Animals You Can Spot on Kri Island (Besides the Fish!)

Most people come to Raja Ampat looking underwater.

And we understand why.

With manta rays, sharks, turtles, seahorses, colorful reef fish, and some of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world, it’s easy to spend your entire trip looking down.

But don’t forget to look up. Or into the trees. Or occasionally behind the kitchen.

Because the underwater world may get most of the attention, but Kri Island is full of wildlife on land too.

We live surrounded by jungle, so seeing animals around Paparisa is simply part of daily life. Some are easy to spot. Others only show themselves when you’re lucky. And a few might make you question what exactly you just saw.

Here are some of the animals you may encounter during your stay on Kri Island.

Coconut Crabs 🦀

Let’s start with one of the most impressive animals on the island.

Coconut crabs are huge.

And we really do mean huge.

They are the largest land-living crabs in the world, and we see them regularly around Paparisa.

A coconut crab on Kri, Rio's hand for scale.

They’re mostly active after dark, so you may suddenly spot one walking through the jungle or somewhere around the property in the evening.

The first time you see one, it’s hard not to stop and stare.

They’re strange, impressive, and a very good reminder that you’re staying on a remote tropical island.

Cuscus

One of our favourite animals to spot is the cuscus.

We have several living in the trees around Paparisa, so we see them very often.

Around sunset and in the evening, when they become more active, you may spot them while walking towards our restaurant. The trees close to our jetty seem to be a favorite hangout spot, and we also regularly see them around the kitchen area.

Cus Cus spotted in the tree next to bungalow no 6 at Paparisa Homestay

They move slowly through the trees, so once you know where to look, they’re surprisingly fun to watch.

Sometimes, we even hear them fighting.

Our advice?

Around sunset, look up.

You might not be the only one watching dinner time begin.

Hornbills

You may hear them before you see them.

Hornbills regularly visit the trees around Paparisa, especially behind our kitchen.

There’s a tree there that grows what we call jungle nutmeg, and the hornbills love eating the fruits.

2 Hornbills in a tree - Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash

They’re big, beautiful birds with very distinctive beaks, and their wings make a surprisingly loud sound when they fly overhead.

Even after living here for years, we still stop to watch them.

White Cockatoos

Another bird you’re likely to hear before you spot is the white cockatoo.

And trust us: they are not exactly quiet.

You’ll sometimes see them flying above the trees or sitting high in the jungle canopy.

Their bright white feathers make them easier to spot against the green jungle, although they often disappear again just as quickly.

So Many Birds

Hornbills and cockatoos may be the stars of the show, but Kri Island is home to many different birds.

Some are colourful. Some are tiny.

Some make beautiful sounds.

And some will wake you up much earlier than you had planned..

We’re definitely not professional birdwatchers, so we won’t pretend we can identify every species flying past our restaurant. But if you enjoy birds, bring binoculars.

There is almost always something happening in the trees.

Thousands of Tiny Hermit Crabs 🐚

Okay, maybe we haven’t officially counted them. But there are a lot!

Hermit crabs are everywhere around Kri Island, running around with their little houses on their backs.

You’ll see tiny ones, bigger ones, and sometimes shells that seem to be moving until you realize someone is living inside. We see them every single day, and somehow they never stop being cute.

Just watch where you step.

Soa Soa: Our Little “Komodo Dragons”

Another animal we see almost every day is the monitor lizard, locally called soa soa.

To us, they look a little like a miniature version of a Komodo dragon.

You may spot them moving across the rocks, behind the kitchen, or sometimes even climbing around the palm trees.

They usually disappear quickly when they notice people, but once you start paying attention, you’ll realize they’re around much more often than you think.

Giant Katydids: The Insects That Look Like Walking Leaves

The first time we saw one of these, we had absolutely no idea what we were looking at.

They’re enormous. They’re bright green.

And they look like a grasshopper and a giant walking leaf had a baby.

Turns out, they’re giant katydids.

Every now and then, one appears around Paparisa and reminds us just how creative nature can be. Their leaf-like appearance helps them blend into the jungle, although when one lands somewhere around the homestay, they’re quite hard to miss.

They’re one of those animals that make everyone stop, take a photo, and ask:

“What IS that?”

Now, at least, we finally know the answer. 😂

Geckos, Butterflies and the Smaller Residents

Of course, not every animal on Kri Island is huge or dramatic.

Small geckos are everywhere. Unlike Bali, we don’t really have the famous big geckos that make their very loud and recognizable calls. The ones we see around Paparisa are mostly small and quiet.

We also see plenty of butterflies, especially beautiful black and white ones flying through the property.

And then there are countless smaller insects, crabs, birds, and jungle residents that are simply part of daily life here.

And Yes... Occasionally a Snake 🐍

Let’s be honest.

Kri Island is a tropical island covered in jungle.

So yes, snakes exist here too.

We don’t see them every day, and most guests will probably never see one during their stay. But occasionally, one does make an appearance.

If you spot a snake, don’t touch it or try to move it yourself. Simply keep your distance and let one of our team know.

This is their home too.

Although we’d prefer if they kept a respectful distance from the bungalows.

But Where Are the Monkeys?

This is something that surprises quite a few guests.

Raja Ampat is tropical. It’s covered in jungle. So... where are all the monkeys?

The answer lies in the geography of Indonesia.

The Indonesian archipelago stretches across two very different natural worlds. In the west, islands such as Bali are home to many animals with Asian origins, including monkeys. Further east, the wildlife gradually becomes more closely related to that of New Guinea and Australia.

Raja Ampat lies just west of the large island of New Guinea and belongs to this eastern, Australasian world.

For millions of years, deep stretches of ocean separated these islands from western Indonesia. Even when sea levels were much lower, many land animals could not simply move from one region to another.

That’s why Raja Ampat has no native monkeys.

Instead, you’ll find animals that are much more typical of eastern Indonesia and New Guinea, including cuscus, cockatoos, and an incredible variety of birds.

So if you arrive expecting monkeys to swing through the trees, you may be disappointed.

But wait until you spot your first cuscus above the restaurant.

Wildlife Doesn’t Follow a Schedule

One thing we always want to make clear is that these are wild animals.

We can never guarantee what you’ll see during your stay. Some guests seem to spot everything. Others somehow miss the coconut crab walking right past them.

The good news is that many of the animals in this blog really do live around Paparisa. We see cuscus very often, monitor lizards almost every day, countless hermit crabs, and hornbills regularly visiting the trees behind our kitchen.

You just need to remember to look around.

Don’t Forget to Look Up

Raja Ampat is famous for what lives beneath the surface. And rightly so.

But one of our favourite things about living on Kri Island is that nature is everywhere.

In the ocean.

In the trees.

Flying over the restaurant.

Hiding behind the kitchen.

Running around with a tiny house on its back.

And occasionally appearing somewhere where you really didn’t expect it.

So yes, bring your mask and snorkel. But maybe bring a pair of binoculars too.

And around sunset, remember to look up. 🌴🦜