Cenderawasih Bay is a national park with the most comprehensive waters in Indonesia. In this area dwells a wealth of marine life that is very impressive. Teluk Cenderawasih National Park has become a representative of coral reef ecosystems, beaches, mangroves, and tropical forests in Papua.
And this is a place that can be a strong reason for you to extend your tour schedule while in Papua. Here are tips for those of you who want to visit this national park. It may be helpful.
Teluk Cenderawasih National Park
This conservation area opened for tourism holds the title of the largest marine national park in Indonesia and has a diversity of marine life as well as flora and fauna on land. There are two provinces in East Papua and Papua that comprise Teluk Cenderawasih National Park. Some of the seawater spots are the habitat of whale sharks, so they are the target of many divers.
The total area is 1,453,500 ha consisting of 68,200 ha of land and 1,385,300 ha of water. Here there are 46 types of island vegetation. The ecosystem starts from tropical forests on the mainland of Papua Island, beaches, and mangroves to coral reefs.
On the coasts of 18 primary and small islands, there are 150 different species of coral from 15 other families, according to records. There are 718 kinds of fish, including butterfly, angelfish, damselfish, parrotfish, and many more.
One Day is Not Enough!
Hold your breath. Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is indeed so fascinating. Nobody can promise we will have enough time to explore every part of this marine park, mainly if it includes the Tanah Besar shoreline area. (the islanders call the mainland of Papua). “There are not necessarily Papuans who have visited every island and beach (around Cendrawasih Bay),” said Mr. Erik Farwas, senior divemaster of the Apuse Dive Club.
But don’t be discouraged. Indeed, not all nooks and crannies of this bay are necessary and can even be visited. For tourists without much time like us, a week is enough to sample some of the attractions in this conservation area for several endangered marine animals.
Trip Guide to Cenderawasih Bay National Park
Hold your breath. This marine park is indeed so vast. No one can guarantee how long we can visit all corners of this marine park, particularly if we combine it with the land surrounding Tanah Besar (what the islanders call Papua).
“There are not necessarily Papuans who have visited every island and beach (around Cenderawasih Bay),” said Mr. Erik Farwas, senior divemaster of the Apuse Dive Club.
But don’t be discouraged. Indeed, not all nooks and crannies of this bay are necessary and can even be visited. For tourists without much time like us, a week is enough to sample some of the attractions in this conservation area for several endangered marine animals.
Start from the city of Nabire, a quiet town that residents often call the northern gateway of Papua. We can rent a relatively fast Jonson (a wooden boat with a motor engine) or a speedboat from this city.
Several boat owners in the Maf Beach area of Nabire hire out their vessels. One of them is Mr. Guntur Yamban, a native Nabire son who has been exploring the waters of Nabire to Yapen for a dozen years.
From this city, we can go to the surrounding islands, such as the Harleem Islands, the Moor Islands, and the islands around Tanjung Kwatisore. The entire archipelago can be explored and divided in a minimum of three days.
If you have time, go to Wondama Bay, the core zone of the Teluk Cenderawasih National Park. In the past, we could reach this marine park from Wasior City, the capital of Teluk Wondama Regency.
However, the flash flood disaster in early October 2010 forced exploration to start from Nabire or Manokwari, the two closest cities to Wondama Bay. Be careful, when we go around this area, lots of logs litter the sea.
As a result of the flash flood in Wasior earlier this year, these logs were washed away. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go to this marine park due to the same accident.
Final Takeaway
So, are you ready to explore Teluk Cenderawasih National Park? Prepare mentally. Go in groups as boat rental fees are not cheap in this area. Prepare enough time. Haste will only make us not enjoy the trip to the largest bay in Indonesia.
