Lucipara, a Piece of Heaven in Banda Sea

Emerging from the depth of 8000 meter of Banda sea, lucipara is cluster of isles seem floating on the water. It is unimaginable that in the center of the deepest sea in Indonesia there are amazing natural phenomenon. They are a cluster of uninhabitant small islands, like a piece of heaven falling on the seabed of Banda sea. Although the islands are often blasted by east season wave, they are still spreading exotic marine beauty.

Lucipara islands are located at 5.4943 LS (Lintang Selatan) and 27.5423 LU (Lintang Utara). The distance between Lucipara and Penyu archipelago is 50 kilometer. If we look at lucipara picture taken from satellite, it looks like sea slug with white and green color. The white color shows that the area is dominated by white soft sand and died reef as far as our eyes examine.

The miracle begans when the sea is high tide. The island become 4 small close-separated islands. Many kinds of marine faunas and reef fishes come to look for food unafraid of being interrupted. When the sea is low tide, various type of reef and marine fauna belong to bivalvia species such as kima (tridacna spp) and molusca spread with tight distance. Ambon fishermen often eat inside part of kima, and they bring home some of them.

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is exist in great number. However, they hunt out and lay eggs at the northern and southern beaches.

Laponda island as part of lucipara is a place of seaside plants and coconut trees. The plants are cultivated by fishermen of Latuhalat and Laha, Ambon city. Because of the island is at the center of other Lucipara islands, it becomes favorit places for tourists to stop in. From laponda, tourists and visitors can observe other islands which are line up not far from the island.

Lucipara is not only the best place to visit in by tourists, but also it become the best place for sea birds to take a rest and nest. One of them is sea eagle which nest at the sothern part of the island and at Penyu island.

Diving at the sea around the island is somewhat challenging. The water that seems blue and black sometimes frightening the diver. But this anxiety will then change into wonderfulness when they see amazing beauty of underwater scenery. The water is very clear and the colourous reef flowers can bring us to the other world. In the depth, the diver still can see as far as 30 meter. A great number of fishes can be found here.

The existence of great number of fishes was ever verified by two top local leader of government official Mr. M. Noer Moeis (a commander of Bukit Barisan military district) and province Maluku governor Ralahalu when they tried to do fishing at the waters. They could catch just in two rounds many Tuna madidihang fishes. they also catch Tuna Yellowfin and blue fin tuna. It seems that Lucipara waters is good as the fishing place for tourists and visitors who are fond of fishing in the open sea.

However, the waters of Lucipara is sometime unfriendly. At certain seasons, the wave is so high and is difficult to enter. In other part, there is reef that is hidden in the depth of 4 meter below the sea, which can make a boat accidentally crash it. Perhaps it was the reef that destroyed an Portuguese armada led by Fransisco Serrao hundred years ago. An also the name of lucipara is perhaps derived from the name of lucifer, means ghost. who knows.

Summarised and Translated from the article of Uya Leurima, a journalist of Suara Maluku. in courtesy of Sail Banda 2010.