Akassa Collection
Akassa Collection (Akassa Cruise, Derya, Giona, Semesta Voyages)
Kalong Island sunset photography
Updated 26 October 2026
Kalong Island sunset photography happens from the boat: thousands of flying foxes leave their mangrove roost at dusk, and sunset falls between 17:49 and 18:27 depending on the month. On the 3D2N route Kalong is the last stop of day 1. No drone is allowed at Kalong.
When the flying foxes leave
Kalong is a mangrove islet between Komodo and Rinca. Thousands of flying foxes roost there. At dusk they leave in a long stream, over about 30 minutes.
The first bats go about 15 minutes after sunset, so the boat arrives early. Sunset falls between 17:49 and 18:27 by month. In June it is about 17:50. In December it is about 18:14.
They do not always leave on the minute. A cloudy evening, a rough sea or a late roost moves the stream. We promise no bat count and no hour.
- Kalong · dusk · the sun goes down in the west · about 60 minutes, watched from the boat, no landing
Camera settings and where to shoot from the deck
Start with a fast shutter, a high ISO and the lens wide open. Correct from the first frames. Expose for the sky, not for the bats, and they turn into dark marks against it.
Space on deck: On Akassa Cruise there is a sundeck with lazy chairs and a stern deck. Derya has white daybeds with gray cushions under a white sail awning. Semesta Voyages has an upper sundeck with a rattan sofa and daybeds. Pick the open edge of the deck, not the awning.
A long lens and a charged camera help. Keep a second battery in your pocket. On the 3D2N route there is one dusk at Kalong, so test the settings on the sky before the first bat appears.
Real photo from a trip booked with PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia · 5 photos
Where the boat anchors for it
The captain decides the anchorage on the day. We give no position, no distance and no side of the islet. Wind and current set the choice, and they change by the hour.
Kalong is not a landing stop. The show is watched from the boat, at the anchorage the captain picks for wind and current.
The anchorage also decides where the sunset sits in your frame. Ask us before the date which side of the deck suits your plan. We pass it to the captain, and the captain decides on the day.
Dinner on board follows the bats, and nothing is timed behind them. The evening is yours until the plate arrives. Where the boat spends the night is set by the weather and the captain's decision that day.
Phone or camera: what works
Both work. They give different pictures, and the difference is the length of the lens.
A phone shows the sky, the color at the horizon and a thread of bats across it. It cannot show a single animal at that distance. A camera with a long lens can, and that is the whole difference. Neither gives you the whole stream in one frame.
Shoot short bursts rather than one long clip, because the best frame of a bat stream lasts a second and the rest is sky. Steady the phone on the rail. Turn off the flash, because it lights nothing and spoils the dusk.
A group picture at dusk is harder than a landscape. Lock the exposure on the sky, tap the bright side of the frame and keep the phone still for a full second after the shutter.
No drone at Kalong
Kalong is a no-fly zone. A drone is not allowed here, whatever the permit. Komodo Island and Rinca are no-fly zones too.
Elsewhere in the park, a drone needs a SIMAKSI permit and a daily drone ticket, applied for in advance. We never promise drone footage. The drone rules guide cites the park rule.
The park rule lists Kalong, Komodo Island, Rinca, bird nesting areas and crowds as places where a drone is not allowed. Night flying is not allowed either. The rule decides, not the weather and not the captain.
FAQ
Do the bats at Kalong always fly at sunset?
They leave at dusk, about 15 minutes after sunset, in a stream that lasts about 30 minutes. They do not always leave on the minute. Weather and the roost decide, so we promise no hour and no bat count. The boat arrives early.
Will the bats fly at me?
The stream leaves the mangroves and crosses the water. The boat stays at the anchorage the captain picks, and we promise no pass over the deck. Sit in the open, keep still and keep your lens in hand.
Can I photograph Kalong with a phone?
Yes. A phone shows the sky, the horizon color and a thread of bats. A long lens is the only way to show single animals. Steady the phone on the rail and shoot short bursts.
Is Kalong a swimming stop?
No. Kalong is not a landing stop and not a snorkel stop. The show is watched from the boat. The swim on day 1 comes earlier, at Manjarite, and dinner on board follows the bats.
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