| Ombai Strait | |
|---|---|
| |
.jpg) Ombai Strait fromAi Pelo,Timor-Leste, in 2018 | |
  Ombai Strait | |
 | |
| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Coordinates | 8°30′00″S125°00′00″E / 8.50000°S 125.00000°E /-8.50000; 125.00000 |
| Type | Strait |
| Etymology | Alor (Ombai) Island |
| Part of | Banda Sea |
| Basin countries | |
| Min. width | 27 km (17 mi) |
| Max. depth | 3,250 m (10,660 ft) |
| Settlements | Dili |
| References | Ombai Strait: Timor-Leste National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, MD, USA |
Ombai Strait (Indonesian:Selat Ombai,Portuguese:Estreito de Ombai,Tetum:Estreitu Ombai) is an internationalstrait in Southeast Asia. It separates theAlor Archipelago from the islands ofWetar,Atauro, andTimor in theLesser Sunda Islands. The strait is also the western portion of a pair ofinternational straits, the other one beingWetar Strait; the two straits combine to link the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean.
Ombai is an alternative name for the island ofAlor, in theAlor Archipelago on the other side of the strait's north, north western and western coastline.[1]
In Tetum, the expressiontasi feto (lit. transl. 'female sea') is often used to refer to the 'Ombai-Wetar Strait', which extends along most of Timor's northern shores. The counterpart of that body of water, theTimor Sea, which has larger waves, is moreturbid, and washes the whole of Timor's southern coastline, is commonly referred to in Tetum astasi mane (lit. transl. 'male sea').[2]
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Ombai Strait is relatively narrow and deep (3,250 m (10,660 ft)). It has complex and extremebathymetry,[2][3]: 1237 [4] ranging from narrow reef flats (often less than 60 m (200 ft) wide) partly covered with seagrass and coral, to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) depths within 20 km (12 mi) of the coast.[2]
The strait separates theAlor Archipelago from the islands ofWetar,Atauro, andTimor in theLesser Sunda Islands.[3] It also straddles the boundary between theBanda Sea (in its north east) and theSavu Sea (in its south west).[4][5][6]
The Alor Archipelago, andthe western part of Timor except the coastalexclave ofOecusse, which is on the north coast of western Timor, are part of theprovince ofEast Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Wetar is part of theMaluku Province ofIndonesia. Atauro, Oecusse, and the eastern part of Timor comprise the nation ofTimor-Leste.[3]
The southern limit of the Banda Sea runs along the southern edge of the strait from the eastern extremity ofTimor along its north coast as far south west aslongitude 125° East. From that point, the Banda Sea's western limit heads north to Alor Island, where it starts a further run, east, along Alor's south coast, around its east point, and beyond.[5]
Meanwhile, Ombai Strait continues to run from longitude 125° East in a south westerly direction, now within the limits of the Savu Sea. It extends, as part of that sea, at least as far south west asBatek Island, at the north western tip of Oecusse.[5][6]
From Ombai Strait's south western, Savu Sea, end, the strait heads in a generally north eastern direction, while gradually narrowing.[4][3] At its narrowest point between the Alor Archipelago and Timor, it is 27 km (17 mi) wide, and its navigable waters are 26 km (16 mi) across.[7]
Beyond the end of the channel at the strait's north eastern extremity, between the islands of Alor and Atauro, is the Flores Sea to the north west and north, and the Banda Sea to the north east. That channel is 35 km (22 mi) wide at its narrowest point, where the navigable waters are 34 km (21 mi) across.[3][7] To the east of the strait, and linking with it south of Atauro, is Wetar Strait. To the east of the latter strait are the south eastern reaches of the Banda Sea, and the southernmost of theMaluku Islands.[3][7][8]
As such, Ombai Strait is one of two deep water passages in theIndonesian archipelago that link the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the other one being Wetar Strait. The archipelago is the only interocean connection on earth at low latitudes, and the exchange of water between the two oceans is known as theIndonesian Throughflow (ITF).[4]
The ITF flows in a generally north east to south west direction. Its main pathway runs from the Pacific Ocean into the Banda Sea via theCelebes Sea,Makassar Strait and theJava andFlores Seas. Some of the ITF then passes directly into Ombai Strait, and some of it flows there indirectly, around Wetar Island's eastern end, and then via Wetar Strait.[3]: 1237 [9]: 17 [10]
By this and other ITF pathways, nutrient-rich water from the Pacific Ocean runs into the Indian Ocean,[9]: 14 [11] at a rate 50 times faster than thedischarge of theAmazon River.[9]: 14 DuringEl Niño, the water is cooler and inhibits rain.[9]: 18 In Ombai Strait, there is also a counterflowing eastwards current, which affects the strait's overall mix of nutrients, temperatures and salinity levels.[9]: 18
