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Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is the
largest marine national park of Indonesia, located in Cenderawasih
Bay, south-east of Bird's Head Peninsula. It includes the islands of
Mioswaar, Nusrowi, Roon, Rumberpon and Yoop. The park protects a rich
marine ecosystem, with over 150 recorded coral species, for which it is
considered a potential World Heritage Site
This is the playground of one of the world’s largest
animals: the spotted whaleshark or rhincodon typus. If elsewhere in the
world divers consider themselves lucky to meet one or a couple, here they come
in pods and divers can swim along with them quite unharmed except to beware not
to be hit by one of their powerful fins.
Scientist Dr. Gerald Allen calls the Cendrawasih Bay:
“The Galapagos of Indonesia’s Reefs”.
Whalesharks are migratory animals, and are known to grow
to 18 meters in length or more. Biologists tell us that they are an acient
species originating some 60 million years ago, and are usually found in the
open sea. They have a lifespan of 70 years. A 7 meter whaleshark can weigh up
to 22 tonnes. Unbelievably these huge animals are docile since they live only
on plankton, clouds of egg roe and small fish, which in Indonesia are called
“ikan teri”.
In the village of Kwatisore near the town of Nabire, these
giant fish usually gather by the floating platforms, called bagan, where
fishermen haul in their catch of small fry.
Kwatisore can be reached from Nabire in around three
hours by boat with two 40pk outboard motors.The only accommodation available in
this village are simple rooms at the SD Imanuel Primary School in Kwatinsore.
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Here the local government trains 20 students to become
dive guides and to develop facilities in Kwatisore to serve more tourists.
The Cendrawasih Bay Park combines coral reef ecosystems
with mangrove, islands and terrestrial tropical forest ecosystems. Here are
colonies of black coral, blue coral and soft coral. The Park is famous for the
209 fish species that make this Park their habitat, among which are the
butterfly fish, the damselfish and parrotfish, and, of course the whaleshark,
while mollusks found here include the trumpet triton, the great clam and the
cone shell.
Comprising land and coastal areas, islands, coral reefs
and pristine seas, the Cendrawasih Park covers a total area of 1,453,500
hectares. In 1990, the area was designated as Teluk Cendrawasih Marine Nature
Reserve. The National Park was designated in 1993 and declared in 2002. The
park is managed by Balai Taman Nasional .
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How to get there?
From Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar or
Jayapura take a flight to Biak and on to Manogwari or Nabire.
From Nabire take a longboat to the Park at Rumberpon Island, which takes
some 5.5 hours. Or, to visit the whalesharks, take a boat to Kwatisore village
from Nabire. The journey takes about 3 hours.
To visit the Park, contact the Office at:
Jalan Trikora Wosi Rendani, PO Box 220
Manokwari 98312, West Papua
Tel.: 62-986-212212
Fax: 62-986-212437
Email: manokwari.wasantara.net.id
Jalan Trikora Wosi Rendani, PO Box 220
Manokwari 98312, West Papua
Tel.: 62-986-212212
Fax: 62-986-212437
Email: manokwari.wasantara.net.id