Since January 2019 there have been rumors of Komodo closing. I want to set something straight. Komodo is Open! Komodo Island is one of the 29 islands within Komodo National Park, and one out of four where Komodo dragons can be observed. The Park is 1733km2 big. It got proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. You can see pink sanded beaches, Komodo dragons, deer, wild boar and buffaloes. You can spend your day snorkeling with manta rays, turtles, see dugongs and even visit uninhabited islands. Komodo National Park has a great marine biodiversity, due to the constant flow of nutrients. Komodo has the healthiest coral I have ever seen, and I have been a diver for nearly 10 years, and a snorkeler for many, many more.
The media
Since January the media have been spreading rumors of Komodo closing. This rumor was most felt in the community of Labuan Bajo, the entry port to Komodo National Park. The people of Flores got worried, this might have massive influence on tourism numbers, and thus their income. This affects not only Labuan Bajo, but also the people in Flores.
If the rumors were to be true it would have such a big consequences for the community of Komodo Island, the people that live in Komodo National Park, and all the people in Flores!
Let’s visit the Vice President
Representatives were chosen to go and get information from the Vice President of The Republic of Indonesia Mr Jusuf Kala. Mid February the delegation traveled to Jakarta to have a meeting with the Vice President to advocate for Komodo National Park. The meeting was a very friendly meeting Ms Marta Muslin tells us. She is one of the representatives that came up for the people of Flores. We asked her for a comment on the current reports in the media.
It is fake. It is not true, she says.
The Director General of Nature Conservation and Ecosystems, Mr Wiratno, at the Ministry of Conservation and Forestry announced in an official statement on February 22nd that the rumors of closing Komodo island or Komodo National Park is not true. The statement can be seen above.
It is devastating to have big news channels report this as being true, and as news. Besides this there is a misunderstanding where foreigners think the whole of Komodo National Park is closing. It is not true. Komodo is open, we dived it yesterday ? says Mersi our local Diveguide originally from Bajawa, Flores, while coming off the Wicked Diving four day liveaboard.
Share the message
We urge you to spread the message, share this article anywhere you see the rumors coming up. Go and visit Komodo National Park, have a great time. Create memories, and take pictures. Use the hashtag #Komodoisopen
The people of Flores need you.
Thank you for reading and please if you have any questions feel free to contact us at social@wickeddiving.com
-Anne-
