Lighthouses of Indonesia: Southern Sumatra

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/idri.htm

 Lighthouses of Indonesia: Southern Sumatra

Indonesia has been independent since 1945, after having been the Dutch East Indies for more than 350 years. It is a huge country, stretching along both sides of the Equator for more than 46 degrees of longitude (roughly 5100 km or 3200 miles). Comprised of some 17,000 islands (more than 6000 inhabited islands), it has hundreds of major aids to navigation. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to know how many of these aids can be considered lighthouses. Information about them is scarce, and photos are even scarcer. Official light lists contain dozens of entries for “framework towers” and “white beacons,” providing little guidance for the lighthouse fan. Sumatra (or, as Indonesians prefer, Sumatera) is the world’s sixth largest island and the westernmost of the major islands of Indonesia. It is separated from Malaysia to the north by the Malacca Strait, from Borneo to the northeast by the broad Karimata Strait, and from Java to the southeast by the Sunda Strait. Its south coast faces the open Indian Ocean. This page includes lighthouses of the central and southern portions of the island, including the provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, Bengkulu, and West Sumatra. This page is probably not complete. Listed here are towers at locations known to be historic Dutch light stations, plus some additional sites at which there is some evidence for a lighthouse. Added to this is an appeal for more information and photos; if you know about lighthouses in Indonesia, please share that knowledge. Note: Lighthouses of Bangka and Belitung, formerly listed under Sumatra, now have a separate page. The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjungand ujung are words for capes, pulau is an island, selat is a strait, and teluk is a harbor. Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Indonesian Directorate of Marine Navigation (Indomarinav). ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volumes F and K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112. General Sources Historical Lighthouses From Indomarinav, information on four surviving Dutch lighthouses. KITLV Beeldbank Historic photos from the collection of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies.

Ujung Batumandi Light, Padang, October 2008 anonymous Panoramio photo; permission requested

Malacca Strait Lighthouses

Pulau Jemur

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 5 s. 24 m (79 ft) skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A small photo is available, but the island is only a blur in Google’s satellite view. Pulau Jemur is an island east of Tanjungbalai in the Strait of Malacca, about 50 km (30 mi) offshore and 75 km (45 mi) from the Malaysian coast. The provincial government is interested in developing tourist facilities on the island, but admits that conditions are somewhat primitive at the present time. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-201; Admiralty F1386; NGA 22484.

Pulau Batumandi (Batu Mandi) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a 2-story concrete keeper’s house. Entire lighthouse painted white. This is a staffed station. A photo is at right. Located on a rocky reef near the center of the Malacca Strait, about 13 km (8 mi) east of Pulau Jemur. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1388; NGA 22484.5. Tanjung Medang Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white flash every 10 s. 50 m (164 ft) square tapered skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Keeper’s houses nearby. An excellent photo and a distant view are available, and Google has a good satellite view. Tanjung Medang is an important landmark marking the entrance to the narrow section of the Strait. Located on a swampy cape at the northern tip of Pulau Rupat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-315; Admiralty F1395; NGA 22492. Morong Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) “beacon.” No further information available, and Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located at an estuary entrance on the east side of Pulau Rupat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-171; Admiralty F1395.5; NGA 22496.

Pulau Batu Mandi Light anonymous Creative Commons photo

Bengkalis

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) tower. Bengkalis is a small city on the south side of the island of Bengkalis, just off the mainland of Sumatra. The navigational light is probably mounted on a square skeletal communications tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, seen in the background of many photos of the town. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1407; NGA 22544.

Tanjung Parit

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 5 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located on a swampy cape at the northeastern corner of Bengkalis Island. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-320; Admiralty F1413.5; NGA 22580.

Berhala Strait Lighthouses

Tanjung Datuk

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 25 m (82 ft) “white beacon.” No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located on a swampy point on the west side of the Berhala Strait, which separates Sumatra from the Riau Islands. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-300; Admiralty F1429; NGA 22616.

