Wakatobi

Wakatobi National Park was established in 1996 in the province of South-East Sulawesi and protects some 13,900 km², almost all of it marine, in the archipelago formed by the islands of Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, whose initials give the whole its name. It comprises 39 islands, three sandbanks and five atolls.

It lies at the centre of the Coral Triangle, the region of greatest marine biodiversity on the planet, and its reefs are among the richest known: several hundred coral species have been recorded, a very high proportion of those described worldwide, and more than six hundred fish species. The underwater topography combines fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls with vertical walls dropping to great depth, which has made Wakatobi an internationally renowned dive destination.

The waters are also a route for cetaceans, with sperm whales and several dolphin species, and for marine turtles that nest on its beaches. The park is inhabited: tens of thousands of people live on its islands, among them Bajau communities, traditionally sea nomads, who build their houses over the water and whose livelihood depends directly on the reef. Reconciling that artisanal fishing with conservation is the central aim of its management. In 2012 UNESCO designated the whole the Wakatobi Biosphere Reserve, covering some 1,390,000 hectares.