Holy Komodo!

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No expectations this morning as we began our tour of beautiful Komodo Island which of course is home to the Komodo dragon.

We were warned not to wear red, not to stray from the group and to be quiet. All of that was for naught because it is not red but a fresh kill the komodo can detect from 5 miles away. They kill deer and water buffalo with a single bite and it is the bacteria in their mouth that kills their prey and draws the other dragons.

We no sooner started on the trail than spotted two females coming our way. They walked right across our path and paid us no mind. We got some great photos.

A little further on, we saw three adult dragons resting and we later found out the reason is because there is a watering hole there and the rangers intimidate the komodos so they stay there for the tourists. No matter, we enjoyed seeing them at close range and taking advantage of the photo- op. A young dragon, about two years old, was hanging about and I was able to get a great shot of her.

A little further along and we saw a deer and a wild pig, an enormous bee hive, a spider with a body the diameter of a nickel which was sitting in the middle of a beautiful web.

A very successful tour this morning and now we can relax until we get to Darwin, Australia.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Photos

Young Female
about 2 years old

Long Tail
Females have longer tails

Dragons Resting in the Background
Why did our guide keep saying "back up?"