Komodo: Islands of Wonder | Documentary [4K]
![Komodo: Islands of Wonder | Documentary [4K]](/pic/komodo_islands_of_wonder_documentary_4k_/SFNzaVk2WjJGeFU_.jpeg "Komodo: Islands of Wonder | Documentary [4K]")
Komodo National Park Indonesia's Haven of Biodiversity. These islands are a treasure trove of biological wonders. Join us as we delve into the the natural wonders of Komodo National Park. [Music] Komodo National Park is located in the Indonesian archipelago of Southeast Asia between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Nestled in the Lesser Sunda Islands, the park includes the main islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca and 26 smaller islands nearby. Born from volcanic activity, the islands of Komodo National Park have been sculpted by millions of years of eruption.
As tectonic plates slide under each other, ongoing eruptions push up magma that hardens to form new land. This dynamic geological process has created a unique environment, isolated from the rest of the world. The 1,700 square km of land and water were declared a national park in 1980 and a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991. These islands are also in the middle of the famous Coral triangle. This area between the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Indonesia spans over 5 million square km.
As one of eight major coral reef zones in the world, the coral triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity. Here we find the world's most diverse Marine ecosystem. Even though it only covers less than 2% of our planet's oceans the triangle has 3/4 of the planet's Coral species.
An estimated 700 species of coral live here more than double the next richest marine region. It is home to over 6,000 species of fish. On the sea bed, a ribbon-tail stingray rests.
Although not aggressive, if provoked the ray will defend itself with its venomous tail spine. Deeper down the reef, schools of groupers circle in search of smaller fish to feed on. Large Pacific starfish latch themselves onto the rocks. Schools of black Tang hang out at the corner of a reef to avoid the strong currents pushing them toward the outer ocean. With numbers comes strength and these tangs stay safe from predators like sharks by sticking together to look like a bigger animal. Big-eye Squirrelfish are nocturnal and can be seen hiding under overhangs or in Caverns during the day.
Their large eyes help them absorb as much light as possible to allow them to see in dark environments. A Star pufferfish hides under a crevace, wary of predators that may attack. This species is the largest pufferfish in the world growing up to a meter long. A Hawksbill Sea Turtle swims along the corals looking for jellyfish to feed on.
Of the 7 species of turtle in the world, 6 can be found here in Komodo. Sea turtles are reptiles and cannot breathe underwater, but they can hold their breath up to 20 minutes. Young black tip reef sharks cruise the shallow seabed in search of prey. Closer to shore small fish find protection among staghorn coral. Reefs that are close to shore are often sanctuaries for juvenile fish.
It protects them from strong currents as well as predators before heading out into the ocean to continue adult life. How is this underwater paradise so unique? The Indo-Pacific region boasts warm water year round which promotes high rates of metabolism and reproduction, ideal for many marine organisms including coral polyps, the building blocks of reefs. Between the Pacific and Indian oceans, the flow of water through the Indonesian archipelago acts as a major convergence zone. Here, cool nutrient-rich water from the Pacific mixes with water, warmer saltier water from the Indian Ocean creating a highly productive Zone and a rich Mosaic of habitats. These waters supercharged biodiversity. This convergence also creates microhabitats.
Some areas may be cooler and saltier others may be warmer and less salty. This variety allows for a wide range of species to live each adapted to a specific niche. Convergence zones often have upwelling, where deep nutrient-rich water rises towards the surface. This nutrient mixing creates a buffet for plankton, which in turn feeds everything else up the food chain.
Healthy coral reefs are hotpots for plankton blooms due to their complex structure. These blooms sometimes give the water a green or murky tint. Plankton is vital to the ocean's food chain and is food for many animals. including the iconic gliding giant of the tropics: the manta ray.
Manta rays are the largest Rays on Earth, growing up to 5 meters long and weighing around 600 kg. [Music] Strong currents are essential as they allow the Manta to glide through the water with its mouth wide open maximizing food intake. They are filter feeders using specialized structures called gill rakers to capture plankton and small fish. In Komodo, mantas tend to visit cleaning stations.
these are specific areas on coral reefs where small fish remove parasites and dead skin from their bodies. The cleaner fish get a tasty meal while a mat it keeps healthy and free of infection. Finding reliable cleaning stations is crucial.
So much so that they often travel distances to revisit these specific locations! [Music] The rays are believed to be sensitive to subtle change in water pressure and current flow. These cues help them navigate vast distances, allowing them to find favorable feeding grounds. Another remarkable feature of manta rays is the unique dotted patterns on their underbellies. These patterns are as individual as fingerprints, allowing scientists to identify and track individual mantas.
This identification process is crucial for studying their migration patterns, population sizes and health over time. [Music] In addition Manta Rays have an extraordinary brain-to-body ratio. This high level of brain development is associated with complex behaviors and social interactions. Mantas engage in coordinated feeding, sophisticated navigation and even what appears to be social bonding. In these rich waters, these gentle giants find ideal conditions for for their life cycle, which makes Komodo one of the best places in the world to observe these magnificent creatures. Eco-tourism is a big part of Komodo National Park, helping finance the park's maintenance.
Scuba diving is especially popular because of the park's marine biodiversity. With so much see, divers need a guide to show them around these sites. Meet Yontsi, the dive guide who knows these waters like the back of his hand. Yonsi: "I'm a scuba diving guide in Komodo National Park, Flores" Living and working on a dive boat, Yonsi shares his home with travelers from around the world.
