WELCOME TO LOH BUAYA!
Loh Buaya (Crocodile Bay) on the island of Rinca is one of only two developed visitor sites in Komodo National Park. It provides you with a good cross section of the park’s unique World Heritage resources and is the most convenient destination for a single day visit.
GUIDES ARE ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL WALKS!!! (see Loh Liang)
Loh Buaya (Crocodile Bay) on the island of Rinca is one of only two developed visitor sites in Komodo National Park. It provides you with a good cross section of the park’s unique World Heritage resources and is the most convenient destination for a single day visit.
GUIDES ARE ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL WALKS!!! (see Loh Liang)
Short Walking Tours: Dragons and Such
Half hour “short trek”
If you have only a short time, or you are not prepared, this short loop passes by an artificial water source where Komodo lizards might be seen and ascends a small hill for fine views of the bay.
One Hour “medium trek” A good choice which includes a long shaded section through dry forest where Komodo lizards sometimes are seen guarding their nests, and about 20 minutes climbing hot exposed slopes for a magnificent view over the local area and far beyond.
Two Hour “long trek” The best opportunity to see Komodo lizards and their prey (deer, wild pig and water buffalo) extends the medium trek with a visit to a permanent water hole, longer steep exposed sections and the same viewpoint.
Half hour “short trek”
If you have only a short time, or you are not prepared, this short loop passes by an artificial water source where Komodo lizards might be seen and ascends a small hill for fine views of the bay.
One Hour “medium trek” A good choice which includes a long shaded section through dry forest where Komodo lizards sometimes are seen guarding their nests, and about 20 minutes climbing hot exposed slopes for a magnificent view over the local area and far beyond.
Two Hour “long trek” The best opportunity to see Komodo lizards and their prey (deer, wild pig and water buffalo) extends the medium trek with a visit to a permanent water hole, longer steep exposed sections and the same viewpoint.
Longer Walking Tours: Off the Beaten Path
If making a second visit, or staying overnight on a boat nearby, you can choose a full day walk and experience Rinca’s extensive dry savannahs and stunning vistas over the coastline and adjacent small islands. There are chances to see Komodo lizards but also the rarer wild horses. The round trip distance to Loh (bay) Kima is 6km (3 .6mi) and requires 4-5hrs. To Kolo Gede round trip is 8km (4.8mi) and takes 5-6hrs. However, both treks can be extremely hot and are best broken into morning and evening sections, with a mid-day rest in some shaded spot.
If making a second visit, or staying overnight on a boat nearby, you can choose a full day walk and experience Rinca’s extensive dry savannahs and stunning vistas over the coastline and adjacent small islands. There are chances to see Komodo lizards but also the rarer wild horses. The round trip distance to Loh (bay) Kima is 6km (3 .6mi) and requires 4-5hrs. To Kolo Gede round trip is 8km (4.8mi) and takes 5-6hrs. However, both treks can be extremely hot and are best broken into morning and evening sections, with a mid-day rest in some shaded spot.
Natural History: Ancient dragons and their prey
Varanus komodoensis, the world’s largest, and most ancient lizard, is an effective predator as well as a scavenger, feeding primarily on Timor deer, but also on wild pig and water buffalo. Weighing as much as 60kg (120lbs) adults are too heavy to climb trees and are relatively slow moving so typically lie in wait for their prey, whereas medium sized dragons can run 20km (12mi) per hour and actively chase intended victims. Prey animals which are not killed outright die soon from massive infection caused by virulent bacteria in the dragon’s saliva. Dead or dying prey can be detected by the lizard’s incredibly keen sense of smell from 3-4km (1.8-2.4mi) away. Female dragons may mate with several males, who fight mock battles to win access to them; 15-30 eggs often laid in the inactive nests of ground-dwelling megapod birds and guarded over by the female for several months hatch out tiny dragons after 225 days. Hatchlings immediately climb trees to avoid being eaten by cannibalistic older dragons and live there for several years, feeding on geckos and birds’ eggs. Like other reptiles the dragons must regulate their body temperature by moving in and out of the sun, therefore preferring the mixed sun and shade of the dry forest to the very hot savannah. Active only during the day, the lizards must first warm up by lying in the sun each morning.
