Indonesian Wildlife

Indonesia is divided into two ecological regions; western Indonesia, often more influenced by Asian flora and fauna, and the east which sees more influence from Australian species. The Wallace Line, a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by British naturalist Alfred Wallace, notionally divides the two regions. Here there is an incredibly diverse range of ecosystems, from beaches, sand dunes and estuaries, to coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds. Small island ecosystems dot the archipelago and coastal mudflats and algal beds provide sanctuary for smaller species of wildlife.

Komodo Dragon

The world’s largest lizard and perhaps the most fearsome, the Komodo dragon roams a tiny group of islands off of the coast of Flores. Reaching up to three metres long, these scaly poster boys of Indonesia stalk much larger prey then themselves such as buffalo which they fall victim to the bacteria from the dragon’s bacteria-ridden toxic bite. Newly hatched babies can often be seen scurrying for the nearest tree to avoid the gaping jaws of their own mother’s mouth.

The Komodo National Park comprises the islands of Komodo and Rinca as well as several smaller ones, and our knowledgeable guides will give you the best chance of seeing these dragons up close and safely.

Whale Shark

It is not everyday that a whale shark will approach you, but when one does, it is an experience that you will cherish for a lifetime and is one of the most humbling experiences in the natural world. The largest fish in the world, growing up to the size comparable to a city bus, whale sharks are non-predatory and are rather gentle.

Whale sharks tend to like warmer areas and are found in tropical waters all over the world, making the waters of East Indonesia a perfect habitat, in particular the waters of West Papua. This area is home to a vast array of marine species, boasting 75 percent of the world’s coral species and more than 1,700 species of fish.