The eastwards current is an extension of the South Java Current (SJC), and its deeper Undercurrent (SJUC), from the Savu Sea into the strait. During the dry season (March–November), the strong, prevailing westwards ITF currents in the strait are at an annual maximum at the surface in the southern part of the strait, and a front appears to trap the portion of the SJC inside the strait to within ~10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) of the strait's northern boundary. By contrast, the SJUC, when present, is observed across the entire strait.[12] The ITF currents are at their weakest during the north-east monsoon rainy season (December–February), when there are also strong westerly (onshore) winds and waves.[2]
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Along the northern littoral of Timor-Leste, including the strait, the shallow coastal waters are dominated by aseagrass bed about 2,200 ha (5,400 acres) in total area.[13]: 2-29–2-30 Seagrass beds protect coral reefs from sedimentation and are feeding grounds fordugong (Dugong dugon), an endangered species.[14]: 82 Sevengenera of seagrass are known to exist off Timor-Leste's coastline as a whole.[13]: 2–29
Timor-Leste's coastal waters have also traditionally hostedmangrove forests. Together with seagrasses andcoral reefs, they are the primary breeding grounds for many species of fish and shellfish. However, the country's mangrove cover has very substantially declined since 1940, and in Ombai Strait is now confined to the coastline and hinterland betweenTibar [de] and theBay of Dili.[14]: xvi, xvii, 3–5, 81, 82 [15]: 3
A survey ofTibar Bay carried out in 2016 found three mangrove species, namelySonneratia alba, which was the dominant species,Avicennia marina andRhizophora stylosa.[16]: 2, 8 The report of another survey, carried out in 2017, stated that the dominant species in the area wasSonneratia albia, and that there were some clusters ofRhizophora apiculata,Ceriops tagal, andLumnitzera.[15]: 14
The 2016 survey report estimated the total area of mangrove in the bay to be 14 ha (35 acres);[16]: 2, 8 the 2017 survey report's estimate was 22 ha (54 acres). According to the latter report, tree density was relatively low, at around 100–400 trees per hectare, and the mangrove cluster was heavily degraded, due to direct and indirect human activities. The former activities includedfish pond andsalt pan development, mangrove cutting, andcattle grazing. The latter activities weresea level rise, andsiltation due toerosion in the hills on the landward side of the mangroves.[15]: 7, 13–14, 22–23
In parts of Ombai Strait, and especially close to the coast of Alor Island, elevatedphytoplanktonblooms or concentrations (and therefore availability of food for other species) have been observed, particularly during the dry south-east monsoon.[2][4] The physical structure of the strait makes it likely that such concentrations are driven by fronts and vertical flows caused by some combination of tidal currents or topographic effects.[4]
A study published in 2002 noted persistent flow-induced upwelling and frontal features in the strait, together with subjective evidence of extremely strong tides. The study concluded that the upwelling and frontal features coincided with large phytoplankton blooms and significantly affected the concentration and distribution of chlorophyll in the Savu Sea. According to the study report, it is likely that the mean flow associated with the ITF also plays a role in causing the blooms.[4]
The Ombai-Wetar corridor is heavily used bywhales,dolphins,whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) andmanta rays. The two straits combine to form a major migratory route for these species between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.[17] Timor-Leste, on the south side of the two straits, is a recognized global hotspot for whales and dolphins.[18]
Ombai Strait in particular has been identified as a criticalhabitat forsperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus),blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus),giant oceanic manta rays (Manta birostris) andsea turtles (Cheloniidae), amongst other endangered, threatened and protected species.[19] Other species that have been observed consistently in the strait includefalse killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), andspinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris), both of them in huge pods made up of large numbers of individuals.[20]
The report of a 2013 survey ofTibar Bay, on Ombai Strait's southern shore not far west ofDili, Timor-Leste, noted that a local dive tourism operator had made frequent sightings of dugong along the coast immediately east of the bay, and that there were also anecdotal reports ofsaltwater crocodiles in the bay.[17]
