Komodo, Indonesia

Country: Indonesia Type: reef / pelagic / muck Best known for: Manta encounters, current-swept reefs, extraordinary biodiversity, liveaboard diving, Komodo dragons Wetpixel expeditions: Yes — 2006 (Light & Motion video workshop), 2011 (Flores to Komodo aboard Damai II), 2014 (two South Komodo expeditions aboard The Seven Seas)

Overview

Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Lesser Sunda Islands of eastern Indonesia, encompasses the islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Padar along with surrounding waters. The park is famous both for its terrestrial Komodo dragons and for some of the most exhilarating diving in Indonesia. Strong currents sweeping through the channels between islands bring nutrient-rich water that supports extraordinarily lush reef systems — vibrant soft corals, crinoids, sea fans, and dense fish life (^[1]).

Diving in Komodo is primarily done from liveaboard vessels operating out of Labuan Bajo on the western tip of Flores. Notable dive sites include Castle Rock (a current-swept seamount famous for pelagics), Cannibal Rock (diverse macro life), Yellow Wall, Wainilu, Karang Makassar (manta cleaning station), Three Sisters, and the Shotgun. South Komodo offers improved visibility and warmer water during the wet season (^[2]). The area provides both wide-angle reef scenes and macro subjects including bobbit worms, Coleman shrimp, hairy squat lobsters, and bigfin reef squid (^[3]).

Wetpixel Coverage

Komodo was one of the most frequently featured expedition destinations in Wetpixel’s history, with multiple Wetpixel-branded trips and extensive editorial coverage.

The earliest coverage was a 2006 Light & Motion video workshop aboard the Voyager liveaboard, led by Dan Baldocchi and Michael Topolovac, offering participants the chance to try Sony FX1 and HC1 HD cameras and housings (^[4]).

Eric Cheng organized the “Ultimate Indonesia 2011” expedition aboard the Damai II from Flores through Komodo, Alor, Beangabang, Adonara, and Wetar. The trip combined muck diving at Beangabang with “incredibly-lush reefs” at Komodo, with the unusual approach of sitting on the best sites “until we get tired of them” rather than following a fixed schedule (^[5], ^[6]).

The most significant Wetpixel Komodo coverage came in 2014 with back-to-back South Komodo Expeditions aboard The Seven Seas liveaboard. The first group was led by Eric Cheng and Adam Hanlon, the second by Jason Bradley. The 11-day trips covered sites including Wainilu, Karang Makassar, Baleh, Sowalu, Eagle Rock, Pelekan Head, Three Sisters, Cannibal Rock, Dragon Creek, and Yellow Wall. The resulting Full Frame gallery — featuring images by Cheng, Hanlon, and eight other expedition photographers — showcased the extraordinary range of subjects from reef scenes and lionfish to bobbit worms and Coleman shrimp (^[7], ^[8]).

A rare megamouth shark was filmed at the Shotgun dive site in 2017 by divers aboard the Samata luxury liveaboard, with the approximately 5-meter shark captured on video in an extraordinary encounter (^[9]).

Key Photographers

• Eric Cheng — Led 2011 and co-led 2014 Komodo expeditions, contributed reef and macro images (articles)
• Adam Hanlon — Co-led 2014 South Komodo expedition, contributed reef and crinoid images (articles)
• Jason Bradley — Led second 2014 South Komodo expedition group (articles)
• Jennifer Penner — Contributed imagery from Komodo (articles)
• Jerry and Debbie Arriaga — Featured Komodo portfolio on Wetpixel (articles)

Conservation

Komodo National Park’s conservation challenges were a recurring theme in Wetpixel coverage. In 2001, around 36,308 hectares of coastal waters were designated as a strict no-take zone by the Indonesian government, with an additional ~30% set aside as “traditional use” areas for local fishing (^[10]).

However, enforcement was persistently inadequate. Drew Wong reported in 2012 that blast fishing, cyanide fishing, and line fishing continued throughout the no-take zones, noting that ranger boats had been stationary on their moorings for two years. He urged the Wetpixel community to write in support of enforcing the park’s regulations (^[11]).

Later in 2012, a group that included marine biologist Dr. Jos Pet and cetacean expert Benjamin Kahn witnessed a liveaboard crew hand-line fishing at Castle Rock within the no-take zone. They documented the incident, confronted the crew, and reported it to the liveaboard operator (Sea Safari). The company responded positively, promising investigation, disciplinary action, and future compliance. The incident was reported on Wetpixel as both a cautionary tale and a model for how divers can effectively advocate for enforcement (^[12]).

Timeline

• 2006-03: Light & Motion Komodo video workshop aboard the Voyager (^[13])
• 2011-04: Eric Cheng announces Wetpixel Flores-to-Komodo expedition aboard Damai II (^[14])
• 2012-04: Drew Wong calls for community support to increase Komodo National Park patrols (^[15])
• 2012-10: Illegal fishing witnessed at Castle Rock; positive resolution with liveaboard operator (^[16])
• 2014-02: First Wetpixel South Komodo Expedition aboard The Seven Seas, led by Cheng and Hanlon (^[17])
• 2014-02: South Komodo Part 1 Full Frame gallery published (^[18])
• 2017-07: Megamouth shark filmed at Shotgun dive site (^[19])

References

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