Komodo National Park, located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, is composed of three major islands (Rinca, Komodo, and Padar) and 26 smaller ones to occupy nearly 2,000 km2. Komodo National Park is a landscape of contrasts between starkly rugged hillsides of dry savanna, pockets of thorny green vegetation, brilliant white sandy beaches and blue waters surging over coral, unquestionably one of the most dramatic landscapes in all of Indonesia.
The Komodo National Park is home to approximately 2,500 Komodo Dragons and other terrestrial fauna such as various species of reptiles, birds, and mammals. Komodo National Park was created by the Indonesian government in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. In 1991, Komodo was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Approximately reaching 3 meters in length and weighing over 70kg, the Komodo Dragon (or otherwise known as Varanus Komodoensis), is the world’s largest lizard and reptile.
Komodo National Park conveniently sits in the heart of the Asia Pacific Coral Triangle and is home to one of the world’s richest marine environments. It is home to more than 260 species of reef-building coral, more than 1,000 species of tropical fish including Napoleon wrasse and groupers, 7 species of sharks including hammerhead sharks and grey reef sharks, Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, and also rare and endangered species such as the dugong.
