MARIND

Wakatobi National Park, also referred to as Kepulauan Toekang Besi, lies in the southeastern region of Sulawesi, nestled between the Banda Sea to the northeast and the Flores Sea to the southwest. The name Wakatobi originates from a combination of its four primary islands: Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Designated as a tentative World Heritage Site since 2005, it stands as Indonesia's third-largest marine park, celebrated as an aquatic paradise by none other than Jacques Cousteau. Encompassing the entire Wakatobi District, it spans 1.3 million hectares, with 900,000 hectares dedicated to tropical coral reefs. Wakatobi boasts the highest diversity of reef and fish species globally and forms Indonesia's largest barrier reef, trailing only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Home to an array of marine life, including large and small fish, dolphins, turtles, and whales, the archipelago comprises 143 islands, with seven inhabited and a total population nearing 120,000. Notable..