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Krakatau

The famous eruption of Krakatau on August 26, 1883 sent up a plume of ash and pumice 26 kilometers high and 6,000 kilometers wide, and the explosion could be heard from Myanmar to Australia. The huge tsunamis created by the blast destroyed some 165 villages in Sumatra and Java, and killed more than 36,000 people.

The original caldera collapsed in on itself, leaving three islands remaining of its rim: Sertung, Panjang and Rakata. In 1928, Anak Krakatau—"Child of Krakatau"—appeared. This still active daughter cone continues to eject tephra and lava, growing at the rate of 4 meters each year, now having reached 240 meters.

AT A GLANCE Krakatau and Ujung Kulon Reef type: Volcanic rock slabs and formations, some reef Access: 4 hrs from Anyer by boat for Krakatau; Ujung Kulon sites 15-30 min from ranger station Visibility: Fair to good, 10-20 meters Current: Gentle, to 1 knot; swells and 1.5 knot current at Ujung Kulon sites Fish: Fair to good variety Highlights: Underwater landscape at Krakatau; rock tunnels at Karang Copong; good coral at Tg. Jajar

A rocky, wide skirt of black sand rings the island. Being so new, Anak Krakatau has provided a perfect laboratory for scientists studying early colonization of islands by plant and animal life. So far, 120 species of plants have found their way to the little island. The shoreline is dominated by feathery casuarinas, and a few tough succulents have found a niche further up the slope.