Komodo National Park spans the waters and islands between Sumbawa and Flores in central Indonesia, encompassing Komodo, Rinca, Padar and numerous smaller islands across roughly 1,800 sq km of protected land and sea. Established in 1980 to safeguard the endemic Komodo dragon, the park's mandate has since grown to cover its entire marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and in 1986 UNESCO recognised it as both a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. Below the surface, divers find one of Indonesia's richest marine environments: coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and seamounts that support more than 1,000 fish species, around 260 types of reef-building coral and some 70 sponge species. The park's waters are also home to dugongs, several shark species, manta rays, at least 14 whale species, dolphins and sea turtles. Conservation of the park is managed jointly by the Komodo National Park Authority (Balai Taman Nasional Komodo) and PT Putri Naga Komodo, with an ongoing focus on protecting coral reefs and fish stocks from destructive fishing practices.