Pink Beach Komodo photography light

The pink comes from fragments of red coral mixed into the sand. It is pale pink, not bright pink, and the color depends on light and tide.

Low sun lifts it. Morning light is softer and the water is calmer, so a shot along the waterline holds both the tint and the reef under it. Midday light flattens the sand toward beige. Cloud does the same.

The example route does not reach Pink Beach at low sun. It comes after Komodo and lunch on day 2, in higher light. We say this plainly, so the pale sand you find at that hour does not read as a miss.

• Pink Beach · morning, low sun · light from the east at sunrise · about 90 minutes, snorkeling

The reef runs close to the shore, in 1 to 8 meters of water with a mild current. The stop is a swim as much as a picture.

Snorkeling equipment and floaties are on board on all four boats, and so is a stand-up paddle. Reef-safe sunscreen is on the packing list. Put it on before you enter the water.

Mornings give calmer water and softer light. A waterproof case on a wrist strap is steadier than a camera held out at arm's length. We sell no underwater gear and name no brands.

Plan about 90 minutes at the stop. Swim first. Shoot the beach from the sand or the tender afterward, when the light has changed.

The park rule allows a drone at Pink Beach, with conditions. You need a SIMAKSI permit and a daily drone ticket, applied for in advance. The rule limits flights here to the coastline.

Kalong, Komodo Island and Rinca are no-fly zones. Over wildlife, crowds and nesting areas the park rules do not allow a drone. The drone rules guide carries the rule, the zones and the sources.

Penalties are real: confiscation, a fine or removal from the park. Whoever flies carries the permit and the penalty. We confirm in writing who files it, and we do not plan the route around a drone shot.

We never promise drone footage. The park rule decides, and the permit comes first.