The ban on tourist boat sailings in the waters of Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, has been further extended until the 27th of January.
The recent extension of the tourist boat closure was implemented to prevent potential high waves in the waters of Komodo National Park and its surrounding areas. The shipping policy in these waters is based on weather information released by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika, or BMKG). The Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority Office has also issued a shipping notice regarding extreme weather warnings to ship captains.
With this extension, the closure of tourist vessels in Labuan Bajo will last for more than a month, starting from the 26th of December 2025. Tourist vessels were allowed to sail for three days, from the 9th to the 11th of January, but were then closed again starting on the 12th of January. During this total closure, tourist vessels, such as pinisi boats and speedboats, are prohibited from sailing to Komodo National Park and other destinations in Labuan Bajo.
“Sailing permit services for all tourist vessels, including speedboats, will be temporarily closed from the 20th until the 27th of January, or until the weather improves based on information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency,” said Stephanus Risdiyanto, Head of the Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority Office, on Tuesday, 20th of January.
Labuan Bajo has made headlines over the past couple of weeks after the Putri Sakinah Pinisi boat, carrying Valencia CF women’s football coach Martin Carreras Fernando and his family, sank in the waters of the Padar Island Strait, Komodo National Park, on the night of 26 December 2025. In retrospect, the Indonesian Maritime and Water Tourism Association (Gabungan Usaha Wisata Bahari & Tirta Indonesia, or Gahawisri) believes that ship accidents in Labuan Bajo waters are not typically caused by a single factor alone.
The Head of the Labuan Bajo Branch of Gahawisri, Budi Widjaja, observed that Labuan Bajo’s waters have their own unique dynamics. Anomalous water phenomena frequently occur and require a high level of vigilance from all shipping operators.
“In Labuan Bajo waters, there are anomalous phenomena such as eddies and sudden currents that cannot always be predicted,” Widjaja previously said last Friday (16th of January).
As a result, efforts to improve safety need to be both comprehensive and sustainable. A collaborative approach is considered more effective than a blame-based approach.
“Safety concerns must be a shared responsibility, not just ship operators,” Widjaja added.