Yonsi: "It is a job, but I like spending time in the ocean, always beautiful animals and coral to see." Yonsi: "Tourists come from everywhere in the world China Europe, Middle East, Americans; everybody want to see manta rays. They are so happy. Yonsi: "Some places we can see 10 mantas in one dive! Yonsi: "They are very beautiful" Manta rays are often seen swimming near or even through divers bubbles. Play is often a sign of animal intelligence, and the mantas seem to enjoy themselves.
Many dives in the National Park are drift Dives. Here, divers are carried by currents taking from one point to [Music] another up ahead YY spots a manta and then decides to get close to give his group a better look sometimes the curan can be strong Manas are okay in the curan easy for them but heart for us with all the action going on Yony keeps an eye on his group in these Dangerous Waters he holds on to one diver to help them stay with the Mantis we need to stay close to each other close to the reef suddenly the current picks up it was time to leave but he needs to be careful one diver struggles to keep up and the current is pulling her away from the group Yony knows that losing a diver means losing his job he manages to find her a timely deployment of a surface marker boy ensures everybody's safe return but they aren't in the clear yet on their dingy they're met with a banded SE create one of the most venomous snakes on the planet this sea snake's venom is 10 times stronger than a rattlesnake's the snake makes its way to water and the divers head back to their boat ecotourism in this region brings in around $3 billion a year the airlands and the reef is very important for our jobs I love the park it is very good beautiful place of nature always give us more the natural wealth of these islands sustains a flourishing ecosystem enriching all who rely on its Bounty back on board visitors meet a local vendor on his boat he's carving kodo Dragon figurines he sells to tourists traveling between Shores sharing a piece of the islands with visitors as the sun sets flying foxes depart Kong Island and soar toward Flores flying foxes are the world world's largest bats and the sky fills with thousands of them this is one of the largest Congregation of bats in the world their nightly Exodus to Flores is a spectacular natural ritual driven by their search of fruit as night falls over the reef the Underwater World transforms [Music] many Reef inhabitants seek shelter to rest like this puffer fish like most fish puffer fish don't have eyelids they enter a state of Rest by slowing their metabolism while remaining alert to Danger a scorpion fish camouflages itself against a small wreck lying in weight Ambush prey other creatures emerge to forage an eel takes advantage of the darkness to hunt navigating with heightened senses this crocodile fish swims freely a rare sight as they are sedentary and depend on camouflage for food and protection at night they become active using their night vision to hunt for fish and small crustations night on The Reef unveils a world where survival hinges on stealth and adaptability the terrestrial side of the park is no less remarkable it has some of the most dramatic landscapes in Indonesia few are as flamboyant as Pat our Islands pink Beach this stretch of beach has a unique pink tint it gets its color from crushed red coral mixing with white sand leaving behind a stunning natural spectacle in the sheltered Bays we find extensive Mangrove forests these are vital parts of the Marine ecosystem where small fish grow before heading out into the ocean Koto and Rena islands are rugged terrains marked by Hills that rise up to 700 M dry forests cling to the slopes while pockets of monsoon rainforests offer a splash of greenery the most dominant biome however is the Savannah the tall grasses thorny scrubs and acacia trees are perfectly adapted to the Island's seasonal droughts Asian Water Buffalo Roam the open savanas of these islands massive herbivores that can weigh up to 900 kg in the dry season temperatures sore to 40° C these Buffalo must adapt [Applause] they spend much of their days submerged in mud holes they carve these holes out themselves using their horns this wallowing Behavior not only cools them down but also coats their hides with a thick layer of mud providing a natural sunscreen whenever the Buffalo field is strain they simply have a dip in the nearby Forest this this diverse setting provides an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife including the Park's most famous residents kodo dragons kodo dragons are the world's largest lizard they grow up to 3 m long and weigh over 120 kg they are endemic species meaning they are not found anywhere else on Earth they're carnivores praying on deer wild pigs and even large Buffalo these Swift aggressive lizards exert a bite force of 500 lb per square in previously it was believed that deadly bacteria in a dragon saliva was fatal to its prey however we now know that the kodo dragons actually produce Venom in their glands Once Bitten prey typically succumbs within days the dragons also possess an acute sense of smell by sampling the air with its Fork tongue a dragon can detect a carcass up to 8 km away they smell something nearby their Keen senses have led them to a buffalo carcass but it's too late this Buffalo was someone else's kill and the gregarious dragons have just finished feeding the carcus has been picked clean by other bigger dragons in the area this dragon has to find his own meal they have a unique method for dealing with a full stomach the dragons lie in the Sun and rapidly expand and contract their throat pouch this regulates their body temperatures and AIDS digestion 5 1 half thousand Komodo dragons roam freely on four Islands [Music] tourists from around the world visit the park for a chance to see them face to face guides from the national park take visitors on daily trips around the island Safi is one of these guides and today he's leading a group into the forest tourist come and I will handling and to see the Dragon and also explain everything about the park about animals my job is very important because I can U handling from different countries my job is so very dangerous because every day I always uh meet with the wildlife like uh dangerous animals like dragon and also um other reptile snakes I'm so happy because I can uh share my knowledge with other [Music] people well uh so much different like uh this year for example for Buffalo less water and also less food food for the Buffalo and also for the other Wildlife like a deer monkeys also a wild Bo because uh I think this year is a climate change man and dragon both depend on the richness of the park between Fisheries exports and ecotourism the coral triangle brings in almost 6 billion US in income every year 120 million people live in this part of the world many of which rely on its reefs for food income and protection from storms sustainable tourism and conservation efforts are at the Forefront of protecting it from Modern threats like plastic pollution and coral bleaching from epic Landscapes to the fascinating creatures that call it home kodal National Park offers a glimpse into a world like no other this unique Wilderness reminds us of the delicate balance between man and nature [Music] [Music] [Music]
2024-08-09 20:49
