Karang Serang Rocks

These rocks, painted white by the sea birds, mark the site of a dive off Anak Krakatau. The underwater scenery consists of large blocks of volcanic rock, seemingly sheered off by the blast. The cracked and sharp edged rocks make a west-facing submarine cliff look like the ruin of an ancient Greek temple. In the crevices of the rock, coral growth is beginning.

The visibility is fair to good, 10 to 20 meters. Schools of Moorish idols and other reef fish inhabit the area, and one occasionally sees reef whitetip sharks. The bright colors emperor angelfish stand out starkly against the background of dark rock.

On the south end of the site, the slab scenery is interrupted growths of staghorn and table Acropora, some with blue-tinted fips. Around the rocks to the east grow an astonishing number of orange fan coral gorgonians. The smallest covered three square meters, and the largest, five square meters. The visibility drops here, because of the sandy bottom. Reef blacktip sharks patrol this area.

Rakata

This site, off the southeast end of Rakata, offers a nice drift dive. The steep sides of the island prevent access.The depths here are modest, to just 25 meters, and the gentle current carries you east. The underwater scenery is, again, slabs of volcanic rock.

A decent variety of small reef fish populates the shallower depths, and some of the crevices have been claimed by moray eels. Green turtles are numerous at this site. In the 19^th century, before it exploded, Krakatau island was a common stop for sailors, who loaded up on turtles.

An unusual feature of this dive are the many underwater trees, which have been cast from the island cliffs by landslides. These attract large schools of fusiliers and jacks.

Ujung Kulon

This park, covering the peninsula at the southwest tip of Java and Penietan Island (the Krakatau group is also part of the park), is a rich area of lowland tropical rainforest. On these 420 square kilometers are hornbills a mynahs, wild boar and rusa deer, macaques and monitor lizards. The most famous inhabitant, however, are the last wild Javan rhinos. These animals, of which only 57 are still believed to exist, are so elusive that even some park rangers have not seen one.

Accomodations at the Pulau Peucang ranger station, Taman Jaya, and Pulau Handeuleum run $10-$80 a night. There is event a new restaurant at the ranger station on Peucang. The station’s 16 units attract surfers, who frequent the peninsula’s south side, known for its great waves. Peucang Island also has some beautiful beaches, but beware of the nosey macaques. They will rummage through unattended bags and take to the trees with what ever strikes their fancy.

The Lighthouse

Tanjung Layar lighthouse on tip of Ujung Kulon is the landmark for triangulating a rocky dive location off the west point of the peninsula. Expect swells to rock your dive boat, heavy surface current, and unusually cool water temperatures.

Beneath the surface, however, the sea is surprisingly calm. The visibility is quite good, around 20 meters. The rocks that jut just above the water plunge underneath the surface to 30 meters, looking just like submerged mountains. Coral is scarce, but in the underwater valleys there were large barracuda, schools of fusiliers and other medium-sized fish, and platoons of bumphead parrotfish. We also saw turtles circling the submerged rocks and a fat, nosey reef whitetip shark.

Karang Copong

This is a small island within sight of the northwest tip of Peucang island. The highlight of this shallow (to 12 meters) dive are tunnels in the rock that lead to caves in the island. Seeing schools of fish swimming in and out these tunnels is a surprisingly breathtaking experience. Visibility is 20 meters.

The surge here is quit strong, and you are rocked back and forth as the prevailing current carries you from the tunnels across some sandy mounds, where the sea life is abundant including some nice soft corals but visibility is quite reduced, to less than 10 meters. This site makes a fine night dive.

Karang Jajar

This site is on the rocks off large Penietan Island’s Karang Jajar cape. It is an hour by boat from the ranger station at Peucang. If conditions are right, a drift dive off the south stretch offers a good, and very colorful growth of coral. You drop to 15 meters, an then drift east with a gentle current to a maximum of 20 meter. Below you, the wall plunges to past 40 meters. Turtles frequent the area, and we saw too many stingrays to count.

Badul Island

Tunggal Jaya is a sleepy community on the northern side of the isthmus of the Ujung Kulon peninsula. Just offshore here is a tiny, sandy island, Badul, which is surrounded by a good reef. You enter the water from about 15 meters off Badul’s west shore, and an easy drift dive takes you about 3/4 of a kilometer before your air runs out.

Coral growth around the island is not spectacular, but th variety of both hard and soft corals was good. Visibility during our dive was less than 8 meters. Schools of bannerfish and fusiliers inhabit the reef, and we saw some bright nudibranchs.

-Janet Boileau and Debe Campbell-