Komodo

Komodo: overview

The first thought in anyones mind when mentioning Komodo in Indonesia in is normally to think of the Dragons that get their name from the area. The worlds largest lizards that inhabit the islands have a world wide reputation and people come from around the globe for a chance to see them. However, their is another side to Komodo that isn’t spoken about as much and that is the fact that it is home to some world class dive sites with the chance to see large marine life such as Manta Rays and experience the infamous currents that are present in the area.

Komodo is a protected national park area in Indonesia that covers an area of around 1817 km2 and lies between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, it comprises of three main islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar as well as numerous smaller islands. Along with being home to the famous Komodo Dragons the area is also one of the richest marine environments in Indonesia with coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds seamounts of bays. It is home to a huge variety of marine life including sharks, manta rays, dugongs, whales dolphins and turtles making it a paradise for any diver. Be warned, Komodo may not be for everyone as the area is notorious for its strong currents due tot he fact the area lies between two oceans, the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This does have it advantages though as it does make for nutrient rich waters which attracts the wide variety of marine life in the area. Before venturing for a trip to Komodo it is worth doing some research and reading up on reputable dive centres and operators in the area, some recommendations can be found at the bottom of this page to get you started.

diving

When you do decide to go to Komodo you are in for a thrilling experience like very few others. The area is best served by a liveaboard trip as it gives the best chance to experience the area and get to the best dive sites at the right time of day, having said that there are a growing number of land based operations but this does limit your options somewhat. Here we summaries the dive sites we experienced and what you can expect to encounter:

Sebayur Kecil:

This was completed as our first orientation dive on the way into Komodo from Labuan Bajo. A nice chilled dive to ease into Komodo without any of the currents you hear about so often.

Depth: 23m

Life: Cuttlefish, Lionfish, Lobsters, Nudibranchs, Pufferfish, Blue Spotted Stingray, Boxfish, Morray Eels, Garden Eels

Siaba Kecil:

Situated amongst a small group of islands the current here can be quite strong, especially when the tide is changing. We dropped in and were immediately picked up by the current and drifted along watching the beautiful corals as we went by. We remarked to our guide at the end that it was quite a strong current, but were told that this was pretty mild! Ends up with a nice coral garden to explore without as much current, a great way to end the dive.

Depth: 25m

Life: Turtles, Morray Eels, Napoleon Wrasse, Nudibranchs, Boxfish

Siaba Besar:

Situated near to Siaba Kecil (In Bahassa Besar = big, Kecil = small) this is often carried out as a night dive. Some rather large resident Lionfish are often to be seen hunting and like nothing more than to get close to divers and use their lights to aid them so worthwhile being careful not to touch any of their venomous spines. Even had a turtle nearly swim into me during this dive which was quite an experience!

Depth: 10m

Life: Turtles, Lionfish, Golden Mantis Shrimp, Banded Snake Eel, Flat Fish, Nudibranchs, Pufferfish, Catfish

Batu Bolong:

One of Komodo’s signature dives and one not to be missed for those who love diving in current. This site is world famous for the large schools of fish that can be seen here as well as the often unpredictable currents. A site for more experienced divers, most guides have old war stories about the currents so it is really worth paying attention to the pre-dive briefing. Once you’re in the water though you’ll be rewarded with schools of fish, large pelagic fish such as Tuna, Trevally, Barracuda as well as Sharks too. You can get so wrapped up in watching the action out in the blue that you forget to take a closer look at the reef which is teeming with life such as scorpionfish, lion fish nudibranchs and more.

Depth: 29m

Life: Whitetip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Turtles, Napoleon Wrasse, Sweetlips, Giant Trevally, Blue Fin Trevally, Lionfish, Nudibranchs, Harlequin Crab

Castle Rock:

Another signature Komodo dive, this time a submerged seamount which is famous for sharks and pelagics. Be prepared for a negative entry as otherwise you can get swept over the mount of miss all the action. The first site I dived where we used a reef hook which was super fun, flying like a kite watching the show. The currents are again very strong and you can end up battling against them and using air up very quickly, our dive here lasted just 35 minutes! A fantastic dive and even ended up seeing a dolphin underwater too.

Depth: 26m

Life: Whitetip Reef Sharks, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Giant Trevally, Blue Fin Trevally, Dolphins,

Crystal Rock:

Yet another famous sea mount dive in Komodo famed for its strong currents with the chance to see large pelagic fish and sharks and sometime even rays if you are lucky! Another site where you may need a reef hook and make sure you are conserving your air when possible.

Depth: 21m

Life: Whitetip Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays, Turtles, Blue Spotted Stingray, Banded Sea Krait, Great Barracuda, Boxfish, Morray Eels, Sweetlips

Komodo Bay:

A sheltered dive site that makes for an excellent night dive and a welcome respite from the strong currents elsewhere.

Depth: 15m

Life: Crabs, Shrimp, Tassled Scorpionfish, Squat Lobster, Morray Eels

The Shotgun/Cauldron:

Possibly the site with the strongest currents and the same certainly tells you what you will be in for! The cauldron itself is a sinkhole and the shotgun a narrow passage leading upon to it. Get ready for an adrenaline filled ride.

Depth: 22m

Life: Manta Rays, Leaf Scorpionfish, Turtles, Whitetip reef Sharks, Morray Eels, Chevron Barracuda, Garden Eels

Karang Makassar (Manta Point):

The main reason to dive here os the chance to see Manta Rays, which although not guaranteed, there is always a high chance you will get to see them.

Depth: 17m

Life: Manta Rays, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Turtles.

how to get there

To access Komodo national Park you will need to fly into Labuan Bajo airport. This can be accessed from Jakarta or Bali.

best time to visit

Technically Komodo can be dived all year round, from May to October the Central and Northern sites are most accessible, while Southern sites can be dived fro December to March. Currents present all year round!

where to stay

There is a huge amount of choice when it comes to diving in and around Komodo, for a live aboard experience that won’t disappoint and won’t break the bank I would really recommend Dive Komodo. I did a trip with them and was impressed by the facilities on the boat, professional guides and amazing crew.

Another option is Scuba Republic, who offer both liveaboard and land based options.