Sausapor
Encyclopedia
Sausapor is a small town and kecamatan in the Tambrauw Regency
of West Papua, Indonesia
. The town is located on the northern coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula
, also known as the Vogelkop Peninsula. According to the 1983 census, the kecamatan has a population of 3,325, and more recent figures reveal around 1000 people living in the main town of Sausapor. Sausapor is a major breeding ground for sea turtle
s and bird habitat.
On June 17, 1944, S-47
, under Lieutenant Lloyd V. Young, sailed from the Admiralty Islands
for Waigeo
, with the mission to assist in restoring the crude oil facilities in the Dutch East Indies
. However, due to lack of suitable landing facilities, it was diverted to land 55 miles northeast of Sorong. It landed near Sausapor on June 23 where the party spent the week surveying the region and were eventually ordered to seize it on July 30 as it has a good landing beach and coastal plain, making it an ideal landing site. However, it should be noted that the Japanese had a barge-staging station garrisoned by some 100 troops at Mar, just 13 miles northeast of Sausapor. From here, the Operation Globetrotter came into effect. In the end, though, the runway for fighter aircraft was built on Middleburg Island and for bombers near Mar to the northeast (the landing strip is still visible to this day), although the control of Sausapor was vital for the security of the base to launch the campaign and remained an air warning radar station. Ships patrolled this area of the coastline throughout the month long campaign, keeping the Japanese at bay. Operation Globetrotter ended on August 31 and General MacArthur's last point of landing on the way back to the Philippines
was at Sausapor. Cape Opmarai Airfield
is now a nearby, disused airfield.
After American troops landed in Sausapor in 1945, a tsutsugamushi
epidemic occurred. Subsequently, research was conducted on Sansapor's rats and mites, using C-ration
s as rat bait, to better understand the epidemiology
of the illness.
of northwestern Papua. It is situated 15 miles west of Cape of Good Hope
, the northern-most point of New Guinea. The mouth of the Wewe River empties into the sea near Sausapor. While it was known as Dutch New Guinea, Sansapor, just south of the equator, was its most northern area.
Sausapor has several zones which include rain forest, garden areas, beach, and forest margin. Thirteen miles to the northeast of the settlement is Mar and the islands off its coast; Mios Soe Islands, Middleburg Island and Amsterdam Island. The area around the village is heavily forested, with hilly areas to the southeast. The extensive stretch of beach in the area is known as the "Green Beach". Entrance into Sansapor's jetty is through a narrow opening in the coral reef. The sea bottom, 40 feet (12.2 m) to 50 feet (15.2 m) below water, is visible from above.
Annual rainfall is approximately 300 inches (762 cm) per year.
. The district contains seven villages.
The main religions group is under Sorong, most of them are Christians with Muslims forming a major minority. The main ethnic groups are the Karon and Yeden constituted by the sub ethnic groups of Karon Pantai, Karondori, Marei, Madik, Meyah, Haram and Arfak.
A variety of bananas grow here, including yellow-skinned, green-skinned, and "red bananas".
Avifauna
According to the proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia published in 1940, the various birds species collected or sighted near Sausapor are: Acipeter poliocephalus (at sea level), Pandion haliaetus cristatus, Megaphodius freycinet duperyii (along the shore), Gaura cristata cristata (common along the coast and not inland), Psittrichas fulgidus (found in flocks of 5 or 6), Geoffroyus Geoffroyi pucherani, Podargus Papuensis, Podargus ocellatus ocellatus, Caprimulgus macrurus yorki, Collocalia vanikorensis granti, Ceyex lepidus solitarius, Halcyon sancta sancta, Tanysiptera galatea galatea, Meropa ornatus, Eurystomus orientalis pacificus, Hirundo thahitica frontalis, Gerygone chrysogaster notata, Gerygone pelpebrosa pelpebrosa, Rhipidura leucophyra melaleuca, Rhipidura rufiventris gularis, Monarcha cinerascens inornatus, Monarcha chrysomela melanonotus, Arses telescophthalmus telescophthalmus, Machaerirhynchus flaviventer albigula, Poecilodryas hypoleuca hypoleuca, Pachycephala griseiceps griseiceps, Pitohui ferrugineus ferrugineus, Oriolus szalayi, Cracticus cassicus, Gymnocorvus tristis, Manucodia ater ater, Manucodia chalybatus, Craspedophora magifica magnifica, Parotia sefilata, Cicinnurus regius rex, Paradissea minor minor, Cinnyris jugularsis frenata, Toxorhamphus novaguineae novaguineae and Xanthotis chrysotis chrysotis.
