‘There’s one! On the beach!”

I held tightly to my binoculars. I was on a cruise ship, which was slowly approaching a remote Indonesian island.

I saw the creature — a lizard in shape and dark gray in color — but most definitely not the gecko found in your garden. This beast was at least 8 feet long, with a stubby body and thick, muscular tail — a leftover from the Dinosaur Age, ambling along, its massive head swinging from side to side. And from its wide mouth emerged a long, yellow, forked tongue. Jurassic Park? Skull Island? No. Komodo Island, where you will find the legendary Komodo dragon — a ferocious, four-legged killing machine and one of the world’s most dangerous predators.

And it was headed straight for a lone fisherman, who was mending his nets.

I waved to him frantically, but then the creature took a sharp turn and sauntered into the bush.

This was a different kind of vacation. For those who have experienced the cathedrals and cafes of Europe, the Great Wall of China and the bustle of Tokyo, this vacation will be, uh, much more of an adventure. But you don’t have to be a mountain climber or a marathoner to enjoy this exotic place. Indeed, it’s fairly accessible from Indonesia’s tourist mecca, Bali, which you can reach from Honolulu in less than a day.

Of Indonesia’s thousands of islands, Komodo, Flores, Rinca and Padar are among the most unique. These, and other, smaller islands, comprise the Komodo National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. Here you will find some 3,000 Komodos living in a wilderness of dry open-grass savanna, rising above white (and pink) sandy beaches and brilliant turquoise seas.

Yes, there’s a pink beach here (Pantai Merah), just one of seven on the planet. Its spectacular color derives from red coral mixed with white sand. It’s in one of the world’s richest marine habitats — a paradise for snorkelers and divers who can view thousands of species of fish and both soft and hard corals.

I was on Holland America’s Volendam, 298 miles east of Bali. Some passengers wanted to engage in water sports or work on their tans. Others headed for a small fishing village. I wanted to see dragons.

Our shore tour guide had promised these fascinating creatures would be there, but I’d heard this before. In the Arctic I’d been told I would see polar bears. Nothing. In Alaska I’d see a grizzly. Nothing. My expectations weren’t high.

But the animal on the beach was the real deal, just as mean-looking, ugly and imposing as advertised. Were there more?

The Komodo dragon, or Komodo monitor, traces its roots back to Asia some 40 million years ago. The reptile’s ancestors crossed over to Australia and then to Indonesia 900,000 years ago. They were first spotted by the Dutch in 1910 who reported a “dragonlike” creature with a long yellow tongue.

Inspiration for ‘King Kong’

In 1926 American naturalist W. Douglas Burden brought back two live specimens for the Bronx Zoo. The film of his expedition inspired Oscar-winning filmmaker Merian Cooper to invent, produce and direct the film “King Kong.” Cooper was so intrigued by Komodos that he planned to ship a live gorilla from the Congo to Komodo Island to do battle with a dragon! (I’m thinking the dragon would have won.)

In the 1933 movie Cooper substituted the dinosaurlike Komodo with a much larger, fiercer version — a T. Rex. The movie “Kong: Skull Island,” released this year and filmed partly in Hawaii, uses a Komodolike lizard for a climatic battle with Kong.

Today the dragon is considered “vulnerable to extinction.” The greatest number (1,700) are found on Komodo Island, where they are protected. They are also protected by the 2,000 local residents who consider them sacred. These daring folks make their living as tour guides, trinket sellers or fishermen.

But living with a ferocious predator involves a significant degree of danger. In 2007 a dragon killed an 8-year-old boy. Two years later another Komodo killed a man who had fallen out of a tree. In 2013 yet another creature bit two rangers and an 84-year-old woman. And on May 3 a dragon bit the leg of a male tourist from Singapore who had ignored warnings in his eagerness to take a photo.

That is why the park now requires all visitors to be accompanied by a paid guide. One might think that they would be equipped with high-powered rifles. Not so. They carry long, forked sticks, carved out of tree branches, which aren’t much protection against a charging dragon.

We tendered into a long, wooden dock and walked past a sign that announced the park. The temperature was in the mid-90s, and perspiration was already pouring from our brows.

After grabbing a cold bottle of water from a nearby cooler, some 50 of us were divided into groups of 10. Before heading out to hunt for dragons, Hasan, our ranger, gave us a few instructions. His speech on how we should behave around a dragon raised both our levels of curiosity and anxiety.

“This is one of the most dangerous animals anywhere!” he told us. “Be careful! Stick with the group! Do not wander off the path!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a monster that must have weighed 200 pounds came out from under a nearby house and rambled by us no more than 20 feet away! One tourist pulled out his camera and headed for the dragon. Hasan was not pleased.

