Komodo dragon - Captain, who's driving?

6 in the morning and we approach the anchorage in Slawi Bay; on the map above, the bay is to the right of the “o” in Komodo. It’s dark, hence no time-lapse for this call I’m afraid. The sole purpose for this call is, of course, for the sights of the Komodo dragons. There is a long, concrete jetty to which we take our tenders, guests and crew having to negotiate a rough set of steps up onto the jetty itself and then a 200m walk to ‘land’.

Lying at anchor in Slawi Bay

Here, (apart from the inevitable market), one will find a guide, accompanied by a Ranger, (armed with a long, forked pole for fending off any dragon which gets too close). No-one is allowed to walk the paths without being accompanied by both, every individual must be on a tour. Despite this being communicated to all, there were those who tried to ‘sneak’ onto the island, however such is the organisation that they were soon ‘discovered’

We 3, (Hazel, Karen and myself) had a prior arrangement and met our guide, Marcel and Ranger, Rizman and off we set. The paths are muddy and one is surrounded by vegetation, I kept a wary eye on the undergrowth, I did not want to become an item on the menu

Marcel was knowledgeable on the island’s flora and fauna and reptiles. There are approximately 1100 dragons on Komodo itself and another 1500 or so on two adjacent islands. Into a clearing and bingo! 4 dragons, eyeing the assembled tour surrounding them with distinct relish, their mouths were ‘watering’, however it was actually saliva, so full of bacteria that it is used to kill their prey; one bite and 3 days later the stricken animal, (usually deer or pig), will die of blood poisoning and the dragon can eat at leisure.

Here is a video, far easier than trying to describe it all. In the latter part of it, when walking back towards the assembly area, we happened upon a dragon which was obviously in a hurry…..