Kepulauan Seribu Marine National Park, Marine national park in Jakarta region, Indonesia
Kepulauan Seribu Marine National Park is a protected marine area in the northern Jakarta archipelago that covers more than 100 small islands with wide coral reefs and shallow lagoons. The main islands, Penjaliran Barat and Penjaliran Timur, sit roughly 45 kilometers from the coast and are surrounded by low mangrove forests and sandy shores.
The Indonesian government created this protected area in October 1982 initially as a marine nature reserve to stop the declining coral reefs and rising illegal fishing. In subsequent years, the ministry expanded the protected zones and granted the reserve full national park status in 1990.
Fishermen on inhabited islands leave in narrow boats early in the morning and return with their catch by late afternoon, while park staff works with them to mark zones for marine protection. Tourists often see schoolchildren gathering plastic waste along the shoreline in groups and planting seedlings in the restored mangrove patches.
Visitors reach the islands on regular ferry connections from several Jakarta ports including Marina, Kaliadem, and Muara Angke, with trips taking between one and three hours depending on the destination. Snorkeling gear is available on most islands, but bring your own sunscreen and drinking water as shops carry limited supplies.
In the shallow waters near Penjaliran Timur, large giant clams over 100 years old live and their bright blue shells can be spotted by divers from just a few meters down. Park rangers sometimes take visitors to hidden sandbanks that emerge only at low tide and are used by hundreds of young turtles as resting spots.
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