Whale hunters in Indonesia

The Indonesian whale hunter village, Lamalera Rain mostly exists in the prayers of Christian people of Lamalera. The rocky mountains surrounding the village where a thousand people live ; is not suitable for breeding animals; no vegetables and fruits can survive in the bare, burnt-out ground. There is only the sea, and its fruits to survive: little fish, manta, bottlenose dolphin and the fervently hoped whale. And it has been so for hundred years. It used to happen the same way: a man, with a long wangee cane in his hand, jumping at bag from the whale-boat, made of wood, and no metal, at all. Sometimes, the 10-15 meters long mammal wins, the crew dies, and the little boat is sunk. But hunt is a need. Every day goes on according to the same choreography. After the early Morning Prayer, men launch cockleshells, jumping in, straining every nerve, and sailing on open-sea, all day long, desperate for food. In spite of the fact, that the FAO, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations gave them modern boats, those were sent back, after a short period of use. To kill twenty-thirty whales a week, caused a serious case of conscience for them. Earlier, they hunted this amount in a year. The whalers were frightened: what happens if sea would run out of whale. They felt responsibility, unlike the owners of the huge whaleboats, who are responsible for murdering lots of thousands whales a year. This is the reason of a reduced stock of whales (by 90 percent in the last hundred years) in spite of the International Whaling Commission's efforts and the international prohibition of whale hunting. Although these regulations do not apply to Lamalera because they hunt for everyday living, not for trading purposes for dying out of whales, they blame themselves. They offended the spirit of big mammal somehow, they think, and thats why they dont capture whales at all. But belief is stronger, than anything in this part of the world, so they dont think about tsunami happened just one year before, causing death of hundred-thousands, and sweeping changes in nature and climate. And they dont care for opinions, which say, that tsunami has probably changed the itinerary of whales, and they disappear from this area. Mementoes of the village are witnesses of successful hunting, happened not so long ago: at the door of the village you are welcome by a whale-carving figure while in the main square, next to a monumental whale skull old men are consulting. Motives of mammal decorate the uniform of students and the handmade carpets, as well. Fence is made of whale ribs, of course. Just because they dont have refrigerator, meal of whale is dried on stings, strained between houses, and after early darkness, the (whale) blubber is crepitating in lamps. But less and less lamps light in windows. Many of lamalerian people leave the traditional village, in hope of finding a better and safer way of living. In these days, some fish boats float off, with the number of crew just enough, and necessary, but it would never be the same again, like it was before. Whales keep away from Lamalera, maybe, forever.

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