Indonesia, July 2024:

 

This gallery contains photographs from a combined scuba diving and land excursion to Indonesia's Komodo archipelago, and Pulau Sangeang. The excellent and super experienced crew of the diving vessel ZEN introduced us to some of the most amazing dive sites in Komodo National Park, around Komodo, Rinca, Pulau Padar, Pulau Kode, Gili Lawadarat, Gili Lawalaut, and on the volcanic shores of Pulau Sangeang.

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Nestled between Flores to the east and Pulau Sumbawa to the west, Komodo National Park provides protection not only for the enigmatic Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), but for an immense marine biodiversity in the archipelago. This UNESCO World Heritage Site extends across 1'817km2 and is part of Indonesia's coral triangle. In July 2024, the diversity and health condition of the hard and soft corals we observed was second to none. Day and night dives would bring out an amazing variety of creatures, from some of the largest reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) I have ever seen, to countless small to tiny fish, nudibranch, octopus, and crustacean species.

 

Through omnipresent strong currents and powerful swells, water temperatures remain quite a bit lower than further north in Raja Ampat. In some dive sites I wore a 2.5mm shorty and a 3mm long wetsuit to keep warm. At times, the currents would make macro photography nearly impossible. But several dive sites offer spectacular sceneries for wide-angle photographs, so the gallery again contains both.

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Photographing the dragons on Komodo island eventually proved equally challenging. We had arranged a private speed boat to take us from Labuan Bajo to the Parks Board office (departure from Labuan Bajo port at 05:30h, transfer to Komodo about 65 minutes), from where we would head out on foot to search for the animals, accompanied by a very helpful and competent ranger. The early hours were ok, but soon masses of tourists would flood in and it would become increasingly difficult to find animals that could be approached. Sadly typical for this part of the world, the sea washes up a lot of plastic rubbish and even though there are very many visitors every day paying entrance and conservation fees, the shorelines are not cleaned up. Finding an approachable dragon then takes quite a bit of manoeuvring to avoid a messy background. For photographers who would like to find the animals in good light, the best plan is to charter a live-aboard for two or three nights, and stay in the bay near the Parks Board office. Dragons can then be found in the day's first and last light, without being hassled by crowds. A word of caution: these animals are extremely powerful and quick, opportunistic ambush hunters. Always keep a safe distance, especially when photographing at a low angle.

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I hope you enjoy the photographic results from this excursion!