Kepulauan Seribu National Park
Kepulauan Seribu is one of Indonesia's marine nature conservation
areas and it is located 45 km north of Jakarta.
The 78 coral islands, both large and small, with an average altitude
of not more than 3 m asl, form a chain. Hundreds of years ago, the
islands were formed upon colonies of dead coral. These colonies
initially grew on shallow sea beds; their upper layers breached the
surface and were weathered. Later, pioneer plants such as bushes and
several tree species began to grow on the coral. The surface of the
islands is quite different from soil-covered ground, and this is
reflected in their diverse plant and animal life.
In general, the plants that grow in the Park are dominated by
coastal species like coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), pandan (Pandanus
sp.), cemara laut (Casuarina equisetifolia), cangkudu (Morinda
citrifolia), butun (Barringtonia asiatica), mangrove (Bruguiera
sp.), sukun (Artocarpus altilis), ketapang (Terminalia cattapa), and
kecundang (Cerbena adollam).
Sea vegetation commonly found in the Park consists of seaweed
divisions like Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta as well as
classes of sea grasses like Halimeda sp., Padina sp., Thalasia sp.,
Sargasum sp., and Caulerpa sp.
The dominant animals in the Park include 54 sea biota species which
form part of the coral reef ecosystem, 144 species of fish, 2
species of giant clam, 6 species of sea grass, sea worms of various
colours and 17 species of coastal bird.
This Park forms a hatching site for hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). The hawksbill turtle
is an endangered species and is rarely found in other waters. These
turtles are bred on Pramuka Island. This activity is aimed at
recovering the turtle population, which had almost reached
extinction. Breeding activities include egg hatching in a
semi-natural way and caring for the baby turtles till they are ready
to be released into their natural habitat.
Most coastal areas of this Park are surrounded by mangrove forest,
where iguanas, golden ring snakes and pythons can be found.
The Kepulauan Seribu chain is a place of enchanting natural beauty.
The symphony of calls of the creatures on these small green islands,
combined with the sound of thundering waves and golden sunshine at
dusk bring a sense of calm and tranquillity to all those who visit
the Park.
Interesting locations/attractions:
Pramuka, Semak Daun, Kelapa, and Panggang Islands: turtle
breeding, observing animals, and marine tours.
Pramuka, Opak, and Karang Congkak Islands: wreck diving.
Panjang, Putri, Pelangi, and Perak Islands: marine tours organized
by a private company.
Semut, Karang Congkak, Karang Kroja, Kotok Besar, Kotok Kecil, and
Gosong Laga Islands: diving and snorkelling.
Best time of year to visit: March to August.
How to reach the Park: For those wishing to take a marine tour
around the islands, a boat leaves every day from the Jaya Ancol
Marina. The journey time is 1-2 hours. Muara Angke-Pramuka Island,
about 2.5 hours by ferry.
Declared : Minister of Agriculture, in 1982
Designated : Minister of Forestry, SK.No. 6310/Kpts-II/2002,
a total area of 107,489 hectares
Location Province of DKI Jakarta
Temperature 21° - 34° C
Rainfall 3,000 mm/year (on average)
Altitude 0 - 2 m asl.
West season November - February
East season May - August
Geographical location 106°25' - 106°37'E; 5°23' - 5°40' S
Park Office: Jl. Salemba Raya 9, Jakarta Pusat 10440
Tel. : +62-21-3915773
Fax. : +62-21-3103574
Related resources
National park in Java:
- National Parks in Indonesia
- Ujung Kulon National Park - Labuan Pandeglang
- Gunung Halimun National Park - Suka Bumi, West Java
- Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park - Cianjur, West Java
- Karimunjawa National Park - Centre Java
- Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park - East Java
- Meru Betiri National Park - Jember, East Java
- Baluran National Park - Banyuwangi, East Java
-
Alas Purwo National Park - Banyuwangi, East Java
