PULAU WEH - NORTH END TIP OF INDONESIA

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 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.

The island is just 350 metres (1,150 ft) off the northernmost tip of Sumatra. The island is small at only 156.3 km², but mountainous. The highest peak is a fumarolic volcano and is 617 metres (2,024 ft).[1] The last known eruption is estimated to have occurred in the Pleistocene age. As a result of this eruption, the mountain partially collapsed, was filled by the sea and thus a separate island was formed.

At nine metres depth (29.5 ft) close to Sabang city, underwater fumaroles emerge from the seabed.[3] A volcanic cone is found in the jungle. There are three solfatara (mudpot) fields on the island: one is 750 m (0.5 mi) southeast of the summit and the others are 5 km (3 mi) and 11.5 km (7 mi) 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 Muslim during the Hajj pilgrimage season ,
Inhabitants Weh Island is a part of Aceh province. A 1993 census reported 24,700 inhabitants. The large majority of the population are Acehnese and the remaining are Minangkabau, Javanese, Batak and Chinese.[6] 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.
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 34 km² inland and 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. 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.[10] In 2000, the Indonesian government declared Sabang as a Free Trade Zone and Free Port to gain economical benefit by establishing the port as a logistic hub for international vessels passing through the strait.[11] 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.
Ecosystem 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. The effect on the island was relatively small, but it is unknown how many inhabitants of the island were killed by the event.

During 1997–1999, Conservation International conducted a survey of the coral reef in the area.[5] 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. 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[13] (some say it is the 23rd sightings of the species since its discovery in 1976. The male shark, measuring 1.7 metres (5.58 ft) 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.

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami has affected the ecosystem on the island.[16] 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 have been replanted to save the mangrove forest.

Apart from underwater ecosystem, Weh island is the only habitat of one threatened species of toad, named Bufo valhallae (genus Bufo). 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.

PULAU WEH DIVING INFORMATION
Pristine coral reefs and the common sighting of large marine animals attract visitors to this unspoiled tropical paradise. The currents around pulau Weh draw the big plankton feeders such as whale sharks and manta rays, with the former frequenting the area each January. Dolphin sightings, sometimes with pods numbering hundreds, are a common occurrence. Around and on pulau Weh are two protected areas: Rubiah sea garden (2,600 hectares) and Iboih recreation park (1,300 ha). A 350m wide channel separates pulau Weh from its reef-encircled sister island, pulau Rubiah.

The most northwestern island of Indonesia offers truly world class diving with clear waters and impressive under water landscapes. Here, where the Andaman Sea meets the Indian Ocean, the deep waters and currents around the island sustain an unbelievable amount and variety of marine life, ranging from tiny critters to grand pelagic's ...

Dive in crowds of fish, not in crowds of divers:
Still being an insiders' secret, and off the beaten track, Pulau Weh offers unspoiled and uncrowded dive sites. Add our team's dedication, experience and love for the ocean and you'll get unforgettable dives, from spectacular full-adrenaline dives to long slow relaxed macro spotting dives.

Pulau Weh is located on the northwestern tip of Sumatra, a 350 meter wide channel fills the gap between Pulau Weh and its reef-encircled sister island, Pulau Rubiah where good drift dives can be had. The island also offers wrecks, drop offs and an amazing array of marine life. Most dive sites are reachable by boat within 30 minutes from Ibioh, a pleasant fishing village where most visitors find themselves based.
The Dive Sites There are upto 20 dive spots around Pulau Weh, we will cover the more popular ones. Gapang house reef is densely populated with marine life such as scorpionfish, lionfish, leaffish and blue spotted rays, topography makes a nice easy dive, it is also a good spot for the night dive. Pulau Rubia has a couple of nice coral gardens that drop down to 30 meters or so, black spotted and honeycomb morays are resident here.

Arus Balee is the name of the water passage around the rocky pinnacle situated between the islands of Seulako and Rubiah. Appropriately nicknamed by the Acehnese Arus Palee, which means bastard current! This attracts the bigger feeders including sharks and barracuda. Pulau Seulako offers some great drift diving opportunitys in the strong currents.

Batee Tokong is a great spot to find morays including the rarer fimbriated and yellow margined species. The sheer concentration of the creatures here is astounding. A steep slope densely covered with gorgonians continues downwards to over 40 meters, where a second wall starts. On the north side you'll find a 24 to 28 meter deep plateau commonly called Shark Plateau where black and white tip reef sharks, gray sharks and the occasional silvertip are often seen.

Pantee Aneuk Seuke or 'The Canyon' offers caves, arches, walls and canyons often with big visitors such as mantas, barracuda and napoleon wrasse. For the deep freaks the best spot is Pantee Peunateung with its drop off to around 70 meters. Big schools of trevally and chevron barracuda are often seen around the drop off, however caution must be taken diving here as the current often sweeps downwards. Looking up through the vertical fields of gorgonians into the dappled sunlight is magical. Batee Gla has some great rock formations, swimthroughs and arches which can be good to drift through when the currents are strong.

There is even a wreck dive or two here, The 134 meter long Sophie Rickmers is an impressive wreck, covered with corals and home to several morays and groupers, situated in the sheltered bay of Pria Laot. The cargo steam ship was built in 1920 in Germany. On May 1st, 1940 she was one of 5 ships confiscated by the British in the waters around Pulau Weh. However the crew of the Sophie Rickmers sunk their own ship at that same day. Decompression diving is required here as the wheelhouse is at 37 meters, the decks at around 45 meters and the straight bow resting on the bottom lies at over 55 meters deep.

A shallower wreck of a tugboat can be found at 14 meters in Sabang harbour, she makes for a great macro dive. At nearby Pria Loat bay streams of hot spring bubbles from an underwater volcano make a memorable experiance.

Batee Meuduro pinnacle is situated around an hour away on the south side of Pulau Weh, it is one of the islands top sites with great viz, big pelagics and several species of shark.