Kalong Island is situated among a small island group in the Komodo National Park, Kalong Island is home to millions of bats of various sizes. The clusters of small islands that enter into the Komodo National Park area have their own characteristics, each of which is rich in the diversity of flora or fauna either on land or under the sea. It may be rare to see typical land animals colonizing an island. Most are indeed a cluster of islands store beauty under the sea.
Of the many islands of Komodo Island and Rinca Island are inherent in the memory of tourists as an island that is a habitat of endemic animal land that is komodo. However, there is one island that turned out to save special privileges as the habitat of thousands of animals who live there and became a tourist destination also who can only see it from the boat on the edge of the island. The island is called Kalong Island. From the name alone would have known that animals that live to form thousands of colonies are bats or bats.
Kalong Island is located about 8 km from the Port of Labuan Bajo which can be reached by sea travel for approximately 1 hour. This island is a mangrove forest area whose role is important in the balance of nature, especially the oceans. As the original habitat of bats or bats, of course when it comes to this island when the bright sun shines there will be no bats that pass by flying, there is only the inflow of bats are sleeping hanging in trees all over the island.
Usually this island island area became one of the tourist destinations that follow the sailing trip to see thousands of bats move from his bed and adorn the sky flying towards the mainland of Flores Island at sunset around 6 pm WITA. Make sure the ship pulls over to the side where the sun sets in front of our eyes and the beauty of the Creator's power will soon be witnessed, as the orange light from the evening sun illuminates the sky thousands of these small, agile black animals fly while issuing their roaring voices in the direction of Labuan Bajo and surrounding.
The moment is already deliberately designed to be seen by tourists so that travel to the island of Kalong usually during the afternoon. Usually Kalong Island crowded at sunset and at the same time likes to be the location of the ships to stay overnight ships until tomorrow morning continue the journey. The reason why many ships are abandoned in the area of Kalong Island is in addition to its close location from Rinca Island (the main purpose of sailing trip), but also because it is considered safe from tidal currents in the Flores Sea which is quite cruel because of mangrove plants that can withstand waves as well as currents.
In addition, the sensation to stay in the habitat of animals that are considered a symbol of horror that is also left its own impression for the tourists because of the "thrilling sensation" is. Do not be afraid of the existence of bats that seem scary because bats / bats that live on this island are all fruit-eaters (herbivores) who are looking for food from fruit trees around the island of Flores.