Selat Berhala (Berhala Strait)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); three white flashes every 14 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located on Tanjung Jabung, the mainland cape on the south side of the entrance to Berhala Strait, which separates Pulau Singkap from the mainland near the southern end of Riau Province. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-273; Admiralty K0975; NGA 22726.

Pulau Maspari (Lucipara)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 5 s. 48 m (157 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and the island is only a blur in Google’s satellite view. This lighthouse guides vessels approaching the southern entrance to the Bangka Strait, which separates Sumatra from Bangka. It is often grouped with the Bangka lighthouses, but the island is in South Sumatra province. Located on a small island about 13 km (8 mi) off the Sumatran coast at the southern entrance to the strait. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-024; Admiralty K0983; NGA 22916.

Sunda Strait Lighthouses

Pulau Segama

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and the island is only a blur in Google’s satellite view. This lighthouse guides vessels approaching the northern entrance to Sunda Strait. Located on a small island about 30 km (19 mi) off the Sumatran coast and 80 km (50 mi) north of the entrance to the strait. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-246; Admiralty K1043; NGA 23380.

Tanjung Tua Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the cape. This lighthouse is at the southeastern corner of Sumatra and marks the west side of the northern entrance to Sunda Strait. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-331; Admiralty K0927; NGA 23016. Serdang Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 40 m (131 ft) “red lantern on white framework tower,” according to NGA. No photo available, and the location is only a blur in Google’s satellite view. This lighthouse is on an island on the west side of the south entrance to Sunda Strait, in the mouth of the bay of Panjang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-276; Admiralty K0926.5; NGA 23020. Tanjung Cukuhbalambing (Vlakken Hoek, Balimbing, Belimbing) (2) Date unknown (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 58 m (190 ft) white cast iron tower with dwelling. Max Highlander’s view from the sea is at right, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. This lighthouse marks the southern point of Sumatra; it is a landfall light for eastbound ships approaching the Sunda Strait. The original lighthouse here, a 60 m (197 ft) cast iron tower, was destroyed by the tsunami waves created by the eruption of Krakatoa in August 1883; the Rijksmuseum has a scale model of this tower. The light station is now included in the Tambling National Park. Located on the point of the cape near Balimbing. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-082; Admiralty K0914; NGA 23076.

Tanjung Cukuhbalambing (Vlakken Hoek) Light, July 2008 Panoramio photo copyright Max Highlander; used by permission

Ujung Cukubatuberagam

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. NGA provides no description for this light, but Google’s satellite view reveals a white, presumably skeletal, tower, probably with lantern and gallery. Located on a hook-shaped promontory about 50 km (30 mi) northwest of the historic Vlakken Hoek lighthouse. Site status unknown. Admiralty K0911; NGA 23086.

Krui Area (Indian Ocean) Lighthouses

Ujung Walor (Walur)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); continuous white light. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. Located on a promontory near Krui. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-353; Admiralty K0910; NGA 23088.

Krui (Tanjung Salobu)

1904 (?). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. A distant view is available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the location. It seems likely that the present tower is the original, as seen in KITLV’s distant view. Krui is popular with surfers and has a number of resorts. Located on a steep bluff near Krui. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-051; Admiralty K0906; NGA 23092.

Pulau Pisang (Teluk Krui)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); one long white flash every 15 s. 31 m (102 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. The lighthouse appears on the left in a photo taken from the mainland (click on the photo for magnification). Google has a satellite view of the area, but the location of the lighthouse is not clear. Located on an island about 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Krui. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-082; Admiralty K0904; NGA 23096.

Indian Ocean Lighthouses

Tanjung Bandar (2)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) skeletal tower, probably with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This might be the original lighthouse seen in KITLV’s historic photo. Located on a promontory about 1 km (0.6 mi) south of Bintuhan. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-294; Admiralty K0898; NGA 23099.

