Fauna of the Flores Sea

An inter-island sea in the Pacific Ocean, bounded to the north by the island of Sulawesi and to the south by the Lesser Sunda Islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It is connected to the Sulawesi Sea in the northwest by the Makassar Strait, to the Java Sea in the west, to the Banda Sea in the east, and to the Savu Sea in the south.

Surface water temperature 28°C in January-February (up to 28°C near the coasts and in bays), 29.5-30.5°C in July-August. Surface salinity is 33.2 and 34.0 ‰ during the respective periods. The salinity of the upper layer remains almost constant throughout the year, because the freshwater input in the form of precipitation is practically compensated by evaporation. Bottom water temperature is 3°C, salinity from 34.6 to 34.7 ‰.

Fishing in the Flores Sea

Fishing is widely developed on the shores of this sea. This is facilitated by a large number of fish, whose schools are abundantly caught in the nets set by the fishermen. Pacific bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, Pacific herring, squid, sea turtles, crabs and shrimp are abundant. Part of the population lives from whaling, one of the few places in the world where this activity is allowed.

Common inhabitants of the Flores Sea

The waters of the Flores Sea are home to a variety of aquatic fauna. The strong currents that occur in winter facilitate the southwest migration routes of various mammals. Animals such as whales use the routes through the Flores Sea to migrate from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. The rich food resources attract orcas and dolphins. Colorful small reef fish can be found here as well as larger species such as Giant Trevally, Humphead Wrasse, Mangrove Red Snapper, Leopard Coral Grouper and Great Barracuda. One of the main attractions of the sea is the giant oceanic manta ray. Spotted eagle ray, reef manta ray, bluespotted ribbontail ray, ribbon eel, spotted garden eel, striped eel catfish and short-finned eel also live here. Sloane's viperfish and humpback anglerfish are also residents of these areas.

Diving in Flores Sea

The Flores Sea attracts divers from all over the world. The sea boasts magnificent coral reefs that are like underwater gardens teeming with marine life. They are home, breeding and feeding grounds for a variety of marine species. The waters are home to one of the most mysterious fish, the Ocean Sunfish. The coral reefs are home to green humphead parrotfish, emperor angelfish, red lionfish, Moorish idol, reef stonefish, ocellaris clownfish, clown triggerfish, bluestreak cleaner wrasse, longhorn cowfish, titan triggerfish, yellow boxfish, lagoon triggerfish, devil firefish, sergeant major, redtoothed triggerfish, several species of muraenas including giant moray eels and snowflake moray eels. Divers exploring the waters will find habitat for common seahorse and dwarf seahorse. Macro photography enthusiasts will be delighted by the nudibranch and ornate ghost pipefish. You can also swim with turtles, dolphins and sharks.