The last of the dinosaurs remaining on planet Earth, the legendary Komodo dragon has inspired travelers since they were discovered by ancient mariners centuries ago.

'Thar be dragons' an inscription often included on the earliest maps of the region, the dragons of Komodo were believed to be monsters from another realm.

Today, the only place to find these amazing animals are on the islands of Komodo National Park - a one-of-a-kind wildlife experience that makes the journey to Flores worthwhile on its own.

The crew of the Seven Seas has been exploring the wilds of Komodo for more than a decade, and with their guidance we were able to have an incredible experience with a group of dragons.

Wanting to get a really close-up photo of a dragon (without getting killed) - I rigged a wireless Pocketwizard remote trigger on my Canon 5D Mark III and set it up on the beach. A few of the dragons must have scented human on the camera body and came over to check it out, one we even licking the lens to see if it was edible.

If you look closely, you can even see the creature's poisonous saliva dripping down as it was anticipating a human meal.

Check out the gallery below to see the photo highlights, or see the all the photo galleries from our Komodo liveaboard dive trip - from scuba diving, to aerial photos, to freediving, to the incredible wildlife in this amazing place. You can also see galleries from other Seven Seas liveaboard dive trips - my absolute favorite way to explore the awesome natural beauty and unique cultures of Indonesia.