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Komodo Liveaboard Safari – Dive with the Dragon

By: Jacquelyn Mcclain

Considered by many the diving destination of a lifetime, the mystical and inspiring Komodo Islands National Park is approximately 340 nautical miles east of the paradise island of Bali, Indonesia. The national park is in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between Sumbawa and Flores Islands, and is most easily accessed by Komodo Liveaboards from Bali or Labuanbajo on Flores. Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986, the area has been legendary since the time of Dutch sailors in the seventeenth century to the present day. The park was originally established to protect the magnificent Komodo dragon and its surroundings, but efforts are now under way to include the entire biosphere, marine and terrestrial. It is finally understood by the scientific and diving communities that this small area of Indonesia is one of the most biologically rich environments on the planet and great effort should be made to preserve it for future generations of divers.
 
Komodo Liveaboards diving is not new by any stretch of the imagination, but it is only recently that the biological importance of the area has come to the attention of experienced divers and established Komodo as a world class diving destination. The variety of marine life found in Komodo as well as the challenging diving conditions rivals the world's best diving and truly puts Komodo in a league of its own.  Geologically part of Flores Island, the Komodo and Rinca Islands are separated from Sumbawa to the west by the strait of Sape. In the middle of the strait, the dark blue water only drops to a maximum of 300 meters. When the higher tidal waters of the Pacific Ocean in the north flow through the shallow strait to the Indian Ocean in the south, the result is raging currents that are unequaled in this hemisphere. In addition, the upwelling's from the deep surrounding waters bring nutrients and plankton to keep the Komodo waters rich and exploding with life. It is this combination of conditions that has created a diving environment that is spectacular and at times adrenaline filled.
 
Komodo offers experienced divers just about every type of tropical diving imaginable, from calm and colorful shallow reefs teeming with thousands of colorful fish and unusual invertebrates, to current swept deep water sea mounts, walls, and  massive pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big pelagic’s.There are few places left on the earth where divers can experience such a bounty of marine life and such diversity of diving conditions. Whale sharks, sunfish,  giant mantas, eagle rays, pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, and the blue-ringed octopus are all at home here among a spectacular range of dazzling sponges, sea squirts, tunicates, and corals. Komodo has been declared by many to be a macro enthusiast's paradise found.

One of the most popular activities on every Liveaboard Indonesia safari to Komodo is the unique opportunity to walk with the imposing Komodo dragon. An alert and agile carnivore these awesome beasts can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh and an astonishing 125 kilos.  Known to the locals as 'Ora' there are about eleven hundred of the world’s largest lizard living on Komodo Island and another five hundred on nearby Rinca Island.  Walking through the bush of Komodo is an experience that should fill you with anticipation and will not soon be forgotten. World Class Diving and an encounter with one of the world's last surviving dinosaur descendants all on one amazing diving cruise, what more can you ask for?
 
When should you dive the Komodo Islands? The Komodo Liveaboard diving season is year round, with the best diving conditions from April thru December. It is during these months that the seas are most calm, the visibility is incredible, and there are unbelievable congregations of large pelagic's. Diving Komodo is best accomplished on one of our world class Komodo Liveaboards from beautiful Bali or Flores Islands. Be one of the few to explore this legendary and exciting diving location. Macro to massive there is no better liveaboard diving anywhere on the planet, Komodo has it all.

Article Source: http://familygardenhome.com

Todd Lakes is the Director of Dive Adventures Asia that serves as an excellent source for Liveaboard Komodo. For Details on Liveabroad Indonesia Contact at www.diveadventuresasia.com/index.php for un-biased expert explanations to all your diving holiday questions. Check out more on Komodo Liveaboard Safari – Dive with the Dragon

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