Lamalera lies on the southern coast of Lembata, approximately 50km from Lembata’s capital, Lewoleba. This village, of more than people, is most
Lamalera lies on the southern coast of Lembata, approximately 50km from Lembata’s capital, Lewoleba. This village, of more than people, is most famous for its whale hunting, as it is one of the last traditional whaling communities in the world. The people of Lembata have been hunting whales in the Sawu Sea, a migratory route for different whale species and other large sea life, for nearly 600 years. Lamalera’s ancient beliefs, use of traditional hunting methods and reliance on whaling as a pivotal food source and barter item have exempt the village from the international ban on whaling. The whale meat, as well as that of the manta rays, sharks and dolphins that they also catch, is traded in the local barter market for fruits and vegetables that are grown in other parts of the island. Visitors are drawn to Lamalera’s unique culture and authentic lifestyle, which has continued largely unchanged for centuries.
Size: 4936px × 3296px
Photo credit: © Tjetjep Rustandi / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -fashioned, animal, big, black, blue, boat, coast, color, community, conservation, deterioration, dolphin, earth, endangered, fish, fishing, flores, game, harpoon, horizontal, houses, illustration, image, indonesia, island, landscape, lembata, man, natural, nature, ocean, outdoor, person, sea, seaside, shore, species, splash, sun, tourism, travel, tropical, village, volcano, water, whale, whaling, white, wooden