The coastline off Sausapor has been proposed for a reserve named Sausapor Nature Reserve, although a 1989 publication seems to indicate that a reserve named Sausapor Strict Nature Reserve protecting turtle nesting ground has existed in the area for quite some time. This is also corroborated by the action proposed to relocate 50 families living near the turtle nestling beach area of this reserve. Along with the proposed Wewe-Koor and Jamursba-Medi reserves the three reserves combined would protect 85 kilometres (52.8 mi) of the coastline.
The Sausapor Nature Reserve is part of the proposed Jamursba-Medi, Sausapor and Wewe-Koor Nature Reserves that extends over a length of 85 km of the northern coast of Vogelkop peninsula. It is reported that these sites have the world's largest number of leatherback sea turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea) colonies. World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) in association with the Indonesia
n officials has been active in this area, since 1993, by patrolling the area to prevent poaching of the turtle and their eggs.
Tambrauw Regency
Tambrauw Regency is a regency of West Papua, Indonesia. The principal town lies at Fef....
of West Papua, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The town is located on the northern coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula
Bird's Head Peninsula
The Bird's Head Peninsula or Doberai Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the Province of West Papua, Indonesia.-Location and geography:...
, also known as the Vogelkop Peninsula. According to the 1983 census, the kecamatan has a population of 3,325, and more recent figures reveal around 1000 people living in the main town of Sausapor. Sausapor is a major breeding ground for sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s and bird habitat.
History
Roman Catholicism spread to Sausapor during the Dutch colonial period when the villagers favoured a Catholic mission effectively governing them rather than a formal Dutch Protestant government. Historically, it has been noted as a cloth producing centre.On June 17, 1944, S-47
USS S-47 (SS-158)
USS S-47 was a third-group S-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 26 February 1921 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 5 January 1924 sponsored by Mrs. Morris D...
, under Lieutenant Lloyd V. Young, sailed from the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
for Waigeo
Waigeo
Waigeo is an island in West Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The island is also known as Amberi, or Waigiu. It is the largest of the four main islands in the Raja Ampat Islands archipelago, between Halmahera and about 65 km to the northwest coast of New Guinea...
, with the mission to assist in restoring the crude oil facilities in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. However, due to lack of suitable landing facilities, it was diverted to land 55 miles northeast of Sorong. It landed near Sausapor on June 23 where the party spent the week surveying the region and were eventually ordered to seize it on July 30 as it has a good landing beach and coastal plain, making it an ideal landing site. However, it should be noted that the Japanese had a barge-staging station garrisoned by some 100 troops at Mar, just 13 miles northeast of Sausapor. From here, the Operation Globetrotter came into effect. In the end, though, the runway for fighter aircraft was built on Middleburg Island and for bombers near Mar to the northeast (the landing strip is still visible to this day), although the control of Sausapor was vital for the security of the base to launch the campaign and remained an air warning radar station. Ships patrolled this area of the coastline throughout the month long campaign, keeping the Japanese at bay. Operation Globetrotter ended on August 31 and General MacArthur's last point of landing on the way back to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was at Sausapor. Cape Opmarai Airfield
Cape Opmarai Airfield
Cape Opmarai Airfield is a disused airfield located near Sansapor, in Irian Jaya province, Indonesia. It is abandoned and overgrown, disused since 1944.-History:...
is now a nearby, disused airfield.
After American troops landed in Sausapor in 1945, a tsutsugamushi
Scrub typhus
Scrub typhus or Bush typhus is a form of typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi first isolated and identified in 1930 in Japan., accessdate: 16 October 2011...
epidemic occurred. Subsequently, research was conducted on Sansapor's rats and mites, using C-ration
C-ration
The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, or prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food or packaged unprepared food prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available, and when a survival ration was...
s as rat bait, to better understand the epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
of the illness.
