Ko'd by Komodo
Sport Diving
Mark Strickland - June/July 2002
We kicked off with an exhilarating drift on a thriving reef slope at Gili Lawang, well west of Komodo. A vigorous current took us effortlessly part a maze of fan corals, sea whips and sponges, whisking past clouds of anthias struggling to hold position in mid-water. Pygmy angels and butterfly fish darted between corals, surgeons and parrotfish busily gnawed algae from the few areas without live coral. The reef was humming. we rounded a corner and the current suddenly disappeared. Now leathers corals and fern-like hydroids dominated with a silty bottom.
Within a minute the divemaster Graham signaled he'd found something special. Among the feathery branches of a crinoid a thin, almost transparent creature hovered-a juvenile ornate ghost pipefish, rarely seen by divers. I'd just settled down to shoot this exquisite animal when Graham again clanged his tank. A striking red and white nudibranch was flapping its delicate ' skirt '. Again only a few shots before the next interesting discovery two tiny spaghetti-like pipefish in mushroom coral tentacles. Next was a hairy iridescent purple squat lobster then a perfectly disguised sole, then a trio of whip-coral shrimp. And so it went. I was out of film by then, but it was only the first dive and there were so many more photo-ops to come.
Over the next week we had varied dive sites with some of the richest and most diverse marine life I've seen anywhere. Komodo is in a region widely recognised as the epicentre of marine bio-diversity. Creatures new to science, rare and unusual species, are found here every year! There's an amazing quantity of marine life; population density at some reefs is such that animals actually live on top one another, each vying for optimum feeding position. Others sites feature big coral-covered plateaus, often with schools of fish so thick it's difficult to see daylight between them.
Komodo is between Sumbawa and flores some 200 miles east of Bali. There's quite a bit of traveling, but there are excellent reefs en route so most of the running time is spent off-gassing and preparing for the next dive. Among the most interesting of these traveling sites is cone -shaped volcanic Pulau Sangean. On a coral encrusted drop off called Mentjeng Wall we found octopus, robust ghost pipefish, Xanadu and orangutan crabs,mantis shrimp and ten species of nudibranch-all on one dive! Not all these creatures easy to find sites like this are enjoyable even for casual observes-but having a professional guide makes all the difference. Both Graham and cruise director Tony Rhodes were on every dive, constantly pointing out critters we'd otherwise have missed. even if you're a very experienced diver, never pass up a chance to go with a guide!
Moving east for several days, We woke one morning surrounded by the perched and rugged Komodo Islands, which, unlike much of Indonesia, receives little rain. But this is a unique ecological area with a wealth of interesting species above and below the waterline. Though Komodo and several surrounding islands have officially been designated a National Park since 1980, protection was sorely lacking until 1991 when the park was inscribed on the world heritage list, bringing increased domestic and international recognition. The Nature Conservancy became involved around 1994, working with the indonesian government to develop a park authority and management plan. Due to this joint effort, the waters are now regularly patrolled, dramatically reducing dynamiting and other destructive practices.
All visitors must register at Park Headquarters. This takes only a few minutes and you can see the small museum featuring displays about the area's natural history. Then there's an optional short hike into the nearby hills that shouldn't be missed; with a park ranger you're likely to see geckos, wild pigs, deer and various other animals, all well adapted to this harsh environment. But the main attraction is the chance of seeing an eight-foot 70 kilo reptilian dragon. A type of monitor lizard, they're endemic to the Komodo region, the only place they exist in the wild. Moving with the assurance of an apex predator, these modern day dinosaurs are often seen in the bush periodically pausing to ' smell ' the air with long forked tongues. The giant lizards are surprisingly agile opportunistic predators able to sprint short distances to pull down prey such as pigs, deer, other dragons and anything else they manage to catch, so it's wise to keep at a respectful distance!
But Komodo's marine environment is compelling. Bordered by the Sulawesi and flores seas to the north and the Indian ocean to the south, they pulse with life. The sea surface itself is a study in dynamics-powerful currents pull through relatively narrow shallow passes between islands. Even in calm weather, certain areas boil with turbulence right next to large mirror-smooth expanses. While the currents can mean challenging dives, they're one of the main reasons the diving here is so good. as water is pulled from the depths and squeezed between the islands, it becomes highly oxygenated and saturated with nutrients. The currents also aid distribution of species by carrying eggs and larvae considerable distances from where they were spawned.
Most diving on a typical Komodo trip is within the National Park around Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, plus many smaller islands. In terms of underwater characteristics, the region can be divided into the north and south side. although both areas are geographically quite close, they're worlds apart in terms of conditions and marine life.
