New Regulation on Komodo National Park

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@Mike Veitch why have most major LOBs stopped diving Batu Bolong? Is it because it got too crowded? It's been 6 yrs since I stopped booking Komodo LOBs, but all the boats I took dove Batu Bolong. This was before LBJ day boats exploded though.

Like @outofofficebrb I love the site. They're the anthias I compare all other anthias to.

I believe most of the major liveaboards have now stopped going to those 2 spots.
 
I went to Komodo 3x. The last time was August 2014. Always visited those 2 places then. There were one or two other liveaboards around when we were there. Glad I did them then.

It sounds like the number of day boat visitors to the sites have been becoming out of control in the past 5 years that the park authority has to regulate them.

There is another manta cleaning station in the south Komodo, Manta Alley, that is too far for the day boats to reach. My guess is that is the option for liveaboards to see mantas in Komodo instead of the crowded Karang Makassar.

Also, the liveaboard would have the option to go to other places (better than the over-rated Batu Bolong) that are too far for day boats to reach, such as South Rinca, Nusa Kode area, to dive in other world class dive sites like Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall, Torpedo Rock, Crynoid Canyon.

I remember the time when we were in South Rinca one morning, some of us went to the beach to greet Komodo dragon parading on the beach. We must have looked pretty tasty to them. They started drooling & wanting to bite our legs :D

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You won't see them in Central Komodo going with the day boats. So, forget about the day boats, go with liveaboards and you won't miss Batu Bolong & Karang Makassar.
 
btw, i went to komodo on 17 August, and couple days before some boat that went to Manta alley, they found mola-mola, so manta alley is the new spot for boat to go south for manta and hopefully they can find mola.
mostly like now they will go to crystal rock, castle rock, shotgun, for north and south for manta alley for new place to visit after government regulated for karang makasar and batu bolong
 
Editor Rachmawati "The price is discussed again, not yet (for sure). But I offer US $ 1,000 per year and it is issued on a membership card," he said at the time. Also read: Seated Case of the NTT Governor Controversy Plan to Close the Island of Komodo NTT Governor's spokesperson, Marius Jelamu, told the BBC on Tuesday (10/10/2019) that details of the membership scheme were still being discussed. "Community growth on the island will be limited so that the village does not become too big and threatens conservation efforts (dragons)," he said. "There will also be more educational programs in the village to ensure all local people become part of the conservation effort." Also read: Residents Reject Relocation from Komodo Island, This Said NTT Governor Komodo Island residents as many as 2,000 people - who previously would be relocated for a year - will be allowed to remain there. He added that there would be tightening of regulations in terms of cruise ship movements. While related to the failure of the NTT governor's initiative, Marius said that the governor was "not disappointed". "What he always wanted was for the Komodo dragon to get better protection and now it will be done," he concluded. Also read: Stories of the Extinction of the Komodo Dragon on Padar Island, Illegal Hunting to Burning Land

This article has been aired on Kompas.com with the title "Canceled Closed, Tourists Who Enter Komodo Island Must Have a Premium Card", https://kupang.kompas.com/read/2019/10/02/15290051/batal- closed- tourists-who-enter-to-the-island-Komodo-must-have-card? page = 2.

Editor: Rachmawati
 
is it still “only” Komodo Island - or the whole park?

already booked for July and not sure, what to think/do :-S

It sounds like it's only for Komodo Island. In the past the liveaboards I was in only went to Rinca anyway.

I think they are trying to limit the mass tourism of a huge cruise boat with hundreds of tourists, not a liveaboard with 20-30 divers in it going to Rinca.
 
I think they are trying to limit the mass tourism of a huge cruise boat with hundreds of tourists, not a liveaboard with 20-30 divers in it going to Rinca.
I would rather think they're trying to pocket some more money after setting the highest park fee in any Indonesian NP (currently 11 euros per weekday, 14 euros on the weekend, more expensive on a 5 days stay than a year fee in Raja Ampat ). What's the thing about Komodo island while they covered Rinca with concrete paths for tourists?
And look what was done since with the money they collected: a mall and huge chinese hotels in LBJ, marginal improvments in the harbor infrastructure, concrete trails in Rinca...
 
btw, i went to komodo on 17 August, and couple days before some boat that went to Manta alley, they found mola-mola, so manta alley is the new spot for boat to go south for manta and hopefully they can find mola.
mostly like now they will go to crystal rock, castle rock, shotgun, for north and south for manta alley for new place to visit after government regulated for karang makasar and batu bolong

Lucky you. I was there in August 2014, saw plenty of mantas, but no Mola Mola. I didn't expect to see them there anyway, as before going to Komodo, I was in Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida, Bali, and saw 9 Mola Mola.

August-September is the Mola Mola season in Bali, so there is a good chance to see them in Komodo & Alor too.
 
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