Papua is one of the largest areas in Indonesia, whose forests and animals are highly protected as they are threatened with extinction. For this reason, the government has built national parks, one of which is in West Papua province. Read on to learn more about the phenomenal national park in West Papua.
National Park in West Papua
Many national parks on the island of Papua Indonesia are included in UNESCO’s world heritage. One of them is in the province of West Papua. The national park in question is the Teluk Cenderawasih National Park.
Meanwhile, other national parks, such as Wasur National Park and Lorentz National Park, are located in other provinces in Papua.
Teluk Cenderawasih National Park
Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is located in the north of West Papua province. It is particularly located in two districts, namely Nabire Regency and Teluk Wondama Regency.
Apart from that, this potential tourism attraction is also adjacent to Manokwari, the capital of the province of West Papua.
Besides, this national park which is more than 20 years old, has an area of around 14,535 square km and is surrounded by many islands such as Biak, Yapen, and so on.
What Kind of Biodiversity is in It?
The ecosystems in this national park area are very diverse. Some of them include ecosystems of tropical forests, beaches, mangrove forests, and coral reefs.
Flora
The Teluk Cenderawasih National Park consists of Tropical forests and mangrove forests. Both forests have a variety of plant vegetation. In this area, there are 64 types of forest vegetation 14 types of which are protected vegetation.
Some examples include beach cypress (Casuarina equisetifolia), various types of mangrove plants (e.g Rhizopora sp., Sonneratia sp., Avicennia sp., etc.), Ketapang (Terminalia catapa), pandanus (Pandanus sp.), nipah (Nypa fructican), and many others.
There are also various types of algae, coconut, and seagrass plants in this national park area. Examples include red algae, seagrass leaves (Enhalus acoroides), spoon grass (Halophyla ovalis), etc.
Fauna
This national park area is a home for Papua wildlife from extinction. Of the 37 species of birds that exist, 18 species of which are protected birds. Examples include sea eagles (Heliaectus leucogaster), and Junai Mas (Chaloenas nicobarica).
Besides, there are around 183 land fauna species, of which 37 species are protected animals. Examples include cuscus (Phalanger sp.), Timor deer (Cervus timorensis), etc.
Meanwhile, around the beach area and mangrove forest, there are various types of fauna, such as green turtles (Chelonia Midas), scaly shells (Tridacna squamosa), conical snails (Conus spp.), etc.
Additionally, more than 1000 species of fish are scattered in this national park area. Some of them are estuarine fish, reef fish, and mangrove fish.
Coral Reefs
The ecosystem of coral reefs in this national park is one of the largest coral ecosystems in the world. In this area, there are more than 200 types of coral reefs. These types are divided into 2 zones: the reef slope zone and the flat reef zone.
In the flat reef zone, there are several types of coral from the families of Porites, Favites, Acropora, black coral colonies (Antiphates sp.), blue corals (Helipora coerulea), and several types of soft corals.
Meanwhile, there are various coral types in the reef slope area, such as Piristesterus, Leptoseris sp., Oxyphora spp., and many more.
Popular Tourist Destination in Teluk Cenderawasih
The government provides many tourist spots, so visitors do not wander around aimlessly in Teluk Cenderawasih National Park. Some popular examples are:
Roon Island
This island is where tourists can observe various types of birds and coral reefs. Apart from that, this island has other attractions, namely waterfalls and old churches.
Rumberpon Island
This island is a house of deer, birds, and coral reefs. There are also the remains of Japanese fighter planes on Rumberpon island.
Mioswar Island
On this island, visitors can not only observe a variety of land and sea animals but can also come to waterfalls and a hot spring.
That’s all the information about the phenomenal national park in West Papua. The Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is as popular as other national parks, such as Wasur National Park and Lorentz National Park, which are situated in other provinces in Papua.