Pulau Enggano (Malakoni) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view of the area. Enggano is a substantial island in the Indian Ocean, measuring roughly 30 km by 15 km (19 mi by 9 mi), about 100 km (60 mi) west of Krui. It has only a small population and is rarely visited. The lighthouse is apparently located on a bluff on the north coast of the island near the village of Belowa. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-197; Admiralty K0895; NGA 23101. * Pulau Tikus 1907 (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white light, 5 s on, 5 s off. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal cast iron skeletal tower with dwelling, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No current photo available, and Google’s satellite viewof the island doesn’t show the tower. KITLV has a historic photo and a second photo, both taken in 1913. There are also twophotos taken from the gallery of the lighthouse in 2007. The light station is reported to be staffed. Note: There is another Pulau Tikus lighthouse in West Malaysia. Located on a tiny island about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Bengkulu; boat transportation to the island can be hired in Bengkulu. Accessible only by boat. Site open, apparently it is possible to climb the tower. ARLHS IDO-254; Admiralty K0884; NGA 23104. Pulau Mega (Pulau Mego) Date unknown (clearly recent). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The island is the site of a tectonic monitoring station installed in 2008 by Caltech University in a project aimed at measuring tectonic strains in this earthquake-prone area. One of Caltech’s photos is at right, and another photo is available (2nd photo in 2nd row), but the island is only a blur in Google’s satellite view. Located on a small island about 160 km (100 mi) west southwest of Bengkulu. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty K0883.95; NGA 23101.7.

Pulau Mego Light, 2008 Caltech Tectonics Observatory photo

Southern West Sumatra Lighthouses

Pulau Katangkatang (2)

Date unknown (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three white flashes every 22 s. 20 m (66 ft) cast iron skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available. KITLV has a 1913 photo of the original lighthouse, a skeletal tower with a focal plane height of 20 m (66 ft). Located on a small island about 25 km (15 mi) off the coast and about 150 km (90 mi) south of Padang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-202; Admiralty K0880; NGA 23140.

Pulau Karaba Kecil

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Several 1-story buildings. No photo available, but Google has a goodsatellite view. Located on a tiny island about 20 km (13 mi) offshore and 80 km (50 mi) south of Padang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-202; Admiralty K0875; NGA 23154.

Pulau Nyamuk (Nuamuk)

Date unknown (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 31 m (102 ft) cast iron skeletal tower, painted white. No current photo available, and Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the island. KITLV has a 1913 photo of the original square pyramidal skeletal tower. This lighthouse might survive. NGA notes that the light has become obscured by palm trees; if so, they are very tall palms. Located on a small island about 8 km (5 mi) off the coast and about 50 km (30 mi) south of Padang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-229; Admiralty K0874; NGA 23156.

Padang Area Lighthouses
Note: The Padang area suffered a devastating earthquake on 30 September 2009. We do not know how area lighthouses fared during the quake.

*** Ujung Batumandi (Ujung Sungei Bramei, Padang) (2)

Date unknown (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 161 m (528 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) white round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story keeper’s house. A photo is at the top of this page, Yulnofrins Napilus has an excellent photo, a 2008 photo is available, there are photos taken inside the lighthouse (1/4 to 1/2 the way down the page), and Google has a good satellite view. KITLV has a historic photo of the original lighthouse, a skeletal tower with lantern. This is one of the most accessible lighthouses of the Sumatran mainland. Located just off the coastal highway on a sharp promontory about 10 km (6 mi) south of Padang. Site open, tower open but the schedule is not known. ARLHS IDO-086; Admiralty K0864; NGA 23164.

[Pulau Pisang (3)]

Date unknown (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green flashing light. 10 m (33 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No current photo available, but Google has a satellite view. KITLV has a1914 view of the second light, a substantial stone tower built sometime after 1895. Possibly this lighthouse was lost in an earthquake. Located on the southern tip of a small island about 2 km (1.25 mi) off the coast at Padang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-242; Admiralty K0861; NGA 23184.

Pulau Karsik

Date unknown (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 31m (102 ft) cast iron skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available; Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island about 4 km (2.5 mi) off the coast near Pariaman and about 80 km (50 mi) north of Padang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-205; Admiralty K0850; NGA 23196.

• Bengkulu (1895-?), Bengkulu

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/idri.htm