Komodo Island’s Komodo Dragons

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After three days in Singapore and three days in Bali, we finally boarded our dive boat to explore the waters of Indonesia on the way to Komodo Island and back.  I’m embarrassed to admit that on our 7 day dive-centric trip, I was most excited about potentially seeing a Komodo dragon!  That statement probably sounds like blasphemy to my fellow SCUBA divers, but I had never seen one of these endangered creatures.

The Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world, may only be found in the wild in Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The park is comprised of three large islands in Indonesia’s Lesser Sundra Archipelago: Komodo, Padar, and Rinca, as well as many smaller ones. 

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How to Get to Komodo National Park

Komodo Island, named for the “dragon”, and may be reached only by boat.  The fastest and cheapest boat trips, either single day or three-day journeys, leave from the gateway town Labuan Bajo on Flores Island (reachable by plane via Jakarta or Bali).  These trips visit either Komodo Island or Rinca Island and often include other popular excursions like hiking Padar and seeing the pink beaches.

It is also possible to visit Komodo Island, the more famous of the two due its namesake, on a longer journey via Bali. Both islands have a large population (over 1,000) of these giant monitor lizards, so depending on the time of year you travel, you should be able to see at least one in either location.

Though our primary focus on the Mermaid II live aboard was SCUBA diving in Indonesia, we enjoyed a few land excursions as well.  And visiting Komodo National Park to see the Komodo dragons was a highlight on our multi-day Bali-Komodo-Bali itinerary.

Komodo National Park

Visiting Komodo National Park requires an entrance fee (paid in local currency) and must be planned in advance. Be sure to bring enough rupiahs to cover the price of admission, souvenirs, and tips for the local guides from the indigenous Ata Modo tribe.

Because the Indonesian government is actively trying to protect Komodo dragons which can be very dangerous, visitors may only hike in the Loh Liang area with a guide armed with a six-foot long stick.   Loh Liang is its natural habitat and features 2.8 miles of trails.

The dirt paths wind through the forest, which is also home to wild boar and deer, both of which we saw as we meandered along the well-maintained track.  On this warm October day at the end of the dry season, we were lucky to spot at least six Komodo dragons!  We saw a baby in a tree, one large dragon by the watering hole, two resting in the woods and a couple on the beach!!  I’m told not all visitors are this fortunate.

Better yet, the guides were excellent at snapping photos and taking video, so they knew all the tricks to make us look up close and personal with these dangerous predators while keeping us out of harm’s way.

Komodo Dragon Fun Facts

The giant reptiles didn’t seem scary as they rested in the forest, but these fun facts suggest being cautious in their presence!

1.  Komodo dragons can reach 10 feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds, though they average around 150 pounds.
2. They are apex predators, carnivorous, and will eat just about anything dead or alive. While young dragons live on insects, bird eggs, and small reptiles, the adult dragon’s diet typically includes deer, water buffalo, wild boar, smaller Komodo dragons, birds, fish, and dead animal carcasses. They are also known to rob graves and will occasionally attack a human!
3. They rely on camouflage and patience to ambush their prey with their venomous bite.  While they usually kill their prey instantly, if for some reason the victim escapes the dragon’s powerful jaws of one inch razor teeth, it won’t survive the dragon’s venom or saliva laden with infectious bacteria for more than 24 hours.
4. The Komodo dragon has a keen sense of smell through its split tongue and can run 12 mph, so it will track its wounded prey and consume 80% of its body weight in one meal.  It can swallow anything the size of a goat or smaller all at once! And they generally eat just one meal a month.
5. Their tails are as long as their bodies and strong enough to take down a deer.
6. While they seem rather adapted to land, they are also very good swimmers and will swim from island to island to find domestic animal food sources.
7. The Komodo dragons mate between May and August and lay up to 20 eggs in abandoned megapode nests in September. They incubate for 7-8 months and hatch in April when insects are plentiful. The babies immediately climb trees and stay there for two years to remain safe from the adult dragons.

In Conclusion

While these large lizards with a prehistoric look may appear slow and harmless, don’t be fooled!  Respect their speed, power, and nasty bite as the little boys did who were playing on the beach.  When a Komodo dragon approached, they ran toward safety only stopping to throw a handful of debris at the reptile before it was all clear to return to their sand castle!

Seeing the Komodo dragon was one of many highlights on our Bali liveaboard dive boat experience.  ETB

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