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Rakata

This site, off the southeast end of Rakata, offers a nice drift dive. The steep sides of the island prevent access. The depths here are modest, to just 25 meters, and the gentle current carries you east. The underwater scenery is, again, slabs of volcanic rock.

A decent variety of small reef fish populates the shallower depths, and some of the crevices have been claimed by moray eels. Green turtles are numerous at this site. In the 19th century, before it exploded, Krakatau island was a common stop for sailors, who loaded up on turtles.

An unusual feature of this dive are the many underwater trees, which have been cast from the island cliffs by landslides. These attract large schools of fusiliers and jacks.

Ujung Kulon

This park, covering the peninsula at the southwest tip of Java and Penietan Island (the Krakatau group is also part of the park), is a rich area of lowland tropical rainforest. On these 420 square kilometers are hornbills and mynahs, wild boar and rusa deer, macaques and monitor lizards. The most famous inhabitants, however, are the last wild Javan rhinos. These animals, of which only 57 are still believed to exist, are so elusive that even some park rangers have not seen one.