Sapalewa River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sapalewa River Sungai Sapalewa, Wae Sapalewa, Wai Sapolewa, Sungai Sapolewa, Sapalewabatai, Batang Air Sapalewa | |
|---|---|
  Location of river mouth  Sapalewa River (Maluku)  Sapalewa River (Indonesia) | |
| Location | |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Province | Maluku |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Seram Island |
Sapalewa River, also Sapolewa, is a river of Seram Island, Maluku province, Indonesia, about 2400 km northeast of the capital Jakarta.[1]
According to the Central Maluku legend, the three rivers: Eti River, Tala River and Sapalewa River, flow from a sacred lake on the mountain peak called "Nunusaku". There grows a ficus tree with three big roots, each stretching in the direction of the abovementioned rivers, and this is the origin of the native people of the island of Seram, the so-called "Alifuru" people, who later inhabited the surrounding islands.[2]
The three rivers are known in local language as Kwele Batai Telu or Kwalai Batai Telu ("three stream branches"; Indonesian: "Tiga Ruas Sungai") watering the island of Seram (Nusa Ina).[3] "Nunusaku" (which was a lost great kingdom according to legends)[3] is a term consisting of two words: "nunu" or "nunue" (ficus tree), and "saku" (truth).[4] This place is located in the area of Manusa-Manue and considered impassable by humans.[4] Alune and Wemale people live in the watershed areas of the three rivers: Alune people inhabit the whole area of Eti river, mountainous area of Tala river and most of the coastal area of Sapalewa river, whereas Wemale people occupy the area east of Tala and Sapalewa rivers.[4]
Hydrology
It flows through Taniwel District,[5] and enters the sea on the northern coast, just north of the village of Opin. One of its tributaries is the Porola (meaning yellow), a stream which flows down from Mount Mai.[6] The river between the villages of Taniwell and Buria, underground through the mountains of Hatu Toi Siwa. The Sapalewa Underground river currently explored for about 3.7 kilometers is one of the largest underground rivers of the planet.[7][8]