Stranded divers chase off Komodo dragon on island

by Sanjay Jha | June 9, 2008 at 01:30 am

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Stranded divers chase off Komodo dragon on island

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In one of best survival case, some Scuab divers were rescued after living for more than 12 hours in Shark infested waters but their luck had some more difficulty. When they ashore then they were confronted by Komodo dragon.

Scuba divers swept away in strong currents survived 12 hours in shark-infested waters before scrambling onto a remote Indonesian island where they faced yet another threat: a Komodo dragon.
The divers — three from Britain and one each from France and Sweden — came face-to-face with the giant, carnivorous lizard on Rinca's palm-fringed beach, and fought it off by pelting it with rocks and pieces of wood, Pariman, a port official said Sunday.
"Luckily, they were able to chase it away," said Pariman, who, like many Indonesians, goes by only one name.
The beasts have sharp, serrated teeth and often come out when they smell something new, including humans — whom they've been known to kill, Pariman said.
The divers encountered treacherous currents after plunging from their wooden boat off Tatawa island on Thursday afternoon. They drifted 20 miles from their dive site before swimming to Rinca, their last chance to avoid being swept into the open ocean.
"We struggled against the current for several hours, but eventually stopped," Laurent Pinel, 31, of France, told The Sunday Times of London. The group tied their diving vests together to preserve energy, he said. Once on the island, they scraped mussels from the rocks for food, he said.
The divers ran into the Komodo dragon on Friday afternoon. The next day, rescuers aboard one of 30 boats searching the waters spotted them waving frantically on the shore and took them to Flores island for medical treatment.
The area where the diving trip took place is famous for its rich marine diversity, including sharks, manta rays and sea turtles. But it is also known for its treacherous and unpredictable seas.
Recommended only for experienced divers, it is in a place where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, creating currents that converge and separate. Whirlpools and eddies can pull divers downwards.
"We're safe, but absolutely exhausted and dehydrated," Charlotte Allin, a 25-year-old British diver, was quoted by The Sunday Times of London as telling her parents from the hospital where the group was taken.
Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh as much as 365 pounds, are only found in the wild on Rinca and Komodo island. There are believed to be 4,000 left in the world.
Thousands of tourists visit the area in eastern Indonesia each year to see the lizards in their natural habitat. They are normally shown around the arid and rocky island by guides who carry large, forked sticks to ward off the animals.

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phamp197x

at 22:09 on June 9th, 2008

photo taken at local zoo!

phamp197x has contributed a photo to this story.

Maira Wenzel

at 23:05 on June 9th, 2008

My photo was taken at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Maira has contributed a photo to this story.

john_san13

at 00:19 on June 10th, 2008

Picture taken at the Taronga Zoo, Sydney.

john_san13 has contributed a photo to this story.

TrixSigio

at 00:25 on June 10th, 2008

My photos were taken at Taman Safari Indonesia, where these beasts hail from.

TrixSigio has contributed a photo to this story.

The Crow2

at 00:47 on June 10th, 2008

Picture taken at Zoo Praha, Czech Republic.

Crouchy69

at 01:46 on June 10th, 2008

The resident Komodo dragon at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney Australia.

Crouchy69 has contributed a photo to this story.

Dave Keating

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:59 on June 10th, 2008

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff.

BlueskyXIII

at 02:05 on June 10th, 2008

My photos were taken at Chester Zoo, UK.

BlueskyXIII has contributed a photo to this story.

The Brit_2

at 02:31 on June 10th, 2008

Komodo Dragon at San Antonio Zoo in Texas.

The Brit_2 has contributed a photo to this story.

Sweeney - Memphis

at 03:12 on June 10th, 2008

The resident Komodo dragon at the Memphis Zoo, Memphis TN,

Sweeney - Memphis has contributed a photo to this story.

ssassquatch

at 03:21 on June 10th, 2008

Catching the noon sun in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Trusted Tours Travel Photos

at 03:57 on June 10th, 2008

Gathering of gators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida.

Trusted Tours Travel Photos has contributed a photo to this story.

schawlaf

at 04:04 on June 10th, 2008

Photo Taken at Arabian Sea Country Club Karachi , the Dragon was dead

schawlaf has contributed a photo to this story.

The Grill Maestro

at 04:13 on June 10th, 2008

Komodo Dragon Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa, Fl.

The Grill Maestro has contributed a photo to this story.

FREDERICKPHOTOGRAPHER

at 04:25 on June 10th, 2008

FREDERICKPHOTOGRAPHER has contributed a photo to this story.

FREDERICKPHOTOGRAPHER

at 04:26 on June 10th, 2008

Komodo Dragon at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.

R8JimBob88

at 04:44 on June 10th, 2008

Well I wouldnt want to bump into one of these! Let alone on an Island with skark infested waters! Well at least I was behind inch thick glass at my local zoo for this picture :-)

R8JimBob88 has contributed a photo to this story.

ze Demented Kitten

at 04:52 on June 10th, 2008

This Komodo Dragon currently resides in the Miami Zoo. :)

ze Demented Kitten has contributed a photo to this story.

rumana husain

at 04:52 on June 10th, 2008

sanjay this is a very interesting story of human grit and survival but the komodo dragon was deprived of its grand feast. (just kidding!)

digitalsparks

at 05:26 on June 10th, 2008

Photo taken a Chester Zoo.

After reading this article im glad there was a fence between us.

acodus

at 05:41 on June 10th, 2008

acodus has contributed a photo to this story.

Kim Howarth

at 05:44 on June 10th, 2008

Photo taken at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.

Kim Howarth has contributed a photo to this story.

NP_1_737170

at 05:45 on June 10th, 2008

This is a baby Komodo dragon at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS. It was born by parthenogenesis, which means that it was reproduced without the contribution of a male.

NP_1_737170 has contributed a photo to this story.

nnlove

at 05:47 on June 10th, 2008

My Komodo Dragon photo was taken at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

nnlove has contributed a photo to this story.

kmb733

at 06:02 on June 10th, 2008

My photo was taken at the National Zoo in Washington DC

tommy99

at 06:17 on June 10th, 2008

This was taken at one of the Disney Animal Kingdom park at Disney World.

tommy99 has contributed a photo to this story.

groovymini

at 06:26 on June 10th, 2008

We were traversing Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL when suddenly there was an enormous glass box, most were too afraid to look, and continued walking. My husband Jordan and I paused and there it was...the Komodo dragon! Like something out of a fairy tale from long ago, and prehistoric looking, we felt safe on the other side of the glass,awestruck by its size and lingered there awhile watching its every move...

groovymini has contributed a photo to this story.