Behind the Story of Whales Lancer

Lamakera & Lamalera

In one of the coastal islands and Lembata Solor in East Nusa Tenggara province, there is a fishing village, the village community Lamakera (Solor) and Lamalera (Lembata) who were hereditary keep doing a very unique tradition and fantastic, that is; hunting koteklema (pope) by pledang(tena lamafaij); traditional whalers boat that can accommodate 16 crew, and by the way that matros (crew of whalers) which equip themselves with Kefa (traditional harpoon spear), jumped from the boat and speared whales in the middle of the high seas!

Both these locations, we can witness the activities of traditional fishing village which still maintains the tradition of whaling during lefa Nue (sea season) from May to October. A maximum of only about 15 fish caught whales is allowed within one year according to customary rules and only to cover consumption and nutrient intake of the population was just a fishing village until the next sea season.

Pledang / Paledang

Peledang is a large boat equipped with screens of woven leaves gebang. Length about 10 meters, width of about 2 meters, 1 to 1.5 meters high. Peledang equipped with outrigger on the right and left. Outrigger is intended to help protect the crew of the boat when the whale berserk and tried to attack.

This custom makes more and more curious parties. Many people to seduce foreign stakeholders-cooed to local custom. They wanted to buy a boat Lamalera.

"From abroad who had booked the boat intact, including the management of museums in England, then the Japanese, and East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government. But I say to them, the boat Lamalera exchanged with the aircraft would not even be given. This is a message from the ancestors so that should not be violated, "said Chief Bediona, Onekala Abel Beding, who is also a atamola, architect boat.

Abel, a graduate of St. Joseph Secondary School Development Maumere, Flores, it also explains, peledang made ​​usually in October, ending when the whale hunting season (May-October).

The period of boat building is completed in March, at least had to be operated in April, so just in the month of May, at the beginning lefa poured, the season is at sea, the new boat had to go down to the sea.