Padar (), also known as Pada, is a small

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

located between the islands of Komodo and

Rinca Rinca is a small island near Komodo and Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, within the West Manggarai Regency. It is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. The island is famous for Komodo dragons, giant l ...

within Komodo archipelago, which is part of the

West Manggarai Regency West Manggarai Regency () is one of the eight regencies which comprise the island of Flores, located in the province of East Nusa Tenggara (''Nusa Tenggara Timur'') in Indonesia. The Regency was created on 25 February 2003 by the separation off o ...

East Nusa Tenggara East Nusa Tenggara (; ) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the north, with a total land area of 47,238.07 km2. It cons ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It is the third-largest island in

Komodo National Park Komodo National Park ( Indonesian: ''Taman Nasional Komodo'') is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the ...

. The Komodo archipelago is famous for

Komodo dragon The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large reptile of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo (island), Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Dasami, and Gili ...

s, giant lizards that can reach up to in length. While the neighboring islands of Komodo and Rinca are home to these iconic lizards, Komodo dragons were once considered extinct on Padar. However, in 2004, the Komodo Survival Agency reported sightings of at least 12 individuals, including a hatchling, suggesting a possible resurgence of the dragons on Padar.UNESCO: Advisory Body Evaluation
retrieved 2 February 2010 The island’s topography is rugged, with steep volcanic mountains and hills surrounded by deep bays. Padar has a dry climate, and its vegetation consists mainly of bushes and grasslands, creating a savanna-like landscape. The island features four deep bays with beaches of varying colors; most are white sand, while some have gray and pink sands. The waters around Padar are also known for several popular sites for

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

and

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing the ambient air through a shaped tube called a snorkel, usually with swimming goggles or a ...

Gallery

File:Padar panorama.jpg, Padar Island, harbour panorama File:Padar beach.jpg, Sunset, Padar Island File:Pulau Padar (West).jpg, View of western coast

References

{{Commonscat, Padar Lesser Sunda Islands Landforms of East Nusa Tenggara Komodo National Park Islands of Indonesia