There are solely two locations on this planet the place Komodo dragons exist within the wild. We had boarded a airplane from Bali, flew over an erupting volcano to the island of Flores in Jap Indonesia. From this location, our journey to the land of the dragons would start.
Satirically, these two locations are each positioned in Indonesia and are 2 small islands positioned in shut proximity to one another. The islands of Rinca and Komodo are sanctuaries for this massive predator lizard.
We’re fortunate to have the ability to go to the islands, as Indonesia maintains them as Nationwide Parks. They’ve staffed rangers that rotate residing on the island and sustaining it.
They’re skilled to information folks that wish to see the Komodo dragon and accompany everybody that enters the islands. There are a number of mountaineering trails that take you thru the favored areas and having a well-trained information ensures your finest probabilities of seeing them.
Besides, the Komodo dragons are wild animals and you aren’t assured to see them in your go to.
Having the chance to journey to Indonesia and go to the distant components within the east isn’t one thing we are able to do day by day, so enhance our probabilities of sighting this wonderful creature, we made preparations to go to each Rinca and Komodo Island.
We figured that if we doubled our odds, we must always see them a minimum of as soon as. We ended up getting fairly fortunate and regardless of the recent trekking and mountaineering, we noticed them on each islands.
Rinca Island
The primary day of our cruise landed us on Rinca. The water as we approached the island was engaging with visibility that allowed us to see straight to the reefs on the backside after which comply with all of them the best way to the shore. At that second, every of our eyes caught the signal on the seashore.
No swimming, crocodiles. Hmph, it was hotter than hell and the island appeared dusty so all we might consider was a pleasant dip within the crystal clear water. We exited the boat into the dinghy and had been shuttled to shore.
On the dock, we observed a thick layer of mud. It took solely a second to appreciate that it wasn’t mud; it was volcanic ash from the latest eruption on Bima.
Once we flew over the volcano the day earlier than, it by no means occurred to me that we may very well be coping with ash on the islands that we had been visiting. Thick, gray dusty ash and it was in all places. We walked up the dock and had been greeted by our rangers.
Nobody is allowed to stroll on the islands of Rinca or Komodo with out rangers. Komodo dragons are extraordinarily deadly and may simply come out of nowhere and assault a human.
Assume you may run? They’ll attain speeds as much as 20km/hour is they’re in pursuit. A chew from a Komodo dragon is stuffed with deadly micro organism that if allowed to enter your bloodstream will surely outcome within the lack of a limb and even loss of life.
They aren’t messing round, nor taking any possibilities, so after leaving the dinghy, we had been escorted to the ranger station to pay our digital camera dues (50,000IDR for digital camera and 150,000IDR for video digital camera) earlier than being briefed on our actions for the day on Rinca island.
The employees was involved concerning the volcanic ash, a lot of them sporting face masks and long-sleeved shirts and pants. We had been by no means supplied something to cowl our faces or ourselves. Guess being white vacationers makes us proof against the toxicity?
By the tip of the day, all of us had black footwear, socks, and pores and skin. The ash mud received in all places.
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Regardless, we didn’t discover the ash had any actual impact on us as we hiked 4km by means of the jungle then as much as the highest of the best peak on the island. The strolling was powerful within the scorching solar however the view on the highest was improbable.
This stroll afforded us 2 Komodo dragon sightings and a water buffalo. We had higher luck after descending from the height and making our method to the ranger stations on the opposite facet of the island the place we began.
There have been no rangers residing right here, however we noticed many deer and three Komodo dragons simply hanging out within the shade.
The Komodo dragons on Rinca had been laid again and fairly lazy, not transferring a lot and stayed in a single spot lengthy sufficient to seize many images.
Not precisely what I had in thoughts for our expedition on the island, however hey, I noticed Komodo Dragons, I can’t complain.
Komodo Island
Day 2 discovered us on Komodo Island. Very similar to our cease on Rinca, our plan was to go ashore, hike by means of the island whereas having fun with the views, in quest of the Komodo dragon. The dock right here is large compared and we had been in a position to dock and stroll, versus utilizing the dinghy.
We had been the primary boat to reach for the day, so we had your entire place to ourselves. I couldn’t assist however discover the thick sheets of volcanic ash that coated the dock as we made our manner in the direction of land. The volcano had actually executed a toll on the atmosphere right here.
Issues are way more structured on Komodo Island versus Rinca. The ranger stations are bigger and plenty of issues are marked and straightforward to seek out. Very similar to yesterday, we had been met by our ranger, escorted to the station after which briefed on our hike for the day.
Right this moment, we might additionally climb to the height of the island. This might be the second mountain in 2 days that we had climbed within the blistering solar with no shade. Hey, that is an journey, proper? In my view, nothing in need of one and we had been able to tackle the problem.
The Komodo dragons weren’t simply lounging round on this island and we walked a number of minutes earlier than seeing something in any respect. Once we approached the water gap we caught a glimpse at some wild deer and a big boar. They scattered on our method, however no dragons to be seen.
We started our hike to the highest of the height the place out of nowhere we noticed one thing go crashing by means of the grass. Our guides, of their pleasure, shouted for us to comply with carefully and keep behind them.
We had positioned our first Komodo and it was a big male. He needed nothing to do with us and snuck by means of the grass whereas we walked down the trail. Oddly sufficient, and although he ran, he adopted our group for fairly a methods after. Most likely hoping one in every of us would stray and he might seize the chance.
After that pleasure, we searched diligently for an additional sighting. We walked to the highest of the height and had been afforded one other breathtaking view; Indonesia is a surprising place. All of us lined up and stared into the space.
I noticed at that second I didn’t have to see one other dragon, I used to be on a distant island in Indonesia and had already seen Komodo Dragons on each islands. Reveling in my satisfaction, I spun on my heel to presume the hike and there it was.
A big male Komodo was mendacity proper behind our group. He hadn’t been there once we arrived, however there he sat, ready for us to make a transfer. It startled me and I shortly hollered to the information who ran over to cease it from coming nearer to us.
We had actually been sized up for the assault. How cool is that? (I can see my mom cringing as I write this!) The good factor about this encounter is he wasn’t fearful of us and he didn’t run.
We had been in a position to spend a stable quarter-hour photographing and observing this magnificent creature.
In fact, all underneath the watchful eye of our information and it was probably the most wonderful issues I’ve ever seen. The sheer energy and stealth of the world’s largest lizard had been sitting proper there, on a distant island, in my presence. It was a terrific second for each David and me.
Should you love wildlife and search a uncommon journey, then don’t overlook a visit to this lovely, distant a part of the World.
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