wonderful to witness the underwater life.

Indonesia - A fine ship for the coming days

I swim to the edge of the coral, where the water becomes much deeper. On my left, I see the jagged shapes of the coral; on my right, a dark abyss. In the depths, I can make out a few larger fish, but none more than half a meter in size. I look around to see if I might spot sea turtles here—no luck. On the way back, you can either return by boat from the beach or swim back to the ship yourself. I give my flippers a strong push and swim back to the ship. Below me, the sea is too deep to make out anything, and I no longer see any fish here. Using the ladder next to the ship, I climb back on board. Meanwhile, the crew has prepared lunch. Various dishes of fish, shrimp, noodles, and vegetables are set out. Delicious. Stickman, meanwhile, is fussing because the crew didn’t bring any beer. It’s his first time sailing with this boat and crew. During lunch, the captain sails the boat to a second snorkeling spot, near Manjarite Beach. We get back in the water. The coral here is less spectacular, but colorful fish are abundant.

Indonesia - A large monitor lizard in Rinca National Park

The yellow-and-white striped longfin bannerfish is one of my favorites, and I see several swimming here. After everyone is back on board, we set course for Rinca Island. In the bay lies the Loh Buaya Komodo National Park. Like on Komodo Island, many Komodo dragons live here. Even before reaching the visitor center, I spot a dragon walking from the wooden boardwalk. With a guide and two escorts, we enter the nature reserve. All three carry a wooden stick with a forked end. They can use this to keep a dragon at a distance. The guide speaks English with a heavy Indonesian accent, making it hard to follow everything he says. He does tell us that a male dragon can grow up to three meters long, and that 1,500 dragons live on Rinca Island—only 56 of them near the visitor center. Still, right at the start, there’s a large dragon resting in the shade. The guide asks if we want to see a buffalo that has been attacked by dragons. After a bite from a dragon, dangerous bacteria are released, eventually killing the prey. For the buffalo, it can take up to two days to die. We follow the guide through the jungle along a narrow path with the occasional fallen tree

Indonesia - Komodo dragons can grow up to three meters

. On the way, we pass a smaller dragon trying to dig up a bird’s eggs, while the bird frantically kicks sand back into the hole. When we reach the waterhole, the guide urges us to stay together and be quiet. I see the buffalo lying on its side in the water. It is barely breathing. Several dragons are lying around, waiting for its death. Some look up at our arrival or shift position. It’s striking how well these animals’ camouflage works. I count at least six dragons around the waterhole. Back at the visitor center, I buy two beers for tonight—there’s none on the boat. Then we return to our ship. It’s about a two-hour sail to Padar Island. From the upper deck, I watch the sun set and twilight fall. The captain needs to focus on navigating the boat in the dark, so no lights can be switched on yet. In the darkness, we see the crew searching for a good mooring spot near Padar Island, scanning the water with a flashlight—probably looking for a buoy. Once we’re anchored, the lights come on, and dinner is served: a lavish meal of chicken and fish. After dinner, Stickman discusses tomorrow’s schedule. The view of Padar Island is best at sunrise, so we’ll be leaving at five in the morning. After eating, everyone heads to bed early—partly because of the early start tomorrow, but also because a day at sea is tiring. I turn in as well.