Description of the attraction
Komodo National Park is located in the Lesser Sunda Islands, on the border between the Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands and Western Lesser Sunda Islands. On the territory of the park, which covers 1,733 square kilometers, there are three large islands: Komodo, Padar and Rinka, and 26 small islands. Of the total area of the park, 603 sq. Km is land, the rest is coastal waters.
The national park was founded in 1980 in order to protect the Komodo monitor lizards, or, as they are also called, the giant Indonesian monitor lizards, which were discovered in 1912 on the island of Komodo, which is why they got this name. The Komodo monitor lizard is the largest lizard in the world, the length of which can reach up to 3 meters, and the weight - up to 70 kg. Later, other species of animals and marine individuals came under protection. In 1991, the national park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and also entered the list of the new seven wonders of nature.
The hot and dry climate of the park, with vegetation characteristic of the savannah, is ideal for the Komodo monitor lizard. Part of the park is occupied by humid tropical forests, the coastal part of the park is mangrove forests. In the northeastern part of Komodo Island, there are coral reefs, which are home to about 26 species of coral. Among the marine inhabitants of the park there is a whale shark, an ordinary moonfish (it is the largest bony fish in the world), a manta ray (it is also called a great sea devil or stag beetle), an eagle ray, a sperm whale, a blue whale, dolphins, etc.
Tourists-divers are very fond of visiting Komodo Park because of the extremely rich marine fauna and flora.