Varanus komodoensis, the world’s largest, and most ancient lizard, is an effective predator as well as a scavenger, feeding primarily on Timor deer, but also on wild pig and water buffalo. Weighing as much as 60kg (120lbs) adults are too heavy to climb trees and are relatively slow moving so typically lie in wait for their prey, whereas medium sized dragons can run 20km (12mi) per hour and actively chase intended victims. Prey animals which are not killed outright die soon from massive infection caused by virulent bacteria in the dragon’s saliva. Dead or dying prey can be detected by the lizard’s incredibly keen sense of smell from 3-4km (1.8-2.4mi) away. Female dragons may mate with several males, who fight mock battles to win access to them; 15-30 eggs often laid in the inactive nests of ground-dwelling megapod birds and guarded over by the female for several months hatch out tiny dragons after 225 days. Hatchlings immediately climb trees to avoid being eaten by cannibalistic older dragons and live there for several years, feeding on geckos and birds’ eggs. Like other reptiles the dragons must regulate their body temperature by moving in and out of the sun, therefore preferring the mixed sun and shade of the dry forest to the very hot savannah. Active only during the day, the lizards must first warm up by lying in the sun each morning.
Bigger Picture: A unique ecosystem in balance
Komodo dragons are considered endangered because they are found only in these few islands within the park, but their population of about 2500 is actually healthy and stable. That is due in part to effective protection within the park, but primarily because the lizards are part of a highly evolved, isolated and stable ecosystem which contains a major predator (the dragons), well-adapted prey species, and vegetation which sustains that prey. Disturbance of the delicate balance between these elements (when illegal hunters remove deer or leave wild dogs which compete for prey or even eat young dragons, or burn the grassland) are major concerns for park managers.
Coral Reefs and Mangroves
A trip to Loh Buaya provides a great opportunity to expand your understanding of the rich marine life included within park boundaries. According to sea conditions and tides-which can result in fast currents-your boatman and guide can choose a little island or bay to stop by for lunch and a snorkel as you return to Labuan Bajo.
One likely stop is an Island at the head of Loh Buaya where, accompanied by a guide, strong swimmers can snorkel completely around the little island, whose coral reef is in near-pristine condition. This fringing reef is typical around Komodo’s shores and nearby islands, and this one demonstrates branching coral growth along the northwest corner off the little beach. There are examples of steep walls which scuba divers favor; Green or Hawksbill sea turtles are sometimes seen, and a few majestic stands of uncommon branching blue-black coral are off the eastern tip.
Nearby you can snorkel in shallow water among roots of mangrove trees. Few visitors get an opportunity to explore this important component of Komodo’s marine ecosystem, where juvenile (younger) fish spend most of their time before moving to deeper reefs. A fascinating assortment of oysters, sponges, algae, tiny shrimps and other invertebrates attached to the roots await close inspection. Mangrove fringes protect shorelines from erosion and provide home to crab eating macaques (monkeys) and-in some places-daytime hangouts for huge fruit eating bats called flying foxes.
For a final stop on a full day’s adventure you may have time at Bidadari Island, outside the park. There is a white sandy beach and the reef has a great display of fish species, but it also illustrates damage from destructive bomb fishing which is a major treat to long-term health of reefs in Indonesia.
A trip to Loh Buaya provides a great opportunity to expand your understanding of the rich marine life included within park boundaries. According to sea conditions and tides-which can result in fast currents-your boatman and guide can choose a little island or bay to stop by for lunch and a snorkel as you return to Labuan Bajo.
One likely stop is an Island at the head of Loh Buaya where, accompanied by a guide, strong swimmers can snorkel completely around the little island, whose coral reef is in near-pristine condition. This fringing reef is typical around Komodo’s shores and nearby islands, and this one demonstrates branching coral growth along the northwest corner off the little beach. There are examples of steep walls which scuba divers favor; Green or Hawksbill sea turtles are sometimes seen, and a few majestic stands of uncommon branching blue-black coral are off the eastern tip.
Nearby you can snorkel in shallow water among roots of mangrove trees. Few visitors get an opportunity to explore this important component of Komodo’s marine ecosystem, where juvenile (younger) fish spend most of their time before moving to deeper reefs. A fascinating assortment of oysters, sponges, algae, tiny shrimps and other invertebrates attached to the roots await close inspection. Mangrove fringes protect shorelines from erosion and provide home to crab eating macaques (monkeys) and-in some places-daytime hangouts for huge fruit eating bats called flying foxes.
For a final stop on a full day’s adventure you may have time at Bidadari Island, outside the park. There is a white sandy beach and the reef has a great display of fish species, but it also illustrates damage from destructive bomb fishing which is a major treat to long-term health of reefs in Indonesia.
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