Over the last few days we have made our way along the northern coast of Flores Island to the town of Labuan Bajo. From here the four islands where the Komodo Dragon live are a short hop away and afforded us the opportunity to stock up with some fresh vegetables and bread before going in search of the elusive dragon.



Komodo Island - looks prehistoric - not unlike some of it's inhabitants!


We decided to start our hunt on the island of Rinca where it is reported that 2,800 Komodos live. A bay in the southern tip was to be our first sighting of Komodos as they prowled the beach.





Having dropped anchor we made our way ashore in the dinghy and saw monkeys and deer and it was then we appreciated the size of the dragons. They lumbered slowly along the beach and it was difficult to imagine they can get up to speeds of 18km per hour in the pursuit of their prey.

Having spied numerous Komodos on the beach over the ensuing 24 hours, we wanted to get a little closer and rather than attempt this alone, we headed for the Ranger Station on the north of Rinca.





Here, we were allocated Sifriani, a Ranger who’s lived on the island all his life who took us on a 2 hour trek in search of the Komodo.





Along with many sightings, we also saw water buffalo and deer.

















Sifriani was able to provide answers to the many questions we had ...

How often do Dragons feed?
Once a month – they eat water buffalo, deer, monkeys etc. The latter die almost instantaneously having been bitten by the Dragon with their poison saliva killing them off. A water buffalo may take a few days.

How many eggs will a female lay?
Between approx 12 – 30. 10% of which survive. The eggs hatch after 9 months.

How old do they live?
About 30 years.

How long are they?
Adult females reach 2 1/2 metres and males, 3 metres.

Can the dragons swim?
Yes, up to 500 metres when hunting.

Why the forked tongue?
It’s used for smell and taste.


From here we head on 300 miles to Bali. The Sail Indonesia Rally has made arrangements for all participants to extend their visas in Bali and we shall also get plans underway to sail across to Kalimantan and visit the orang-utans up the Kumai River.