Weh Island

Infobox Mountain
Name = Weh Island
Photo = Weh Island.png Caption = Map of Weh Island
Elevation = 617 m (2,024 ft)cite web|title=Pulau Weh|work=Global Volcanism Program|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|accessdate=2006-11-16|url=http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0601-01=]
Location = northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia
Range =
Prominence =
Coordinates = coord|5.82|N|95.28|E|type:mountain
Topographic

Type = Stratovolcano
Age =
Last eruption = Pleistocene time
First ascent =
Easiest route =

Weh Island or Pulau Weh or Pulo Weh is a small active volcanic island to the northwest of Sumatra. It was originally connected to the Sumatran mainland and became separated by sea after the volcano's last eruption in the Pleistocene era. The island is situated in the Andaman Sea. The largest city on the island, Sabang, is the westernmost outpost of Indonesia.

The island is known for its ecosystem; the Indonesian government has declared convert|60|km2 of inland and sea around the island as a wildlife protection area. A rare megamouth shark species was found on shore and the island is the only habitat for the threatened toad, "Bufo valhallae" (genus "Bufo"). Coral reef areas around the island are known for their large variety of fish species.

Geography

Weh Island is located in the Andaman Sea, where two groups of islands, the Nicobar Islands and Andaman Islands, are scattered in one line from Sumatra to the north up to the Burma plate. The Andaman Sea lies on an active moving small tectonic plate (microplate). A complex geological fault system and volcanic arc islands have been created along the length of the sea by the movement of the microplate. [cite journal|title=Tectonics and history of the Andaman Sea region|last= Curray|first=J.R.|journal=Journal of Asian Earth Sciences|volume=25|issue=1|pages=187–232|date=2005|doi=10.1016/j.jseaes.2004.09.001]

The island lies about convert|15|km|sigfig=1 off the northernmost tip of Sumatra. The island is small at only convert|156.3|km2, but mountainous. The highest peak is a fumarolic volcano, convert|617|m high. The last known eruption is estimated to have occurred in the Pleistocene age, as a result which the mountain partially collapsed and was filled by the sea, forming a separate island.

At a depth of convert|9|m, close to Sabang city, underwater fumaroles emerge from the seabed. [cite web|title=Pulau Weh Volcano, Indonesia|publisher=John Seach, an Australian volcanologist|url=http://www.volcano.com.au/pulauweh.htm|accessdate=2006-11-23] A volcanic cone is found in the jungle. There are three solfatara (mudpot) fields on the island: one is convert|750|m|mi|sigfig=1 southeast of the summit and the others are convert|5|km|sigfig=1 and convert|11.5|km|sigfig=1 northwest of the summit, on the western shore of Lhok Perialakot bay.

There are four islets surrounding Weh Island: Klah, Rubiah, Seulako, and Rondo. Among those, Rubiah is well known for diving tourism, because of its coral reefs. When traveling to Saudi Arabia was only possible by sea, Rubiah was used as a place of quarantine for Indonesian Muslims during the Hajj pilgrimage season. [cite web|title=Weh Island, a piece of land from heaven|url=http://kepulauan.inet.web.id/sabang/|accessdate=2006-11-30|publisher=Aceh Tourism Office]

Inhabitants

Weh Island is a part of Aceh province. A 1993 census reported 24,700 inhabitants.cite journal|title=Coral Reef Fish Assessment in the ‘Coral Triangle’ of Southeastern Asia|journal= Environmental Biology of Fishes| last=G.R.| coauthors=Werner,T.B.| volume=65|issue=2|date=2002|pages=209–214|doi=10.1023/A:1020093012502] The large majority of the population are Acehnese and the remaining are Minangkabau, Javanese, Batak and Chinese.cite web|title=The people of Weh Island|publisher=Aceh Tourism Office|url=http://kepulauan.inet.web.id/sabang/theyare.html|accessdate=2006-11-30] It is unknown when the island was first inhabited. Islam is the main religion, as Aceh is a special province where Sharia law has been applied exclusively for the province. However, there are some Christians and Buddhists on the island. They are mostly Javanese, Batak and Chinese.

On 24 December 2004, a massive (9.0 on Richter scale) undersea earthquake struck in the Andaman Sea. The earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis that killed at least 130,000 people in Indonesia alone. [cite press release|url=http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/country/humantoll.asp|publisher=UN Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery|accessdate=2006-11-23|title=The Human Toll] The effect on the island was relatively small, [cite news|publisher=Indonesia Relief|title=Waves of Mercy Says Goodbye to Pulau Weh|accessdate=2006-11-23|date=11 June 2005|url=http://www.indonesia-relief.org/mod.php?mod=publisher&op=viewarticle&cid=23&artid=1132] but it is unknown how of its inhabitants were killed by the event.

Economy

The economy on Weh Island is dominated by agriculture. The main products are cloves and coconuts. Small-scale fisheries operate in the area, and fishermen have used explosives and cyanide fishing extensively. Therefore since 1982, a wildlife protection area ("suaka alam") has been declared by the Indonesian government that includes convert|34|km2 inland and convert|26|km2 of surrounding sea.