“Awas! Stay away! Stay away!” he yelled as the huge reptile passed by, disappearing under another house in search of a cool place to escape the blazing sun. I’m sure some of our group began thinking of the safety of the far-off ship.

Eating anything dead or alive

We learned that the Komodo is not a fussy eater. It will devour anything, living or dead. On the island the menu includes deer, pigs, rats, water buffalo, mice, fish and, of course, human beings — even the deceased. It has dug up graves and consumed the corpses, forcing villagers to place stones on top.

To detect prey — as far as 6 miles away — dragons use their superior sense of smell and their tongues, which play a role in detecting the prey’s location. Dragons also run at speeds of up to 13 mph, climb trees and are excellent swimmers. Their huge claws and 60 serrated teeth rip flesh easily.

Two venomous glands cause a Komodo’s victim to lose blood pressure and, ultimately, die of blood loss and shock.

Komodos are efficient eaters, devouring the entire carcass — bones, hide, horns and guts. Everything goes down the hatch. Amazingly, the lizard can consume 80 percent of its body weight in a single meal.

After digestion it regurgitates horns, hair and teeth. No need for another feast right away, as dragons can survive on only 12 meals a year.

Hasan led our group up hills and down, hunting dragons. We stopped frequently to chug bottles of water and wipe the dirt and perspiration off our necks and faces.

Then I stepped on something … a dry, white, claylike substance.

“That’s Komodo poop!” Hasan said. “They’re near!”

We stopped before a large burrow that had been dug into the ground near the roots of a tree.

“After mating, the female will lay her eggs several months later,” Hasan explained. “Actually, she doesn’t even need to mate to produce fertilized eggs, so she can be both the mother and father to her offspring. She’ll lay about 20 and protect them for seven to eight months. Once hatched, the youngsters head for the trees, where they’ll spend the next few years hiding from the adults. Ten percent of the adults’ diet consists of young dragons. These guys can live for up to 30 years.”

We followed a dusty trail that weaved its way through a sparse forest, and came upon a Timor rusa deer, a favorite food of the dragon, no more than 25 yards away. The animal took no interest in us, continuing to munch on some low-lying leaves.

“If he’s not worried about dragons, why should we?” I said to myself.

“We’re approaching the water hole!” Hasan shouted. “Look for dragons!”

And there they were. A pair of Komodos was resting in the shade, perfectly still, their dark skins camouflaged in the mottled sunlight. Despite their considerable size, if Hasan hadn’t pointed them out, we might have stumbled on them.

Now, as we approached, they slowly raised their bulky heads in our direction, saliva dripping from their mouths.

Did the dragons see us as friend or foe? I was hoping their bellies were full.

The dragons stared. We stared back. Their eyesight is poor, but they could “read” our presence with their long, split tongues. Since they decided to stay put, we timidly inched forward, pulled out our iPhones and began taking pictures.

Hasan asked, “Would anyone like a picture with a dragon?”

No one volunteered. One of the world’s top ambush predators, the dragons could have been on us in seconds.

But then I figured that this was a special opportunity. Besides, hadn’t Hasan done this many times before? And I didn’t look anything like a rusa deer. Why not?

“What would you like me to do?”

“Why don’t you just squat down in front of this guy and look at me?” he responded.

Then, in what must be the stupidest and most dangerous thing I have ever done, I handed over my phone, turned my back to the Komodos and knelt down — about 15 feet away from one of the beasts. It didn’t help that the photographer had placed his stick on the ground in order to take the picture.

“Satu, dua, tiga!” Hasan counted, and the deed was done — one for the grandkids.

Afterward we hurried back to the dock, past several dozen shouting villagers hawking an assortment of dragon carvings, batik shirts and assorted trinkets. I suspect our guide would have parted with his forked stick for the right price.

Back on board our ship, “Team Hasan” concluded that our excursion was hot, messy, demanding — and a totally unforgettable experience.

Dragons at the Honolulu Zoo!

If you can’t make it to Komodo Island, how about the Honolulu Zoo?

David Earles, executive director of the Honolulu Zoo Society, shared the following information about the zoo’s three Komodo dragons:

>> The dragons are Doc, 24, a male; Boris, 8, a male; and Rose, 8, a female.

>> Doc is more than 7 feet long and weighs about 100 pounds. Boris is 8 feet and Rose is 6 feet.

>> Doc is one of the first dragons hatched in the United States.

>> Each has a unique personality: Doc is laid-back; Boris is curious; Rose is sharp and alert.

>> Once a week the dragons are fed rodents, beef chunks and carcasses.

>> They are most active in the heat of the day.

>> They are highly intelligent and can be easily trained.

The Honolulu Zoo is a leader in the hatching of dragons, supplying other zoos with their offspring and supporting dragon conservation in the wild.