South East Moluccas Nature Reserves

Aru Tenggara Marine Nature Reserve

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Aru Tenggara Marine Nature Reserve
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General
Aru Tenggara Marine Nature Reserve comprises an area of 114,000 ha. of the south-eastern most part of Maluku. The reserve encompasses all coastal and marine ecosystems in an area SE of Trangan, the southern most major island of the Aru Archipelago.
Land ecosystems on the included turtle islands Enu, Jeh, Mar and Karang consist of mangrove forest, Nipa woods, savanna grassland and peat swamp forest. Coral reefs, used to be rich in fish and turtle species and Dugong, make up the marine ecosystems of the site. Overexploitation by non-local traders has led to a sharp decline in marine and coastal wildlife and called for the protection measures which led to the establishement of the reserve. The whole area lies on the Sahul continental shelf.
Access
Kepulauan Aru forms one of the most remote regions in Indonesia. There is no public transport between the islands. To travel through the archipelago you are dependent on local fisherman.
The archipelago itself can be reached by plane or boat from Ambon. The plane serves the Aru archipelago once a week, the boat twice a month aboard the Bukit Siguntang via Kei (24hr). There's also a weekly ferry from Kei Kecil (14hrs), and once a month direct from Kei on the Tatamailau (7hr) -- latter two are both sizeable passenger ships.
Addresses
WWF, Jl. Kramat Pela 3, Jakarta.
Accommodation
* Dobo
o Pastoran
o Penginapan Fany
Addresses
WWF, Jl. Mutiara 68, Ambon
Flora

* Bruguiera spp.
* Rhizophora spp.
* Sonneratia spp.

Mammals
* Dugong - Dugong dugon

Birds
* Southern Cassowary - Casuarius casuarius
* White-bellied Fish-Eagle - Haliaeetus leucogaster

Reptiles
* Green Turtle - Chelonia mydas
* Hawksbill Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata
* Estuarine Crocodile - Crocodylus porosus

Possibly
* Loggerhead - Caretta caretta
* Olive Ridley - Lepidochelys olivacea
* Flatback Turtle - Chelonia depressa
* New Guinea Freshwater Crocodile - Crocodylus novaeguineae