Extreme Weather 12-14 June, KSOP Bans Tourist Boats from Entering Sape Strait

The Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP) has prohibited tourism activities in the southern waters of the Sape Strait from 12 to 14 June 2026. The ban is due to the potential for strong winds and high waves in the area, based on a maritime weather forecast from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) Tenau Kupang Maritime Station. “On 12-14 June 2026, there is potential for wind speeds of up to 24 knots from the southeast and wave heights of up to 2.2 metres in the southern Sape Strait, so tourism activities are prohibited in that area,” said Head of KSOP Class III Labuan Bajo Stephanus Risdiyanto on Thursday (11/6/2026). For tourism activities in the waters of Komodo National Park, KSOP Labuan Bajo has urged tourists to exercise caution, as there is also potential for bad weather during that period. “On 13 June 2026, there is potential for wind speeds of up to 24 knots from the southeast and wave heights of up to 1.7 metres in the waters of Komodo National Park. Tourism service users are advised to be careful when carrying out tourism activities,” Stephanus stressed. KSOP Class III Labuan Bajo has issued a shipping notice to ship captains. In the notice, captains are ordered to maintain the seaworthiness of their vessels, are required to independently monitor weather forecast developments during the voyage, and must take necessary action if facing an emergency situation. Furthermore, captains are required to conduct a safety briefing before sailing, are prohibited from sailing at night, and must avoid dangerous areas. They must notify other vessels if there is a weather hazard and take shelter if the weather is bad, as well as coordinate with the harbormaster and Basarnas if they observe the weather worsening. “The harbormaster has the authority to postpone sailing approval at any time if the weather forecast is deemed unsafe for sailing,” Stephanus emphasised.