and the next at this one....

The beach in the background is home to at least 4 Komodo "dragons". These unique giant monitor lizards are efficient carnivores and can kill prey as large as buffalo, horse and deer that they share the island with as well as wild boar, goats, snakes and monkeys. They can swim well and can run at 80 kilometers per hour for short distances. They hunt by stealth, well camouflaged they lay in wait at the side of tracks for animals to pass then put on a powerful turn of speed, swiping with a tail that can break a man's back, slashing with massive claws, and delivering the fatal bite.They are not actually venomous but their mouths are so full of harmful bacteria that once bitten the prey dies over a matter of days whilst the dragon or "ora" as it is known locally, bides its time and tracks it down.

Needless to say we kept at a safe distance in the dinghy!

This part of Indonesia is different from other parts we have been. It is more remote, richer in fauna and largely unspoilt. The water is very clear but deep and cold. The coral is in excellent condition and there are lots of fish, some we have never seen before, others more familiar like the angel, clown and unicorn fish are here in much larger numbers. The whole area is extremely beautiful and very interesting. We did, however, check out the beaches carefully when landing.

The seas here are deep and turbulent being riven with fast currents which rush through the channels between the islands. There are lots of overfalls causing banks of breaking water when wind is against tide with speeding whirlpools which look like boiling cauldrons. Sailing has to be carefully timed, we always need to arrive at a new anchorage when the sun is still high enough for reef spotting but also want the tide either with us or slack as currents of up to 7 knots can stop the boat or drive it back if it is in full flow against us. If the current is with us there is very fast and glorious sailing to be had. Because of the need to arrive at a new anchorage early we never have it all our way and usually have to start out with some current against us then going with us as the tide changes.

We stopped at 4 different anchorages on our circumnavigation of Rinca and at the 4^th we went for an early morning walk with a ranger equipped with a long stick and a healthy disregard for the reputation of the ora.

A male Komodo Dragon about 3 metres long.