Laying in the the heart of world coral triangle centre, Wakatobi National Park offers a stunning and amazing “underwater paradise”. The name of the park derives from four big islands of Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia dan Binongko which form the park. There is about 25 clusters of coral reefs connected with 600km coastlines. Wakatobi is located just off the south-eastern tip of Sulawesi. In the past, the archipelago was well known as Tukang Besi which is inhabited by Suku Bajau or Suku Laut. The park which is the second largest marine park in Indonesia after Teluk Cendrawasih in Papua is very rich in biodiversity.
In a comparison with Caribia which has 100 specimen of underwater species, the Wakatobi is wealthier by means of having 750 species out of 850 species found in Indonesia. A research carried out by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) dan World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2003 revealed that there are 396 coral reef species and 590 fish species live in the reefs including Acropora formosa, A. Hyacinthus, Psammocora profundasafla, Pavona cactus, Leptoseris yabei, Fungia molucensis, Lobophyllia robusta, Merulina ampliata, Platygyra versifora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Tubastraea frondes, Stylophora pistillata, throchelliophorum Sarcophyton, and Sinularia spp. In some places along the reef, there are some underwater caves.For dive lovers, Wakatobi is such an eden for them. The life underneath the Wakatobi marine is so fascinating.
It is just like a giant aquarium where people can see and interact with abundant and colourful fish such as whales (physeter macrocephalus, Globicephala macrorhyncus, Orcinus orca, Feresa attenuata),dolphins (Steno bredenensis, Grampus griseus, Tursiops truncates, Peponocephala electra, Delphinus delphis, Stenella longiotris, Tursiops truncatus), turtles (Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricate, Caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea), Napoleon (Cheilinus undulatus), Dugong dugong,
Tourist attractions : snorkelling, diving, swimming, caving
Best time to visit : April and December
How to get there : Flight to Kendari, take a wooden ship from Kendari to Bau-bau (5 or 12 hours) and followed by another 2 hours drive to Lasalimu. From Lasalimu, take wooden ship or speedboat to Wanci (2,5 hours).
Contact :
Wakatobi National Park Office
Balai Taman Nasional Wakatobi
Jln. Dayanu Ikhsanuddin No.71
Bau-Bau, Sulawesi Tenggara
Telp/Fax : +62 402 2826326
Website : http://wakatobinationalpark.com
e-mail : info@wakatobinationalpark.com
fb : Taman Nasional Wakatobi
National Park of Indonesia 