Source: http://www.indonesia.travel/
In the afternoon of 26th
August 1883 Mt. Krakatau suddenly erupted with such cataclysmic force
that its boom could be heard in Burma to far away Australia. The next
day, massive volcanic materials blasted so high causing a gaping gash in
its crater and the mountain imploded and sank. The boiling sea brought
about huge tsunami waves of more than 10 meters high, devastating the
towns of Banten and Anyer on Java and Lampung on Sumatra, wiping out
their entire population. The tsunami waves spread throughout the Indian
Ocean, and was said to be felt even as far away as France. While
Krakatau’s volcanic ash was reported to circle the earth’s atmosphere,
creating spectacular sunsets around the globe for two years.
Today, where once stood the mighty
Krakatau volcano, a number of idyllic small tropical islands are left in
the Sunda Straits between the island of Java and Sumatra. These are the
Krakatau islands which consist of Rakata or Krakatau Besar (Large Krakatau), Panjang or Krakatau Kecil (Small Krakatau),Sertung and the Anak Krakatau (The child of Krakatau).
While the islands of Rakata, Sertung and Panjang are remnants of the
ancient Mount Krakatau, Anak Krakatau is an active volcano that surfaced
only in 1927 and incredibly, still continues to grow as a result of
volcanic activities below.
Administratively, the Krakatau Islands are located within the sub-district of Rajabasa, South Lampung, in
Lampung Province
on Sumatra. But, in fact they form part of the Ujung Kulon – Krakatau
Nattional Park, which is recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage site.
As the site of one of the most
catastrophic natural disasters in the world, the Krakatau Islands are
considered today as a massive natural laboratory. Encompassing a total
area of 13.735,10 hectares, they comprise 11.200 hectares of marine
reserves and 2.535,10 hectares of land reserves, the Krakatau Islands
bear considerable importance to scientists in Geology, Biology and
volcanology. For general visitors, nonetheless, the sheer view and
incredible history of volcanic activities of the islands are surely
something worth travelling for. Information on accessibility can be
found on
how to get there. Terms and procedures on entering the nature reserve are available at
tips.
Setting
foot on an active volcano is certainly a one of a kind sensation, and
if fortunate enough, visitors can watch as the Anak Krakatau volcano
presents its active side. “Born” in 1927, the young volcano still
frequently ejects smoke, lava and other volcanic materials as it
continues to grow higher. The marine environment around the island
offers its own attraction as it holds no less than 50 species of fish
that live among its unspoilt coral reefs. Read more on the dramatic
history of Mount Krakatau under Related Attractions:
History of Krakatau.
The island- group along with its marine
environment was declared by the Dutch Colonial government as a nature
Reserve since 1919, encompassing a total area of 2.405,10 hectares. The
Krakatau Islands were later in 1984 incorporated into the
Ujung Kulon National Park
located on the western part of Java. In 1990, the Directorate General
for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of the Ministry of
Forestry assigned the management of the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve
to the
Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam or the Natural
Resources Conservation Office of Lampung, on Sumatra, with the aim to
protect and preserve its integrity as an important conservation site for
science and education. In the same year the nature reserve was expanded
by the Ministry of Forestry to cover the total area as known today.
In 1991, UNESCO acknowledged both Ujung Kulon National Park and the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve as an integrated UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.
Krakatau is also commonly known in the English-speaking world as Krakatoa.
This may have been attributed to a sub-editor at “The Times” who may
have typographically swapped the 'a' and 'o' of the Portuguese spelling
as he interpreted a telegraphic report on the massive eruption of 1883.
Furthermore, the 1969 Academy Award nominated movie, “Krakatoa, East of
java” ,-which is geographically misleading, - also aided in popularizing
the Krakatoa misspelling .The Smithsonian Institution's Global
Volcanism Program cites the Indonesian name, Krakatau, as the correct
name but says that its spelling as Krakatoa is also often used.
For more information about visiting Krakatau Island Nature Reserve,please contact:
BALAI KSDA LAMPUNG
Jl. Z. A. Pagar Alam IB - Bandar Lampung
Telp/Fax. (0721) 703882