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A short distance further east, at Tasitolu, dugongs are often observed, although as of 2019[update] detailed information regarding their habitat location, size, and characteristics in the area was not available.[13]: 2–29 The other sea life at Tasitolu includescephalopods,crustaceans,frogfish,harlequin ghost pipefish, smalloctopuses,rhinopias,sea horses, and soft coralcrabs.[21]
Ombai Strait is also part of theCoral Triangle, which is recognised as a global centre of marinebiodiversity.[22] The coastal zones of Timor-Leste have important areas ofcoral reefecosystems, such as the ones atTasitolu and in the Bay of Dili. At Tasitolu, the reefs west of Dili Rock are live, healthy and diverse, but those to the east of the rock have lower coverage and more reef rubble. At thePort of Dili inside the Bay of Dili, there are at least four different species of coral.[13]: 2-29–2-30
The Dili area, on the southern edge of the strait, is a recognised nesting ground forsea turtles, of three different species:hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata;Critically Endangered (CR), according to theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)Red List),olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea;Vulnerable (VU)), andgreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas;Endangered (EN)). On both the Tasi Tolu Beach and the Beto Tasi Beach nearDili's international airport, there is regular hatching of sea turtles.[13]: 2–29 However, in most parts of Timor-Leste sea turtles are overharvested for their eggs, skin, meat andcarapace for handicraft making.[14]: xviii
The northern edge of the strait abuts twoImportant Bird Areas (IBAs),Gunung Muna (on Alor, Indonesia),[23] and Atauro (Timor-Leste).[24] The southern edge of the strait is also the northern shore of fourEast Timorese IBAs. From west to east, they areBe Malae (just to the west of theLoes River),Maubara (a short distance east of the village ofMaubara), Tasitolu (just to the west of Dili), andAreia Branca no Dolok Oan (on the eastern side of the Bay of Dili).[25]
The village of Lamalera (pop. 2,500) on the south coast ofLembata, facing the south western entrance to the strait, is known for itshunting of sperm whale and other deep-sea species. The hunting has been taking place for at least six centuries, and is allowed underInternational Whaling Commission regulations concerningaboriginal whaling. However,conservationists worry that commercial whaling also takes place, and that hunters use their engine-powered boats all year round to catch other protected species such as manta rays,orcas (Orcinus orca), dolphins and oceanic sharks.[26][27]
OnWorld Oceans Day 2020, the Ombai-Wetar Strait was designated as aMission Blue Hope Spot. The designation recognises the importance of conserving the open waters on the north side of Timor-Leste, with their globally-significant coral reefs and marine biodiversity. It also emphasises the potential of the two straits for sustainable marine ecotourism development.[28]
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Under theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a commercial vessel or aircraft has freedom of navigation or overflight solely for the purpose of continuous and expeditious transit of astrait between one part of thehigh seas orexclusive economic zone and another.[29] Thattransit passage principle applies to Ombai Strait and Wetar Strait, as they combine to link two oceans.[30][31]
The Ombai-Wetar route is longer in distance than itsStrait of Malacca-Singapore Strait counterpart. The former route is therefore not really a preferred alternative path for west to east commercial traffic.[30] However, it is sometimes used, and is considered the safest route, for thelargest oil tankers transiting between thePersian Gulf and Japan, and is also used by vessels transiting between Australia and theJava Sea or East Asia.[31]
The two straits are always critical for Timor-Leste, both in relation to its own international trade and as routes for internal transport.[31] In Ombai Strait, internal East Timorese ferry services operate regularly between Dili and both Atauro and Oecusse.[32] If there were any disruption in the flow of commercial shipping on the Malacca-Singapore route, the Ombai-Wetar route would also have a crucial role to play in global trade, especially for the Asia-Pacific region.[31]
The ships and aircraft of all nations, including warships, auxiliaries, and military aircraft, enjoy the right of unimpeded transit passage through straits such as the Ombai-Wetar route and their approaches. Submarines are free to transit the route submerged, as that is their normal mode of operation.[33]
The channels of the Ombai-Wetar route are extremely deep.[30] Timor-Leste has refused advances by China seeking off-shore oil rights and permission to set up radar arrays ostensibly to counter illegal fishing.[31]
