We awoke this morning to another glorious Indonesian sunrise and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast on deck before preparing for our morning activities. Full of anticipation, we made the short Zodiac transfer to Rinca Island, part of the Komodo Island National Park.
We were greeted on the jetty by a very cheeky group of long-tailed macaques who were playing in the mangroves all around us. After a short walk inland we all gathered at the Ranger’s Station for a briefing by the Park Ranger.
We had barely begun our trek into the forest when we spotted our first Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). They are a venomous species of lizard belonging to the monitor lizard family (Varanidae) and are the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2 to 3 meters and weighing around 70 kilograms.
We took photographs of these magnificent creatures with great caution as the rangers instructed us to keep our distance as they can reach speeds in excess of 20km/h.
As we walked further into the forest our ranger guides also showed us some of the other local fauna including: Timor Deer, Spotted Kestrels and Brahminy Kites.
In the afternoon after a delicious lunch on board, we returned ashore to another part of the Komodo Island National Park – the famous ‘Pink Beach.’
It was here we had the opportunity to go snorkeling and to explore the wonders of the surrounding coral reefs.
Inhabited with the most diverse species of fish found on the planet, we were in awe of their vibrant colors and spent hours watching them swim in their beautiful coral home.
