On March 6, 2017, the featured Google Doodle celebrated the 37th anniversary of Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, home to the rare Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Established in 1980 to protect the 2,500 Komodo dragons that call it home, the park’s scope has expanded to include other native wildlife like the Timor deer, which is the main source of food for the Komodo dragon. There are also 72 bird species and a marine reserve protecting the thousands of marine species that live in the waters around the island. The island’s landscape ranges from dry savanna to lush forests, all ringed by white-sand beaches and bright blue water. In 1986, the Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Man and Biosphere Reserve.

Not known to the western world until 1910, the Komodo dragon is actually a super-sized cousin of the Indian water monitor lizard that has been evolving in isolation over millions of years. Reaching up to 10 feet in length and weighing about one-third the weight of a grand piano, Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, a mouth with 60 serrated teeth and a long, forked tongue. The saliva of the Komodo was thought to contain toxic bacteria, but recent research indicates that they have venom glands in their lower jaws. Here are some other scary facts about these mini dinosaurs: they can run in brief sprints at half the speed of Usain Bolt, dive up to 15 feet, climb trees, and even stand on their hind legs using their tails as support.

Not surprisingly, Komodo dragons draw many tourists to their island. The species is Indonesia’s best-conserved large animal and safeguarded by Indonesian law. In contrast, the country’s populations of orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinos are increasingly at risk as rainforest is destroyed for mining and the timber and paper industries.

While at the island, divers shouldn’t miss its incredible sights which include beautiful coral, thousands of fish species, 70 kinds of sponges, 10 kinds of dolphins, 6 types of whales, green turtles, plus various sharks and stingrays.