Indonesian Garden of Eden

Scientists from the US, Australia and Indonesia have been exploring an untouched part of Indonesia. The area they were working in, the Foja Mountains in West Papua, was untouched by tribesmen or any other outside influences. This allowed the scientists to discover an array of new plant and animal species. “It’s as close to the Garden of Eden as you’re going to find on Earth,” said Bruce Beehler, co-leader of the team. My bathroom is a Garden of Eden for wildlife. Last night I watched a giant spider dragging a cockroach.

Indonesia has 17,000 islands and as you go east from Bali the populations go down. West Papua (Irian Jaya) is a huge chunk of land with only local tribesmen and transplanted Javanese farmers. Needless to say, the lack of large population centers and any industry means the ocean is teeming with life. Dive instructors have told me, ‘make Papua the last place you dive, because no where else compares.’

My friend Mike Hillis is running a diving operation in Ambon, and a trekking business in Seram, the large island behind Ambon. In both those places the ocean and forest is untouched and ready to be explored. Indonesia has the world’s worst deforestation problem. It loses an area of forest the size of Switzerland every year. Places like Papua will probably be around for a while, but its still great to hear nature is thriving out there.

You can access many of the islands in eastern Indonesia from Bali by flying through Kalimantan or Sulawesi.