The two main cities are Sabang and Balohan. Balohan is a ferry port that serves as a hub between the island and Banda Aceh on the mainland Sumatra. Sabang has been an important quay since the late nineteenth century, because the city overlooks the entry to a busy shipping route, Malacca Strait.

Before the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, the Indonesian archipelago was reached via the Sunda Strait from Africa. From the Suez Canal, the route to Indonesia is shorter via the Malacca Strait. Due to its natural harbour with relatively deep and well sheltered water, the Dutch East Indies government decided to open Sabang as a quay. In 1883, Sabang quay was opened for ships to dock by the Atjeh Associate.cite web|title=Sabang|publisher=ABN AMRO|work=ABN AMRO History|url=http://www.abnamro.com/com/about/history/themes/history/sabang.jsp|accessdate=2006-11-30dead link|date=October 2008] At first, the harbour was intended as a coal station for the Dutch navy, but later also served merchant vessels and for the transfer of export goods from northern Sumatra.

Each year, 50,000 vessels pass through Malacca Strait. [cite news|publisher=International Maritime Organization|url=http://www.imo.org/Circulars/mainframe.asp?topic_id=848&doc_id=4466|accessdate=2006-11-24|title=IMO to take Straits initiative] In 2000, the Indonesian government declared Sabang a Free Trade Zone and Free Port, to gain economic benefit by establishing the port as a logistic hub for international vessels passing through the strait. [cite press release|url=http://www.dprin.go.id/regulasi/english/2000/09/pp2-0109.htm|title=Free Trade Zone and Free Port of Sabang|publisher=Government of Indonesia|date=1 September 2000|accessdate=2006-11-30] Infrastructures for a deep water harbour, port, warehousing and refuelling facilities, were developed.

Weh Island is also known for ecotourism. Underwater diving, hiking through the volcanic mountain and beach resorts are the main attractions. A small village, Iboih, is known as a location for scuba diving. A few meters from Iboih is the Rubiah islet that is known for its coral reefs. [cite web|url=http://www.asiadivesite.com/indonesia-dive-sites/sumatra/pulau-weh.php|title=Pulau Weh|publisher=Asia Dive Site|accessdate=2006-11-21]

Ecosystem

During 1997–1999, Conservation International conducted a survey of the coral reef in the area. According to the survey, the coral diversity is relatively low, but fish species variation is rich. Some species found during the survey include "Pogonoperca ocellata", "Chaetodon gardneri", "Chaetodon xanthocephalus", "Centropyge flavipectoralis", "Genicanthus caudovittatus", "Halichoeres cosmetus", "Stethojulis albovittatus", "Scarus enneacanthus", "Scarus scaber" and "Zebrasoma desjardinii".

On 13 March 2004, a specimen of the rare and unusual species of shark, megamouth shark, was washed ashore on Gapang beach.cite journal|title=A Juvenile Megamouth Shark "Megachasma Pelagios" (Lamniformes: Megachasmidae) From Northern Sumatra, Indonesia|last=White|first=W.T.|coauthors=Fahmi,M.A., Sumadhiharga,K.|journal=The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology| date=2004| url=http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/52/52rbz603-607.pdf| volume=52| issue=2|pages=603–607] Megamouth shark has a distinctive large mouth, very short snout and is broadly rounded in dorsal view. The specimen is said to be the 21st (some say it is the 23rdcite news|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/megamouth/Mega21.html|title=Megamouth Shark #23 Washes Up in Sumatra, Indonesia |date=13 March 2004|accessdate=2006-11-21|publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History] ) sighting of the species since its discovery in 1976. The male shark, measuring convert|1.7|m|ft|sigfig=2 in length and weighing 13.82 kg (30.5 pounds), was frozen and sent to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) for further scientific study. As of 2006, there have only been 36 findings of megamouth sharks in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. [cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/Megamouth/tablemega.htm|title=Distribution Table of Confirmed Megamouth Shark Sightings|accessdate=2006-11-21|publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History]

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami has affected the island's ecosystem. [cite news|publisher=USGS|accessdate=2006-11-23|url=http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/news/reports.html|title=USGS Scientists in Sumatra Studying Recent Tsunamis: Leg 2 Reports, 12 April to 30 April 2005] At Iboih village, a large swath of mangrove was destroyed. Debris from the land was deposited on the nearby reefs as a result of the tsunami. In 2005, about 14,400 mangrove seedlings were replanted to save the mangrove forest. [cite news|publisher=Seacology|date=9 July 2005|accessdate=2006-11-23|title=Seacology News|url=http://www.seacology.org/news/display.cfm?id=167]

Apart from underwater ecosystem, Weh island is the only habitat of one threatened species of toad, named "Bufo valhallae" (genus "Bufo"). [cite web|publisher=IUCN|title=Bufo Valhallae|accessdate=2006-11-23|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/54788/all|work=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species] The species is only known from the holotype from the island. Due to heavily degraded forestation on the island, the population of the species is uncertain.

See also

* List of volcanoes in Indonesia

References

External links

* [http://kepulauan.inet.web.id/sabang/ Official site]
* [http://pulauwehsabang.com/ http://pulauwehsabang.com] Pulau Weh Sabang Tourism Information