Wakatobi National Park is a marine national park, south of Sulawesi island of Indonesia. The name of Wakatobi is an acronym of the four main Tukangbesi Islands: Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Since 2005 the park is listed as a tentative World Heritage Site
Wakatobi National Park is located south-east of Sulawesi, between the Banda Sea to the north-east and the Flores Sea to the south-west.
Wakatobi National Park is located south-east of Sulawesi, between the Banda Sea to the north-east and the Flores Sea to the south-west.
It consists of four larger islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, as well as many small islands such as Tokobao, North Lintea, South Lintea, Kampenaune, Hoga and Tolandono. The highest elevation is 274 metres on Wangi-Wangi, followed by Lagole Hillis 271m on Tomia, Terpadu Hill is 222 m, on Binongko and Mount Sampuagiwolo is 203 m on Kadelupa. The water depth varies, with the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres
The types of vegetation found in the national park are mangrove forest, coastal forest, lowland swamp forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest, mountain rainforest and coral reefs. The Wakatobi Archipelago has 25 groups of coral reefs including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls.A survey conducted in 2003 identified 396 species of coral belonging to 68 genera and 15 families. These include Acropora formosa, Acropora hyacinthus, Psammocora profundasafla, Pavona cactus, Leptoseris yabei, Fungia molucensis, Lobophyllia robusta, Merulina ampliata, Platygyra versifora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Tubastraea frondes, Stylophora pistillata, Sarcophyton throchelliophorum, and Sinularia species.
Among the recorded species of seabird are the Brown Booby, Common Kingfisher and Malaysian Plover.
Turtles in the park include the Hawksbill turtle, Loggerhead sea turtle, and Olive Ridley.
