Komodo Dragon Boat Tour
It was never my intention to see a Komodo Dragon, let alone a 3-day “liveaboard” boat tour followed by a deserted tropical island. Heck I didn’t even know they were around until a random Balinese batik-shirt salesman invited us to "come to my island.” Four hours later we traded plans to end our Asia trip on Gili Air (a car-less Gilligan's Island paradise) for cheap, direct tickets from Bali to Komodo Airport.
Tickets we never used thanks to Bali traffic. But with dogged perseverance we’ve rerouted via an overnight in Jakarta, arrived 2 hours late in Flores where our tour company has whisked us onto a private speedboat charter to catch up with the group. No time for food, they tell us, you have to put on wetsuits and jump in Right Now.
Amidst excited, chaotic shouts of “Manta! Manta!” we take a deep breath in through the snorkel, plunge our face masks into the warm Savu Sea. All hurry and worry instantly disappears in the dark shadow of three mammoth Manta Rays swimming slow circles just a few feet beneath us. Majestic, silent, magical. They leave no room for silly human concerns like missed planes and wasted money; for this precious first hour I can feel nothing but Respect and Wonder.
Padar Island Tri-Coloured Sunrise
We came on this boat cruise for the komodo dragons, but there’s plenty more wonders in store first. We lowly Snorkelers watch the Divers do a night dive, their headlamps creating mysterious orbs like giant glow worms. An early morning hike takes me to the top of Padar Island to watch the sun rise over the famous triad of beaches with black, pink and white sand. Two or three times per day we snorkel all around the “Coral Triangle”, with over 76% of the world's coral species and 37% of reef fish species.
The komodo dragon boat tour company (Maika) is taking great care of us. Family-style meals, guided snorkeling to make sure we see everything and feel safe, and a big ol’ deck for lounging as we cruise between Indonesia’s exotic islands (the local name of one of which, we’re told, translates to “Smile-Love Island”). I also see them doing all the quiet stuff that lets us play safely - caring for equipment, adapting plans based on currents, sun position, and even water temperature that affects where we’re likely to find the sharks and barracuda and giant turtles (all of which I get to swim with.)
Coral Kaleidoscope
If the blue 4-legged starfish and eagle rays and jellies (Sarah’s the only one with the thrill of being stung) are the stars of the show, the coral reef deserves the Oscar for best set design. I spend more time marveling at the infinite variety of colours, shapes, motion, patterns, textures, and interplay with fish-life than I do at the fish themselves.
A deep purple vulva pulses and opens her wavy petals to attract her lovers, then snaps shut tight to devour her prey. Some coral at first appears solid until you swim closer and see the gentle undulations with the current. Neither Wordsworth nor Crayola will ever capture the myriad moods and gradients of Green, let alone the salty swirl of oranges, yellows, blues, whites…
Komodo Dragons - The Land Before Time
And finally our boat tour lands on Komodo Island, the only (plus 2 neighbouring islands) native habitat in the world of the Komodo Dragon. Some tourists hunt for hours to hopefully see one - we end up seeing ten.
This ain't no zoo - it’s their wild habitat. These lizards have such a keen sense of blood that menstruating women are advised to stay close to the guide (who would valiantly protect them with his long poker stick). A Swiss couple wandered off the path in 1974, and the only remains were one finger bone and sunglasses.
We get within 10 feet of these 200-pound Jurassic dinosaurs, but they’re too busy eating each other to bother with us scrawny humans. Babies live alone in trees and mostly eat insects and small lizards - including each other - as well as snakes and birds. Adult diet ranges from buffalo to small rodents. And when they get too old, they’re eaten by more dominant young-uns. It’s truly a dragon-eat-dragon world on this island, and the adults we see must be the toughest of the tough to have survived.
Le Pirate Island
After 3 days of world-class cruising and adventuring, we figure we’ve earned a break. So we immediately hop another 1-hour boat ride to Le Pirate Island. On the tip of this otherwise deserted island are a handful of beach-facing bungalows, two ping-pong tables and a bar/restaurant. Oh, and a super shallow coral reef just outside our door.
So it is that after four months in Southeast Asia - Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Komodo - we spend our final two nights splashing, lazing, snorkeling, feasting and playing in a tropical paradise. Tomorrow we’ll undo much of this indulgence with a 33-hour journey to Chicago, but tonight the moon reflects off the water outside our glamping tent and we bask in tranquility.
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Currently in...
France (Amiens, Mer Les Bains) for Sarah's knee replacement
Heading to...
New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Uruguay, Chile, Monteverde. Please share any sites, people or ideas by email.
wqw wqw thanks so beautiful
Wow! So much beauty! Thanks for sharing!