Today we are going to talk about a type of sea that is found on the eastern limit of the Indian Ocean. Its about Java Sea. It is a sea that bathes the coasts of several islands and territories located in Indonesia. It has a large area and contains many mysteries that have intrigued humans for many years.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Java Sea and its characteristics.
Key features
It is a sea that is located on the eastern limit of the Indian Ocean. The name is not given because of the island of Java that marks its limit to the south. It has an area of about 310.000 square kilometers, 1.600 kilometers long (east-west) and about 380 kilometers wide (north-south). Being located in this area, it has geographical limits that are Borneo to the north, Sumatra to the west, Java to the south, and Sulawesi to the east.
Apart from the islands that we have mentioned, it also bathes the entire coastal area that has hundreds of islands that are smaller and less important. The most important within the group of coasts that bathe this sea are located in the extreme north-west and are the islands called Bangka and Belitung.
It is connected in the north-west with the East China Sea through the Strait of Karimata and in the northeast with the Celebes Sea through the Strait of Makassar. It is not a sea that is too deep, since the deepest point is about 1.590 meters. This deepest point is the Bali Sea. It is a sea that is located inland and is a small subsidiary sea wedged between the islands of Bali and Kangean, hence its name. There are some authors who mention that this sea belongs to the Flores sea. The extent of this little Inland sea of the East Java Sea 45.000 square kilometers.
Java Sea Economic Activities
In this area of the planet there are important reserves of oil and natural gas. Most of them have not yet been exploited, so it is not yet considered the main economic activity in these places. Fishing is one of the most important economic activities in the Java Sea. More than 3.000 species inhabit the waters of this sea, making it rich in biodiversity. However, fishing is prohibited in some areas and are protected by law to conserve both flora and fauna species. Some of these protected areas are the Karimunjawa and The Thousand Islands National Parks.
As for navigation and maritime transport, they are also important economic activities. Some of the most important ports in Indonesia are located throughout this area. The most important port is the one located in the capital of Jakarta but also those of Semarang, Surabaya and Urjung Pandang, among others.
It should also be noted, economic activity tourism. And it is that all the areas of the coast that surround the Java Sea have important tourist destinations with quality sun and beach. Every year thousands of travelers come to these places to practice diving and explore the seabed. As we have mentioned before, this sea has a great amount of biodiversity and, therefore, there are many underwater caves, coral reefs and shipwrecks that are attractive to all diving experts. Specifically, the island of Bali is the most important tourist destination in the Javanese Sea and all of Indonesia.
Mysteries of the Java Sea
This sea witnessed great naval battles during the Second World War. The confrontation was devastating the main objective was the transports that took troops to Java for a terrestrial invasion. 2.200 soldiers died in battle, 900 of them being Dutch and 250 inhabitants of the colonies that the European country had in Indonesia. All these bodies have been at the bottom of the sea for more than 75 years. These bodies are located in the remains of 3 large warships that have served as an underwater tomb. All the soldiers have been wanted by an expedition. The remains of these ships appear to have completely disappeared. It is not at all easy for ships that once weighed 6.500 tons, as is the case with one of them, to disappear like this quickly.
Theories about these mysteries have nothing to do with supernatural things. Pirates and scrap dealers are the ones who have been in charge of dismantling the pieces of the great warships since they are a treasure for all those who want to resell precious materials. During years, the scrap dealers have been locating the wreckage of the ships and have stolen all their parts. Among the most prominent materials are metal, aluminum and brass. More than 100 submarines and ships sank in these waters during the war, making them one of the largest submarine cemeteries in the world.
There are many treasure hunters in the waters of Indonesia because of the war. This tangent scavenger hunt has become a major way to earn money. It can be said that it is a treasure industry. This has also been a tourist attraction, as many people dive into the waters to track the remains of these boats. Most of these people do it for recreational purposes. There we must add the difficulty that it is difficult and expensive to preserve and protect so many boats that sleep on the bottom of the sea. Especially, it is difficult to conserve those boats that are far from the metropolis, despite the fact that they have the collaboration of local authorities.
As you can see, this sea holds some mysteries and secrets that make it more attractive for tourists to travel there. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Java Sea and its characteristics.