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After a few village children had pulled the dolphin ashore, it got professionally disassembled on the beach by one of the fishermen. The dissection process was curiously observed by countless kids and vividly performed and commented by the instructor. My impression was that the future …
Various things went through my mind when I saw the lifeless dolphin lying in front of me after a bloody act of killing. Some of these thoughts generated anger and compassion in me. But there was not only the deceased animal, but also four highly …
As the fishermen’s nerves peaked, one of the fishermen thrust his harpoon with pinpoint accuracy. The barb at the tip of the harpoon got stuck in the flesh of a marine animal and detached from the bamboo stick, then moved away from the boat with …
At seven o’clock in the morning I went down to the beach where I met Jacobus and his crew to join them on their fishing boat. It was a sunny day, the sea was calm and I could hardly wait to watch the fishermen in …
In the light of the full moon, following my first encounters in Lamalera, I walked back alone to my cliff-top homestay. I realized only now that throughout the village strips of meat and fat cut from the captured sperm whale had been hung on wooden …
At the other end of the beach of Lamalera, I registered an adult villager who looked at me curiously. Since I really wanted to meet one of the fishermen, I said goodbye to the group of youngsters and walked towards him. My knowledge of Bahasa …
Near the surf, I discovered part of a whale’s carcass, with remnants of tissue still attached, giving off an unpleasant rancid odor. The Indonesian guys told me that just three days ago a sperm whale had been caught and these remains belonged to it. Then …
Some teenagers of Lamalera led me along the beach and proudly brought me to a huge bone, possibly the shoulder blade of a whale. They told me in broken English coupled with countless hand signals that the bone came from one of the many whales …