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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South East Asia |
| Coordinates | 8°25′27″S122°30′37″E / 8.4241°S 122.5103°E |
| Highest elevation | 351 m (1152 ft) |
| Administration | |
Indonesia | |
Babi Island (Indonesian : Pulau Babi, literally Pig Island) is an island located off the coast of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.
Babi is a roughly circular island [1] less than 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) in diameter located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north of Flores. Its maximum height above sea level is 351 metres (1,152 ft). [2] Its north end is bordered by a wide coral reef and faces the Flores Sea. Further south there is a small tidal flat where two villages were built, the majority-Christian Pagaraman to the east and majority-Muslim Kampungbaru to the west. At the southern end of the island, the barrier reef tapers. [3] It is administratively part of Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. [4]
On 12 December 1992, an earthquake occurred near Flores at 05:29 UTC. [5] Within three minutes, at least one tsunami approached Babi Island [3] from the direction of the earthquake's epicenter to the north, while a second may have hit the southwest side of the island after refracting around the southern side. The tsunami waves reached a height of 7.2 metres (24 ft); [6] this was "unexpectedly large". [1] Between 263 [6] and 700 [5] of the island's 1,093 inhabitants were killed [6] and both villages were completely destroyed. [7]
Babi is home to many diving sites. One, called The Crack, was formed during the 1992 earthquake. Located in a reef 20 metres (66 ft) below the water, the 70-centimetre (28 in) crack reaches a length of 30 metres (98 ft). Numerous forms of aquatic life, including eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, and spider crabs can be found there. [8] This spot also becomes one of the favorite place for travelers spend their time on snorkeling and diving.
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