The Viking Sky arrived in Indonesia today and anchored in Komodo. Our reason for stopping here was to see the world’s largest reptiles: Komodo dragons. Thus, the only excursion offered was “The Rulers of Rinca Island,” with this description:
Encounter the rare and fearsome Komodo dragon in its natural habitat during a trek on Rinca Island. Part of the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing 29 islands, Rinca Island is home to about 2,000 of these legendary creatures. Relatives of the dinosaur, they are the world’s largest reptiles, able to reach lengths of more than 10 feet and typically weighing about 150 pounds. Meet your knowledgeable guide and set off for a walk on specially elevated platforms that will allow you to observe the wildlife without interference. As you go and make stops along the way to observe life below, learn about the behavior of these dappled giants, whose tails are as long as their bodies. Cap your tour at the visitor’s center to gain further insight into these ancient and unique creatures, before returning to your ship.
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| Our First View of Komodo from Our Balcony |
I was a bit apprehensive about the excursion, not because of the Komodo dragons, but because of the heat. We had been warned on many occasions to drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, take an umbrella, and prepare for extreme heat and humidity. Several passengers who returned from their excursion talked about how incredibly hot it had been, with the sun beating down on them.
Luckily, for Tim and me, our excursion was not until 2:00 pm. By that time, it had rained a bit, and the skies had clouded over. Thank goodness, there was no blazing sun for us to deal with.
After tendering ashore, our guide and two naturalists accompanied our group on the boardwalk, scanning the surroundings to locate dragons for us to see. And they did an excellent job.
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| A Scary Welcome to Komodo - I Was Hoping the Dragons Were Not that Large! |
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| Welcome to Komodo National Park |
Our first
sighting was a youngster who was still living in the trees. Young Komodo dragons must live there so as
not to be eaten by older and larger dragons who can no longer climb trees.
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| A Very Well Camouflaged, Young Komodo Dragon |
We then passed
two deer that likely will become dinner for the dragons at some point.
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| Watch Out for the Dragons! You Might Be Their Next Dinner! |
Our
guides spotted many dragons, most of whom were lazing around. I only saw one walking by and another younger
one sitting up. I was surprised with how
many we were able to see.
Although it
was much hotter in the morning, the Komodo dragons were more active then, and some guests even
saw a fight between two males. I was very satisfied with the ones we saw, however.
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| I Guess It Was Time for a Nap for These Guys |
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| Our Guides Were So Good At Pointing Out the Dragons for Us |
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| These Dragons Were a Bit More Awake |
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| This Young Dragon Was Checking Things Out |
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| Our Guides Were Always Offering to Take Our Picture |
I had a great time, and although I was hot, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected.
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| Our Guides Were Great, and Very Patient with Us |
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| Scenes in and Around Komodo National Park |
When Tim and I returned to the ship, we were both exhausted from the heat and took naps before a quick dinner in the World Café.
Very cool that you got to see so many dragons! Hope all is well there.
ReplyDeleteIt was cool! Things are great here. I hope all is well with you.
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