The Komodo National Park

Komodo national park

The Komodo national park lies in East Nusa Tenggara province in the Sape Straits between Flores and Sumbawa. The only Access to Komodo village is by boat from Labuan Bajo on the northwestern tip of Flores or from Sape on the east coast of Sumbawa. Komodo, the largest island, has a countryside dominated by a range of rounded hills sloping along a north-south alignment at an elevation from500 to 600m. The coastline is lopsided and characterized by numerous bays, beaches and inlets divided by headlands, often with sheer cliffs falling vertically into the sea. Padar is a small, narrow island, which lies directly east of the coast of Komodo. It also has topography, which rises steeply from the surrounding plains to between 200m and 300m. Further east, the second largest island in the park, Rinca, is separated from Flores by a narrow strait a few kilometres wide. The topography of the southern part of the island is dominated by the 667m Doro Ora massif, while to the north the steep-sided peaks of Gunung Tumbah and Doro Raja rise to 187m and 351m, respectively. As with Komodo and Padar, the coastline is generally strong and rocky although sandy beaches are found in sheltered bays. The mainland components of the park lie in the rugged coastal areas of western Flores, where surface fresh water is more abundant than on the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar. Geology reflects area vulcanism, with Pleistocene(a really old rock) and Holocene(an even older rock) deposits forming the principal geological units. Deposits are generally resistant volcanics, volcanic ash, conglomerates and raised coral formations.

FAUNA: The Park is best known for the Komodo monitor Varanus komodoensis (R), the world's largest living lizard. The population, which is estimated at around 5,700 individuals, is distributed across the islands of Komodo (2,900), Rinca (900), Gili Motong (fewer than 100) and in certain coastal regions