Southeast Sulawesi Overview
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Unbelievable Marine Fish |
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Magnificent Soft Corals |
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Perfect Tropical Beaches |
©Denise Nielsen
Tackett & Larry Tackett |
The Tukang Besi Islands lie off the southeast tip of Sulawesi
in a region known as Wallacea (see overview
of Indonesia). Most
are low-lying coral islands. The larger islands have rolling hills
and rocky coastlines. Until recently this was one of the most remote
areas of Indonesia because there was no easy access. Today there
are direct flights from Bali and liveaboards have started to visit
the huge reefs in the Wakatobi National Marine Park.
In days past, Tukang Besi was renowned for supplying seafarers
with kris knives forged from locally mined iron. Today the
mines are closed and new knives are produced from scrap iron from
nearby Baubau. Decorative wooden hilts, sheaths and colorful woven
cloth are produced on the islands. Fishing and seaweed cultivation
provide income for the local population. Programs are underway
to encourage sustainable fishing practices.
Operation Wallacea has surveyed the reefs and developed a local
reef management plan. Their work contributed to the area being
designated as the Wakatobi National Marine Park . Today Operation
Wallacea has a research station on Hoga Island for visiting scientists.
The People
Bugis boats from Makassar (formerly Ujung Pandang) on southwest
Sulawesi are visible throughout the area. They're huge catamarans
with billowing blue sails on each hull and a large open area for
drying small fish known as ikan bilis. The Bugis are traditional
seafarers with excellent boat-building skills and are reputed to
have sailed as far west as Madagascar in early times.
The Bajau people are also called sea gypsies. Many have given
up their nomadic existence but continue to live on the sea in stilt
villages unlike any others in Asia. The local Bajau traditionally
mine coral to build foundations under each house by filling in
the spaces between the stilts and above the high water line. Once
the stilts are covered, each house becomes an island. Only new
houses have stilts visible beneath them. The Bajau are known for
dugout boat building, trepang (sea cucumber) harvesting and colorful
dress. Their boats use traditional claw-shaped sails.
Attractions
The big attraction in the area is the pristine coral reefs of
Wakatobi Marine National Park. There
are some caves on the islands but there is no organized tourism
in the area except for Wakatobi Dive Resort and visiting liveaboard
dive boats. So, it's dive, dive, dive, and leave the other stuff
for your visit to Bali or northern Sulawesi.
By Denise Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett |
