Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine January 2020 | Page 90

Travel / Archipelago Journal
 peaking of hidden treasure, the underwater world of Morotai
S
has quietly become a sought-after diving destination...
I notice there is a tendency for the islands in this
region to have names that repeat themselves.
Apart from Zum-Zum, there is Rube-Rube Island,
Ruki-Ruki Island, Kapa-Kapa Island, Ngele-
Ngele Island, Lum-Lum Island, and Galo-Galo
Island. Sarwan explains what the names mean,
but does not know the reason for the repetition.
“Maybe our ancestors wanted the names of the
islands to sound unique,” he says casually.
Prior to becoming autonomous 12 years ago,
Morotai was part of the regency of North
Halmahera. The produce of the land in this area
is quite prolific, as in most parts of Maluku,
yielding various herbs, spices, and woody
perennials. There is also an abundance of fish.
“It is not difficult to eat in Morotai,” says Sarwan.
The main problems in this area are a lack of
transport links and infrastructure, especially
connections between islands and areas in the
north. On the other hand, this could be part
of the appeal for more adventurous travellers
who enjoy seeking out unspoiled places and are
excited by the idea of finding ‘hidden treasure’.
Speaking of hidden treasure, the underwater
world of Morotai has quietly become a sought-
after diving destination for those in the know. Its
reefs, with their steep, lush coral cliffs, can be
found in between and on the edges of the small
islands. The number of registered dive sites is
almost as numerous as the number of islands.
88
An encounter with sharks is a regular attraction
in most diving locations in Morotai. Schools
of blacktip, whitetip and grey reef sharks share
the water and are easy to spot off the south
coast in places such as Blacktip Point, Grey
Shark Point, Terminal Gurango, Aru Point,
and Sore Point. If watching is not enough,
you can also interact with these sharks
in places such as Mitita Point, where
professional divers wearing steel dive
suits feed the sharks freely.
Relics of the Second World War have also been
found in Morotai’s undersea world, one of the
biggest attractions for international divers. My
guide explains that various kinds of Allied
combat vehicles, including cars, tanks, and even
aircraft, which could not be taken back to the
United States after the war, were sunk in the
sea. One popular location not far from Leo
Wattimena Airport is Lapangan Pante Wama
Point, where the wrecks of two airplanes
covered in coral lie at a depth of 30–50m.
The day before I return home, I make time
to look at the ruins of Allied amphibious
tanks that were struck by a bomb in Gotolamo.
A couple of international tourists are also there.
While making a note about something, one of
them remarks, “This island quenches two thirsts
at once: a bitter history and an eccentric natural
world.” I smile. That sums up Morotai.
5
senses:
sight
Bunga Kokota
Waterfalls
E/ If you are looking
for an alternative to
sea tourism, the
waterfalls on the slopes
of Mount Bakulu in east
Morotai may provide
a refreshing stop.
The path to the five-tier
waterfalls passes
through a nutmeg
plantation and is
surrounded by
a beautiful natural
landscape. The name
Bunga Kokota comes
from the name of
the flower endemic
to this region.
I/ Bila Anda mencari
alternatif selain wisata
laut, air terjun di lereng
Gunung Bakulu, bagian
timur Morotai, bisa jadi
persinggahan yang
menyegarkan. Jalur
pejalan kaki menuju air
terjun bertingkat lima ini
membelah perkebunan
pala dan dikelilingi
keindahan alam. Nama
Bunga Kokota diambil
dari nama flora endemik
daerah itu.
1. Looking out over the
calm sea at sunset.