takabonerate

The Takabonerate Islands  lie about 3 to 4 hours by boat from Benteng, the administrative capital of the Selayar Islands,South Sulawesi.

Taka Bone Rate National Park is a marine park which includes the Takabonerate atoll islands, located in the Flores Sea, south of Sulawesi island of Indonesia.

The area, which consists of the atoll islands and surrounding marine area was granted national park protection status in 1992.

With an area of 530,765 hectares which has an atoll expanse of 220,000 hectares, Taka Bone Rate meaning ‘coral islands over sand’ is the biggest atoll in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, and the third biggest in the world after Kwajalein Atoll and Suvadiva

The atoll consists of separate table reefs enclosing a lagoon filled with massive reefs.

The atoll has around 20 islands, six of which are inhabited. There are 15 islands for diving and snorkeling

The atoll is of major ecological importance, with rich marine and bird life. The national park is considered to contain some of the world’s highest marine biodiversity.

According to the Indonesian Department of Forestry the atoll has 261 species of coral, 295 species of coral fish, 244 species of mollusc

text taken from wikipedia

all pictures are properties of ani krisnamurti