The extraordinary abundance of fishes, beautiful coral reefs and soothing waves calls divers to return again and again to Komodo Island.
By
ICHWAN SUSANTO, INGKI RINALDI
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
Sweetlips swim on Aug. 29 in the waters of the Castle Rock dive site at Komodo National Park in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.
After exploring eight marine regions in eastern Indonesia in the Coral Reef Expedition coverage, the Kompas team enjoyed a memorable dive in the waters of Komodo Island. The extraordinary abundance of fishes, beautiful coral reefs and soothing waves calls divers to return again and again.
In the last week of August 2017, the Kompas team visited Komodo Island on the Adishree motorboat with Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Rikoh Manogar Siringoringo and dive guides Egitadeus Ardus and Rudyansah, who are experienced at the many dive sites across Indonesia for both research and tourism purposes.
Nevertheless, when we submerged at the Batu Bolong dive spot between Komodo and Siaba Besar islands, we were still awestruck by the majestic underwater vistas. Near the surface, the water temperature hovered around 27 degrees Celsius but did not feel cold.
Despite the spectacular underwater views that awaited us, we needed to make thorough calculations before diving at Batu Bolong. From aboard the boat, we observed strong surface currents, much like that of a river during heavy rains.
Egitadeus, or Egi, took the group a little ways from the hollow rock from which Batu Bolong gets its name. This was to prevent the team from meeting another diving team. Batu Bolong is an all-day favorite for diving operators in Labuan Bajo. When we arrived at the site, more than five dive boats were already there. Apart from staying away from other dive groups, Egi also reduced the risk of our getting swept away by the current when we began our dive. From the spot, we could drift down and enjoy the coral reef at depths of 10 meters to 25 meters.
The dense coral reef, with its abundance of small fishes, filled our view. However, this did not distract Egi from pointing to a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was busily nibbling on the corals.
This endangered species seemed unperturbed when our group surrounded him to take pictures. A few moments later, however, he began to move away. Meeting sea turtles is always an honor for divers.
Another joyous moment was when we came across the Napoleon wrasse. Seeing this fish is also a privilege, as it is a shy creature that usually avoids humans. The fish species of Batu Bolong, which are under the protection of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, appeared to be relaxed, despite being surrounded by more than five divers.
Kompas/Ingki Rinaldi
A bluespotted ribbontail stingray (Taeniura iymma) was spotted on Aug. 29 at the Castle Rock dive site in Komodo National Park, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. The abundance of marine animals and the challenging strong currents make for a unique diving experience in Komodo’s waters.
Strong currents
The Cauldron in Gili Lawa, also called the Shotgun, is another famous dive spot in the area and a favorite among the more adventurous divers that have at least an Advanced Open Water Diver certificate (logging more than 50 dives). There, divers can experience the strong currents of an underwater channel that rung between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat. Egi said that because of safety issues, a tank pressure of above 100 psi was required for divers to be able to enjoy the strong current. He would reject any requests to visit the site with a lower tank pressure.
On our dive, we were mesmerized by the beautiful views, the coral and a manta ray. Soon, we realized that the pressure in our air tanks had fallen below 100 psi, or less than half the tank’s capacity. As a result, we could only look at Shotgun channel from a distance.
However, on the sidelines of the Sail Komodo 2013 event, Kompas visited the other side of the mouth of Shotgun channel. The current was surprisingly strong then, and Kompas was separated from the group. Kompas had been accompanied by a master diver who was not familiar with the area.
The channel’s strong current pushes and drags divers upward and sideways. If a diver does not respond properly, their lives will be at risk, as ascending too rapidly causes nitrogen to expand and form bubbles in the body, the body unable to adjust to the rapidly decreasing water pressure. This is called decompression sickness.
Therefore, we had to hold on to the coral reef during the dive. Because of the strong current, we had to face the flow of the current to prevent our masks from being torn away. The bubbles from our mouthpieces were sucked away into the current.
The strong current is a major feature of Komodo’s waters between the Flores Sea and the Indian Ocean. “This huge mass of water goes through the narrow strait that is filled with numerous cavities between the islands, creating the very strong current,” Rikoh said.
The water mass flows through Indonesian waters from the Pacific Ocean, through the Makassar Strait towards the Flores Sea and into the Indian Ocean. The diverse underwater topography of Indonesia causes water turbulence that descends rapidly to the bottom and back up to the surface. The waters are fertile from the nutrient-rich water mass that rises from below. It is no wonder that the waters of Komodo are home to many fish species.
