I recently spent three days traveling around the Indonesian islands of Komodo and Rinca, photographing the legendary Komodo dragons.
Preparation for the trip commenced several weeks earlier, as I attempted to devise an effective and safe way of getting wide-angle, close-up shots of these notoriously dangerous creatures. I would not have time to set-up camera traps, and I didn’t have enough room to take BeetleCam, so I came up with something a little more basic!
I mounted my camera on top of two wheels (generously donated by my computer chair) and then attached this to a monopod so that I could push the rig up to the dragons. I figured this would give me a 2 meter head-start if one of them decided I looked like lunch! I named my new contraption “KomodoCam”!
Reaching Komodo Island was an epic undertaking… I had to fly to Singapore, then Bali, then the island of Flores, before taking a boat to Komodo Island and Rinca Island. Komodo dragons only live on a few isolated islands in this part of Indonesia.
It is hard to describe the excitement and trepidation I felt as the foreboding volcanic peaks of Komodo Island loomed up in front of me. The island was shrouded in ominous dark clouds and even the sea seemed to have turned black. It really felt like a land lost in time.
My first sighting of a Komodo dragon came shortly after venturing off the boat. I was taken aback by the size of the beast! Komodo dragons can grow up to 3 metres in length and can weigh well over 70kg! This individual was lying in the shade. Being cold-blooded, the dragons are caught in a constant thermal juggling act; in the mornings they must find sunlight in order to warm up, but later in the day they must retreat to the shade before their bodies heat up too much.
Despite their size, the dragons are surprisingly well camouflaged… in fact, they often rely on their camouflage to ambush prey such as wild pigs (below left), deer (below right) and water buffalo. When suitable prey approaches, the dragon will suddenly charge, sometimes at speeds in excess of 20km per hour, and lunge at the throat or underside of the animal. For larger prey such as buffalo, the dragon will deliver a bite that is not aimed to kill immediately. Instead, the saliva of the dragon is like a petri dish of virulent bacteria which rapidly infects the animal, resulting in a protracted and painful death.
Like a snake, the Komodo dragon uses its long, forked tongue to taste the air. Its keen sense of smell allows it to detect a dead or dying animal up to 9km away.
Towards the end of the second day of my trip, an opportunity to use KomodoCam at last presented itself; I came across a large dragon in a flat, open clearing in the forest. I nervously set up the rig and pushed it towards the dragon. The dragon treated the camera with curiosity and obligingly flicked its tongue in and out to investigate the unfamiliar object. To my relief, the beast decided that there was nothing edible and I was spared seeing a Komodo dragon eat my Canon 1Ds mkIII!
In the evening of our last day, thousands of raucous flying foxes emerged from the mangrove swamps and flew overhead, towards the interior of the island. They resembled pterodactyls which seemed like a fitting end to my time in this prehistoric land.
For more pictures of Komodo Dragons (including ones taken by KomodoCam), please look at my Komodo & Rinca gallery. To receive notification when I post pictures from future wildlife photography projects, please sign up to our free newsletter.
Awesome shots and cool camera setup . i like the 3rd from top. keep up brothers.
Beautiful creature, I love the dragon!
More great stuff………..Well done again.Regards John
Yikes. Those critters are really scary. I was afraid to go see them when I was in Indonesia. I did not want to bring a goat (for bait) and I read that they are very fast and have been known to kill humans. Thank you for posting your extraordinary photos. Do you ever do video?
great shots 😀
the KomodoCam ist Really Nice 😀
Komodo Dragons are my favorite animals. Thank you for sharing these awesome images!
I can see a market for that “komodo cam”.
Great shots!
Great photos and story. So inspirational, thanks very much.
thanx to burrard lucas for sending knowledgable mails,-the idea & adventures of photographers r also great-great…
Your photos are absolutely totaly stunning … I love the sunset, that is awesome.. 🙂
I agree with Gene Bowker’s comments. You could market that “Komodo Cam.” Or at least share the plans on how you built it. You guys are having a blast, following your passion and are quite talented.
thanks for the inspiration.
Amazing shots and a very unique (and clever) way to get them. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome shot! I thought you risked yourself from getting licked by the komodo.
Love the photos, great idea. I’m going to try this.
The Komodo Dragon shots are superb! I wish I had that Komodo cam when I encountered an eight foot diamondback rattler while shooting migatory birds in South Texas.
I just heard about you from the Australian Underwater Photographic Society.
Great shot of the Komodo dragons.
I love the way you prepared for this photographic journey.
Back in 1995 I lived in Indonesia, doing research on wild orangutans. Luckily I did visit the Komodos as well.
I managed to get similar shots but using a slightly more dangerous approach: I lay down on my belly and slowly crawled towards the dragons till I was right underneath the dragons, using a wide-angle lens. I used this photographic position with several individuals without any problem.
But this technic is not for the faint hearted!
Thx for posting on this blog
Jef
Wild Earth Exclusive Photo Safaris
It really seems like a Lost World.
the best animal in INDONESIA..
i like it…
Sir, Your pictures are just fabulous…
It takes me ten minutes to go to the next picture….
a humble request, please try to give the information of the picture like F stop, Shutter Speed, ISO, etc.
it would help me and other young budding photographers.. 🙂 🙂
Thank You!!
Love the inventions Will, I’m working on a Tasmanian devil project and have built a couple of camera traps. It’s going well. Keep up the great work!