The two straits therefore provide a route for undetected access by nuclear-powered submarines between the two oceans they connect.[30][31] In particular, they are an alternative deep water route for submerged U.S. submarines moving betweenGuam and stations in the Indian Ocean via theMolucca Passage, Indonesia, which separatesSulawesi fromHalmahera.[7] Although the Ombai-Wetar route is a less direct link between Guam and the Indian Ocean than theLombok-Makassar route, it is useful because it has limited traffic and very little surveillance, with the consequence that passing submarines are less likely to be tracked.[7]
By the mid-1970s, the Ombai-Wetar route had been identified as one of five international straits essential for passage by U.S.ballistic missile submarines, the others beingGibraltar, Malacca-Singapore,Lombok andSunda.[31][34] In 1977, a paper published by theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies, based in London, ranked the Ombai-Wetar route as the second-most-important strait in the world to U.S. defense interests, after the Strait of Gibraltar.[35] The two straits are now also considered by China to be strategically significant.[31]
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In Timor-Leste, involvement in fishing is low by comparison with other small island countries. Along the north coast of Timor and around Atauro, including within the strait, fishing levels are higher than elsewhere in the country, other than in pockets along parts of the south coast. Many of the fishers fish part time or seasonally, and are otherwise occupied in additional activities such as carpentry, labouring or security work. Most of the fish landings are of small pelagic species, including short-bodiedmackerel, sardines (Clupeidae),halfbeaks and scads (Carangidae).[2]
A study published in 2019 observed that fishing vessels in and around the border area in Ombai Strait betweenEast Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, and Bobonaro, Timor-Leste, were dominated by non-motorized andoutboard motorized boats.Gill nets andhandlines were widely used. Fishing grounds were limited, and the activities of fishermen were highly disrupted by a growing number of illegal fishing practices. Small pelagic fish in theIndonesia–Timor-Leste border area were regarded as shared fish stock and captured by fishermen from both countries. The report of the study recommended transboundary fisheries management in the border area, using an ecosystem-based approach.[36]
A 2021 study concluded that a number of species of sardines (and also other small pelagic fish) were caught on the north coast of East Timor, with flat-bodied sardinellas (S. gibbosa etc.) being the dominant species group landed atLoes, and relatively abundant atComoro. At most sites, catches of these pelagic species varied moderately between years, and were larger during therainy season and when medium-sizedturbid plumes were extending from river mouths. Fishers at various sites generally perceived a decline in landings over the previous 20 years. They attributed the decline to several human factors, including higher fishing effort,plastic pollution, motorisation of canoes and larger-scale, less selective fishing gear. Some sardine species were sold readily to traders; others were commonly kept for immediate home consumption.[2]
Another of the strait's pelagic fisheries isflying fish (Exocoetidae); both the meat and eggs of flying fish can be used.[37]: 1 According to another 2021 study, theexploitation rate of flying fish in Ombai Strait is relatively low, and at arational and sustainable utilisation range.[37]: 10 Five species of flying fish were found.[37]: 9 The waters in the strait were relatively fertile,[37]: 9 pattern recruitment occurred throughout the year, and peak recruitment was in September and June.[37]: 10 Adult fish groups were dominant, growth was fast, and the naturalmortality rate was higher than the fishing mortality rate.[37]: 10
Timor-Leste's whale watching industry is focused on the Ombai-Wetar route, and has been growing rapidly since the 2010s.[18] Annual migrations of whales and dolphins through the route's generally calm waters provide some of the best and most accessiblewhale watching in the world.[18][38] Thecetaceans migrating along the route are often very close to shore;[18][38]: 24, 25 networks of local residents record their movements and behaviour, and then report it in 'real time' to researchers and Dili-based whale watching tour operators.[18]
The island of Atauro, at the north eastern end of the strait, has been described as the highlight of anydiving trip to Timor-Leste.[39] Atauro's west coast dive sites, located within the strait, are said to be the best way to experience the island's diving.[40] There are other dive sites in the strait, near Dili including Tasitolu,[39] and dive sites at Alor,[41] but Alor's main diving areas are not within the strait.[42]
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