The following images were taken from the sliding door of our stateroom. We had company this morning! There were at least ten similar fishing vessels near our ship.
For this post in particular, and all posts in general, the images and videos included are best viewed using the web page, hopefully with a large monitor. I went just a bit crazy with videos today.
The cruise toward Komodo National Park on the island of Rinca was scenic this morning.
Approaching Rinca Island.
The first thing we saw were crab-eating macaque monkeys. Small gray mammals that are part of the dragon’s diet. Very cool-looking animals. The last two images are videos.
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are reptiles and are the largest living species of lizard in the world. Adult males will weigh 79 to 91 kg (174 to 201 lb) and measure 2.59 m (8.5 ft), while an average female will weigh 68 to 73 kg (150 to 161 lb) and measure 2.29 m (7.5 ft). They are the largest reptiles in the world. They typically gorge when eating, so they only need to consume prey 12-18 times per year.
Females will produce an average of 20 eggs per year, which have an incubation period of 7–8 months. Because of the number of eggs laid per season and the amount of food available, the lizards are cannibalistic, with adults consuming juveniles to control the population. The young dragons live in trees to avoid the older reptiles.
Komodo dragons do attack and can kill humans, although such incidents are rare.
The last three images are videos.
It might be a little hard to see, but a dragon is walking up the grassy hill. Per our guides, this is a very unusual event; they are rarely that mobile and so exposed in the middle of the day.
We also saw water buffalo. It was amazing when the first one walked through the brush to the left and started to cool off in the middle of the water. The buffalo are also prey for the dragons. It is hard to imagine a Komodo taking one of these huge animals down; apparently, they attack a leg, and their venom is potent enough to eventually kill the significantly larger mammal. When we first walked by the water, there was one buffalo. During our dragon visit, a second joined. The last two images are videos.
After seeing the water buffalo, we returned to the tenders and then the ship.
Today was one of the best excursions of the cruise to date. The visit to the island was terrific and a bit unbelievable. One of the reasons Cheryl and I chose to undertake this worldwide journey.
Back on the ship: Enrichment: Trace the history of Bali, from the arrival of the first Austronesian settlers to the rise of powerful Hindu-Balinese Kingdoms – Bryan Babcock
The island of Bali is volcanic. The largest, Mt Agung, had a major eruption in 1963 and minor eruptions in 2017 and 2019. There are frequent earthquakes.
Unlike Australia and New Zealand, Bali was significantly influenced by both India and China through trading. Many of the colors used in Bali originated in China and are not seen south.
Multiple early kingdoms built significant architectural structures and strong navies. However, regardless of the political structure in place, the island is dominated by multiple co-existing religions that strive for balance.
Each religion tolerates and exists alongside other religions. From the web: “Balinese culture is rooted in a profound, everyday spirit of sharing, community, and mutual cooperation, often summarized as Gotong Royong. This ethos extends beyond material goods to include time, labor, and food, with key traditions like Megibung (communal dining) and Ngejot (sharing food with neighbors) fostering unity and social harmony“. Without balance and co-existence, the island could not survive.
Finally, there are significant modern challenges, two of which are a lack of fresh water and dealing with waste, particularly plastic.
The blog continues to add subscribers, comments have been added, and there has been a smattering of likes. We are happy and somewhat surprised that people have taken such an interest in our trip. We are so glad that you have chosen to follow along with our journey. Comments and likes are always welcome and definitely appreciated.
Many more images and videos from the day, mainly from Rinca Island, can be found here.
As is always the case, the images in this posting are best viewed on the web page.