Geography
Sausapor is located on the Vogel Kop Peninsula on the northern coast of the Bird's Head PeninsulaBird's Head Peninsula
The Bird's Head Peninsula or Doberai Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the Province of West Papua, Indonesia.-Location and geography:...
of northwestern Papua. It is situated 15 miles west of Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, the northern-most point of New Guinea. The mouth of the Wewe River empties into the sea near Sausapor. While it was known as Dutch New Guinea, Sansapor, just south of the equator, was its most northern area.
Sausapor has several zones which include rain forest, garden areas, beach, and forest margin. Thirteen miles to the northeast of the settlement is Mar and the islands off its coast; Mios Soe Islands, Middleburg Island and Amsterdam Island. The area around the village is heavily forested, with hilly areas to the southeast. The extensive stretch of beach in the area is known as the "Green Beach". Entrance into Sansapor's jetty is through a narrow opening in the coral reef. The sea bottom, 40 feet (12.2 m) to 50 feet (15.2 m) below water, is visible from above.
Annual rainfall is approximately 300 inches (762 cm) per year.
Demographics
According to the 1983 census, the kecamatan of Sausapor had a population of 3325 people. The town itself according to more recent figures has a population of 1000 people; 400 people at least in the town speak a language known as the Je dialect of the Abun languageAbun language
Abun, also known as Yimbun, A Nden, Manif, Karon, is a West Papuan language of New Guinea. It is not closely related to any other language, and though Ross assigned it to the West Papuan family, based on similarities in pronouns, Ethnologue removed it as a language isolate....
. The district contains seven villages.
The main religions group is under Sorong, most of them are Christians with Muslims forming a major minority. The main ethnic groups are the Karon and Yeden constituted by the sub ethnic groups of Karon Pantai, Karondori, Marei, Madik, Meyah, Haram and Arfak.
Culture
A tribal dance native to this region is known as alin or sera (to the north of Sausapor) which involves the participants forming a circle.Fauna and flora
Sausapor is an important wildlife spot, in particular it is a sea turtle breeding ground and host to a diversity of bird species. Birds which have been spotted at Sausapor include Gymnocorvus, Manucodia ater ater, Manucodia chalybatus and Craspedophora magnifica magnifica. A pigeon-sized, light blue coloured bird is called bocrocu by the inhabitants.A variety of bananas grow here, including yellow-skinned, green-skinned, and "red bananas".
Avifauna
According to the proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia published in 1940, the various birds species collected or sighted near Sausapor are: Acipeter poliocephalus (at sea level), Pandion haliaetus cristatus, Megaphodius freycinet duperyii (along the shore), Gaura cristata cristata (common along the coast and not inland), Psittrichas fulgidus (found in flocks of 5 or 6), Geoffroyus Geoffroyi pucherani, Podargus Papuensis, Podargus ocellatus ocellatus, Caprimulgus macrurus yorki, Collocalia vanikorensis granti, Ceyex lepidus solitarius, Halcyon sancta sancta, Tanysiptera galatea galatea, Meropa ornatus, Eurystomus orientalis pacificus, Hirundo thahitica frontalis, Gerygone chrysogaster notata, Gerygone pelpebrosa pelpebrosa, Rhipidura leucophyra melaleuca, Rhipidura rufiventris gularis, Monarcha cinerascens inornatus, Monarcha chrysomela melanonotus, Arses telescophthalmus telescophthalmus, Machaerirhynchus flaviventer albigula, Poecilodryas hypoleuca hypoleuca, Pachycephala griseiceps griseiceps, Pitohui ferrugineus ferrugineus, Oriolus szalayi, Cracticus cassicus, Gymnocorvus tristis, Manucodia ater ater, Manucodia chalybatus, Craspedophora magifica magnifica, Parotia sefilata, Cicinnurus regius rex, Paradissea minor minor, Cinnyris jugularsis frenata, Toxorhamphus novaguineae novaguineae and Xanthotis chrysotis chrysotis.
Conservation
The Sausapor Nature Reserve is part of the proposed Jamursba-Medi, Sausapor and Wewe-Koor Nature Reserves that extends over a length of 85 km of the northern coast of Vogelkop peninsula. It is reported that these sites have the world's largest number of leatherback sea turtle
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
(Dermochelys coriacea) colonies. World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
(WWF) in association with the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n officials has been active in this area, since 1993, by patrolling the area to prevent poaching of the turtle and their eggs.