Komodo National Park
Denise Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett
Home of the Dragon & Prehistoric Landscapes
Liveaboards Operating in Komodo National Park
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Komodo Dragons are giant monitor lizards found only on the islands of Komodo & Rinca. As the world's largest lizards they can reach 3m in length and weigh up to 135kg.
Komodo National Park (750 sq km or ~500 sq mi), a World Heritage Site, is home to the famous Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Park rangers on Komodo lead "dragon walks" so visitors can view the reptiles in their natural habitat. The paths are clear and an easy walk often turns up local deer, pigs, and a variety of birds and butterflies. Villagers sell local pearls, shell jewelry, masks and t-shirts at the park entrance. Like with most vendors in Indonesia, they can be persistent. Komodo Dragons are giant monitor lizards found only on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Padar and western Flores in Indonesia.
As the world's largest lizards they can reach 3m (10ft) in length and weigh up to 135kg (300lbs) although 50-70kg (110-150lbs) is more common. Komodo Dragons have massive jaws, long powerful tails and can run surprisingly fast for short periods. They're cannibalistic, often eating younger dragons and occasionally other adults and they've been known to attack humans. Although they aren't poisonous, they harbor bacteria between their teeth which are easily transferred to their next victim. These bacteria lead to infections that kill the victim if the dragon doesn't. Dragons ambush their prey by lying in wait and pouncing when the time is right. Their diet consists of small animals and carrion which they sense with their long, forked tongues. When not hunting or mating, the dragons are generally lethargic. Mating season is May to August which makes it a more difficult time to observe them. During this time males are known to rise up on their rear legs and fight one another. In September, females lay their eggs in deep burrows, tending them until they hatch several months later. Baby dragons are 45cm (18in) long and live in trees where they feed on insects, small reptiles and birds. The park boundary extends underwater.
International conservation organizations and the local government administer the park to preserve its extraordinary reefs from destructive fishing practices.
View Komodo National Park Indonesia in a larger map
About the Authors
Larry and Denise Tackett are the authors of all of our Indonesian dive site and regional descriptions. They are professional photographers specializing in underwater and terrestrial natural history and travel subjects. They are represented by stock photo agencies in the US and United Kingdom and their photographs have been widely published in books and magazines worldwide. Their work has appeared in magazines such as National Wildlife, Islands, BBC Wildlife, Ocean Realm, Asian Diver, Unterwasser, Tauchen, Canadian Wildlife, Popular Science, Sport Diver, National Geographic Kids, Geo, and many others.
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