Cenderawasih Bay, also known as Teluk Sarera and previously Geelvink Bay (Dutch: Geelvinkbaai), is a large bay in the northern provinces of Papua and West Papua, Papua Island, Indonesia.
In this place, there is also Cenderawasih Bay National Park which is the largest marine national park in Indonesia. This bay has been proposed to be the 35th new province of Indonesia.
Natural Condition of Cendrawasih Bay National Park
1. The Location and Topography
Cenderawasih National Park is geographically located at 134°06′ – 135°10′ East Longitude and 01°43′ – 03° 22′ South Latitude. The location is in Teluk Wondama Regency, West Papua Province, and Nabire Regency, Papua Province.
Manokwari Regency, Manci Village, Ransiki District, and the Yapen Waropen Regency border this park area. There is a mainland of Papua in the south, which borders it.
In the south, it shares a border with Papua’s mainland.
East of Cenderawasih National Park is Sima Village, Yaur District, Nabire Regency, and Yapen Waropen Regency. Meanwhile, in the west, it is directly adjacent to the main island of Papua. The topography of TNTC is generally hilly and mountainous, and in some parts, it is sloping, steep, and steep.
2. Climate and Hydrology
Schmidt and Ferguson classify the climatic conditions in Cendrawasih Bay National Park as type-A, which has a Q value of 12.47 percent. Meanwhile, the average rainfall is 1,500 mm/year. The air temperature is always in the range of 25° Celsius to 30° Celsius. In contrast, the humidity is between 75% – 90%.
In addition, there are also many rivers in this national park. One of them is the Wosimi River in Wandamen Bay. The river that empties into the national park consists of small to large rivers and reaches approximately 82 tributaries.
3. Soil Conditions of Cenderawasih Bay
You can find Latosol and clay in flat to undulating places. Alluvial soil is also in coastal areas, swamps, and salty soil (high salinity) is in mangrove swamps.
Flora and Fauna of Cenderawasih Bay National Park
The Cenderawasih Bay National Park lies above the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Australian continental plates. Therefore, it has a very diverse wealth of natural potential. Various types of flora and fauna with various characteristics live and grow throughout this area.
1. Flora
Many different kinds of trees, such as Butun (Barringtonia Asiatica), Ketapang (Terminalia Catappa), Nyamplung (Calophyllum Inophyllum), and sea pine, are frequently seen in this national park (Casuarina Equisetifolia).
Other types of flora come from the Angiosperma group, such as shrubs (Hibiscus Tiliaceus), Pipareceae group, vines such as Ipomea pes Caprae, several species of orchids (Dendrobium sp.), and also pandanus species (Pandanus sp.).
The flora that dominates mangrove forests is Daccenia spp. ., nyiri (Xylocarpus Granatum), mangrove (Rhizophora Apiculata), small dungun (Heritiera Littoralis), putut (Bruguiera Gymnorhyza), Perepat (Sonneratia Alba), soga tingi (Ceriops tagal), sago (Metroxylon Sagopa), and nipa palm (Nypa). Fruticans).
There are also coconut plants (Cocos Nucifera), types of algae such as red algae, seaweed, seagrass Dugong (Thalasia Hempricii), Cymodoceae Rotundatta, Cymodoceae Cerilatta, Enhalus Acoroides, Halodule Uninervis, Halophyla Ovalis, and Halophila minor.
2. Fauna of Cenderawasih Bay
There are two main categories of animals in this national park region: sea mammals and terrestrial mammals. Marine mammals include dolphins (Delphinidae), blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), and dugongs.
Ground kangaroo (Thilogale spp.), cuscus (Phalanger sp.), bats (Pterocarpus Vampyrus), wild boar (Sus Scrofa), and Timor deer are among the land animals that you may find in forests (Cervus Timorensis).
Final Words
The current condition of TNTC is facing various threats of damage, both natural threats, and threats from human activities. The following are some of the threats facing Cenderawasih Bay National Park.
- Bombing and use of poisons that can damage coral reefs
- Changes in temperature and climate that disrupt the sustainability of coral reefs
- Lack of supervision and lack of patrols carried out by law enforcement in the core area of the national park
- Disposal of garbage in the sea and its surroundings by irresponsible parties, especially plastic waste
- Spills oil that causes pollution from fishing boats
Protecting conservation areas in Indonesia, such as Cenderawasih Bay National Park, must continue to be improved. To ensure the sustainability of nature, stakeholders must be aware of their responsibilities.
