Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Apr–Nov · Strong current · 24–30.5°C (coldest Jun, warmest Jan)
- Current
- Strong
- Water temperature
- 24–30.5°C (coldest Jun, warmest Jan)
- Visibility
- 10–30m: Roughly 20-30m on northern pinnacles in the dry season (April-November); 15-25m central year-round; 10-20m and noticeably green in the south, where…
- Experience
- Advanced-leaning.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Present in Komodo year-round, but where they are changes with the monsoon.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Concentrated on the northern seamounts: Castle Rock and Crystal Rock, where operators report them patrolling daily: rather than spread through the park.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident year-round.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Southern Komodo only in practice: Cannibal Rock and the Nusa Kode sites, on gorgonians.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to LBJ. Typical trip $–$$$.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight, a 2h boat crossing.
Airport options
LBJ
Komodo Airport (Labuan Bajo, Flores)
Domestic flights from Bali (Denpasar, roughly 1h20) or Jakarta; day boats and liveaboards depart from Labuan Bajo harbour
DPS
Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar, Bali)
Main international arrival point for Komodo; connect onward to Labuan Bajo (LBJ)
Typical trip cost
$–$$$
under $2,000 to over $4,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Komodo is one of the cheaper ways into serious current diving.
- Liveaboards are around $1,500-3,500 per person for 7 nights on mid-range boats, with premium boats above $4,000; short 3-4 day Komodo itineraries from about $880.
- Flights to Labuan Bajo via Bali are extra.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
entrance roughly IDR 150,000 per person on weekdays and IDR 250,000 on weekends and holidays, plus a diving activity fee (sources quote anywhere from IDR 25,000 to IDR 100,000 per diver per day) and smaller conservation and harbour fees. In practice operators quote about IDR 300,000-500,000 (roughly $20-30) per diver per day all-in. Sources disagree on the exact line items: confirm the total with your operator at booking, and check what your day trip or liveaboard price already includes.
How it works
Since April 2026 all visits must be pre-booked through the official SiORA reservation platform: walk-in tickets are no longer sold: and the park is capped at 1,000 visitors per day, with sub-caps of 250 at Loh Liang (Komodo Island), 150 at Loh Buaya (Rinca) and 60 at Padar. Book at least 2-3 days ahead, or several months ahead for July-October. Most operators handle the booking for you.