It’s been a long drawn out process and one not without controversy. But Komodo Island in Indonesia has been confirmed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The announcement was made in Zurich, Switzerland on 16 May. With the win, Komodo Island takes its place alongside such icons of the natural world as the Amazon, Table Mountain in South Africa and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. According to Jusuf Kalla, former vice President of Indonesia and official Komodo ambassador, more than 200 million people voted for Komodo.
Reaching lengths of up to three meters and averaging 70kg in weight, Komodo Dragons are the world’s largest living lizards. They are also formidable predators, at the very top of the food chain. Yet they only occur in the wild on a few islands in Komodo National Park and on the remote west coast of Flores Island.
Though the victory may be ascribed to Komodo’s most famous inhabitants – the dragons – the entire Park is a wonder in itself for very different reasons. Komodo’s waters offers some of the best diving in the world, being one of the most fertile parts of the Coral Triangle.
