Description of the attraction
Wakatobi National Park is a marine conservation park located in the southern part of Sulawesi. The name of the park - Wakatobi - is an abbreviation that is formed from the names of the first letters of the four main islands of the Tukangbesi archipelago (Tukang-besi) - Vangi-Vangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko.
The Tukangbesi Archipelago consists of 25 islands and volcanic and coral reefs. It is worth noting that the archipelago is known for its coral reefs and was declared a Marine Protected Area in 1996. Wakatobi National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 and on the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2012.
A more precise location of the park is the southeastern part of the Sulawesi island. In addition to the four large islands, the national park also includes small islands. In total, Wakatobi National Park includes 143 islands. All of them are inhabited, except for seven islands. The population is approximately one hundred thousand people.
The national park is the third largest marine park in Indonesia. The famous explorer of the deep sea, Jacques Cousteau, called this park "underwater nirvana". The territory of the National Marine Park is 1.4 million hectares, 900 thousand hectares of which are coral reefs of different types and colors. In addition, the islands are famous for their largest barrier coral reef in Indonesia - second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In addition to reefs, the park is known for the largest number of fish species in its territory. Dolphins, turtles and even whales also live in the waters.