On the south side cool nutrient rich water prevails, creating perfect conditions for the plankton ' soup ' that sustains so many reef inhabitants. Vis is usually not great, but marine life is incredible. favoured sites are typically pinnacles or walls, with a tremendous number of filter feeders. Competition for territory is so fierce among these creatures that it's often difficult to find even a square inch unoccupied. These reefs absolutely pulsate with colour and life; with a nearly endless variety of invertebrate and fish species, there's something new around every corner. among the ' must see ' dives are handful of reefs within Horseshoe Bay on the Rinca Island's south side. perhaps the best known is cannibal Rock, a small pinnacle rising from deep water to within 3 metres of the surface.
Frequent upwellings support dense populations of anemones, crinoids, sponges, fire urchins, and black corals. By far the most colourful residents however, are bright red, yellow and purple sea apples, a type of sea cucumber. Prolific fish life includes emperor snapper, six-band and semi-circle angelfish just above the reef. Great Yellow Wall O' Texas is another thriving reef where an abundance of yellow soft corals combine with orange tubastraea as a living wall of colour. At the base of the drop off, inn addition to reef fish of nearly every description, we found a four foot bamboo shark, the largest I've seen. another top site is Grandma Bang's Bommies, with ribbon eels, sailfin gobies, and orangutan, crabs, Miniature versions of their terrestrial namesakes.
While many popular southern sites are at Rinca, other islands also offer great diving. Among my favourites was Pulau Padar's W Reef, a three pinnacles series rising to within five metres of the surface. Often bathed in vigorous currents, it's ideal for filter feeding invertebrates, as well as mantans and mobulas. It also has unusual species like leaf scorpionfish, pygmy seahorses and a brilliant nudibranch Nembrotha Purpureolineata.
Diving after dark here revealed a mind blowing array of bizarre creatures. at night on a mucky slope called Pantai Padar we found spiny devilfish, spanish dancers, clawed reef lobster, pleurobranchs with hitchhiking shrimp, ornate and robust ghost pipefish, and a bobtail squid that shimmered with an iridescent rainbow-all in the first 30 minutes! Others sites had forests of pastel seapens, stargazers, cat sharks, frogfish, torpedo rays and a multitude of strange and rarely seen critters.
After several days of chilly turbid water, most of us were ready for the northern sites where the water is warmer and sparkling blue and only a few hours away. Underwater terrain varies but is typically drop offs, pinnacles, fringing reefs and shallow coral gardens. There's healthy populations of hard corals, crinoids, sponges and soft corals, plus a wide mix of other invertebrates. Schooling fish like banner fish and surgeonfish are abundant plus predators like trevally, barracuda and dogtooth tuna. There's a tremendous range of small tropical reef fish, plus bumphead parrotfish, giant sweetlips, turtles and various reef sharks. Certain sites even have pygmy seahorses and mandarin fish regularly.
Our first taste of north side diving at a small island called Tatawa Besar was one of the most scenic and exciting dives on the trip. Named Sambal (it's Hot!) by underwater photographer Jim Watt, this site delivered. a brisk current was flowing so we entered where it split around the island and quickly finned for the bottom. at 36 metres a sizeable Napoleon wrasse eyed me as I tried to settle and adjust my strobes. Finally ready I eased towards a school of lined sweetlips, where i was surrounded by twin spot snappers followed by dozens of red-tooth triggerfish, all hanging effortlessly in the current. Moving slowly upwards, the terrain was dominated by large reddish soft corals which changed to orange in shallow depths. it was spectacular, but the urge to explore was irresistible.
Moving beyond the narrow current split I was soon thrust over the reef at several knots. soft corals flapped like flags and damselfish struggled in the water column. At safety stop depth it was endless ever changing healthy hard coral. Like a kid who's just finished a carnival ride, I wanted to do it again, but we had another appointment.
The isolated pinnacle called H.T.F (Hard To Find ) Reef is near Gili Lawa Laut in deep blue water with a screaming tidal flow. by now I'd figured things out and immediately finned towards the relative calm of the current bifurcation zone. On the bottom were several fat whitetip reef sharks followed by a vast mass of blue spined unicornfish that swirled round me for over five minutes. Next came squadrons of bigeye trevally, then a succession of barracuda, oceanic triggerfish, bannerfish, and finally 30 or more saifin snapper. with all this fish activity, I didn't explore the reef itself, but did glimpse some impressive fan corals and sponges before heading to the shallows.
The week melted away. We had several more excellent dives on the way back to Bali including magic rock at Pulau satonda with banded pipefish, octopus, mantis shrimp and several species of nudibranchs, all at a single rock the size of a refrigerator. Graham had dental treatment from a team of skunk cleaner shrimp; each one climbed right inside his mouth. On the adjoining reef slope were squat lobsters hiding in a crinoid, a large alien looking frogfish, and three pygmy seahorses!
For widely varied diving, uncrowded reefs, unique underwater scenery, Komodo delivers. For diversity of marine life it just doesn't get any better. My only disappointment? The trip was way too short! Next time I'll definitely opt for a longer voyage, or if budget allows, maybe two in a row. After all if you're lucky enough to spent time at one of the world's best dive locales, why rush the experience?