Lighthouses of Indonesia: Western Papua North Coast

The Republic of Indonesia has been independent since 1945, after having been the Dutch East Indies for more than 350 years. It is a huge country, stretching along both sides of the Equator for more than 46 degrees of longitude (roughly 5100 km or 3200 miles). Comprised of some 17,000 islands (more than 6000 inhabited islands), it has hundreds of major aids to navigation.

Indonesia is divided into 38 provinces (provinsi) and the provinces are subdivided into county units called regencies (kabupaten). The lighthouses on this page are in Indonesian Papua (western New Guinea). In 1828 the Dutch extended their claim to the western half of New Guinea, the world's second-largest island, but they established no major settlements until nearly 1900. When Indonesia became independent in 1949 Papua was excluded and remained under Dutch control. Following strong Indonesian effrots to claim control an agreement in 1962 provided for a transitional period under United Nations administration. In 1969 an asembly of elder leaders decided to join Indonesia. However an independence movement called the Free Papua Movement (OPM) continues and a varying degree of unrest has persisted to the preent day.

This page describes lighthouses on the north coasts of West Papua Province and Southwest Papua Province. These provinces include the oddly-shaped Doberai or Bird's Head (Vogelkop) Peninsula at the northwestern corner of New Guinea. These coasts face northwest on the Halmahera Sea and north on the Philippine Sea. Lighthouses of the south coasts of both provinces are described on the Western Papua South Coast page.

More than 700 languages are spoken in Indonesia. The official national language, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), was standardized from a form of Malay that served as a lingua franca across the archipelago. In Indonesian a lighthouse is a mercusuar or a menara suar. Tanjung is a cape, ujung is a headland or point of land, bukit is a hill, sungai is a river, kuala or muara is an estuary or river mouth, pulau is an island, karang is a reef, batu is a rock, laut is a sea, selat is a strait, teluk is a bay, pelabuhan is a harbor, and labuhan is a port. It's also worth knowing that the word for an island is nusa in Balinese and gili in the Sasak language spoken on Lombok and in western Sumbawa.

Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate of Marine Navigation within the Directorate General of Sea Transportation

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volumes F and Q of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publications 111 and 112.

General Sources
World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Indonesia - Vol. F and Vol. Q
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Papua.
Pulau Kofiau Light
Pulau Kofiau Light, Raja Ampat Islands, January 2010
ex-Panoramio photo copyright muhajir3012; used by permission

Southwest Papua Province North Coast Lighthouses

Raja Ampat Regency: Salawati and Batanta Area Lighthouses
The Raja Ampat Islands are a loose group of islands, large and small, lying off the western tip of Papua. The name means "Four Kings," and there are four large islands: Misool in the south, Salawati and Batanta in the center just off the Papuan coast, and Waigeo to the north. For the Misool area see the Western Papua South Coast page.
Pulau Boo Besar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery; lantern removed. A photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. This light marks an important passage between the Halmahera and Seram Seas. The Royal Australian Navy has an article mentioning that its ships Hawkesbury and Cape Leeuwin established (or re-established) this light in July 1945 to reopen the shipping lane through the East Indies. Boo Besar is a small island at the extreme western end of the Boo Islands, a group about 65 km (40 mi) north of Pulau Misool. Located in the Halmahera Sea about 160 km (100 mi) northeast of Obi and about 200 km (125 mi) west of the western tip of Papua (New Guinea). Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-193; Admiralty Q1603.5; NGA 25948.7.
Pulau Kofiau (Tanjung Soos)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 5 s. 45 m (148 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Four 1-story coast guard station buildings. A photo is at the top of this page and Bing has a satellite view of the station. Located at the eastern end of Pulau Kofiau, which is also the eastern end of the Boo Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3361; NGA 25949.
Pulau Ifmun (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft) (?); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. The tower appears to have replaced a similar tower placed at the edge of the land. Until 2014 NGA listed a light at or near this location as "Kepulauan Kabu, Ifmoen," but that listing has been dropped. Located at the west end of a small island just off the westernmost tip of Pulau Salawati. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3361.5; ex-NGA 26018.
Pulau Boo Besar Light
Pulau Boo Besar Light, Raja Ampat Islands, July 2009
ex-Panoramio photo copyright muhajir3012; used by permission
Selat Sagawin (Sagawin Strait, Pulau Batanta)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white, rising from a square station building. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south side of Pulau Batanta, marking the western entrance to the Sagawin Strait separating Salawati and Batanta. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3363.5; NGA 26020.
Tanjung Warangket (2)
2007 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Square skeletal tower with gallery, height unknown but at least 20 m (66 ft). A photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north coast of Pulau Salawati, marking the narrowest passage of the Sagawin Strait separating Salawati and Batanta. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3364.

Raja Ampat Regency: Weigeo Area Lighthouses
Pulau Agusta
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane 22.5 m (74 ft); white flash every 5 s. 23 m (75 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery. This light appears to be abandoned. Franco Di Nardo has the photo below right and Google has a satellite view. Located just off the east coast of a small island at the western end of the Dampier Strait separating Weigeo from Batanta. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-189; Admiralty Q3362.5; NGA 26021.
Saonek Besar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal communications tower with gallery, painted white. Staffed station. Richard Monny has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Saonek Besar is a small but densely populated island about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Waisai, a port on the south coast of Waigeo. The island is known as a base for scuba diving expeditions. Located atop a bluff on the southern tip of Saonek Besar. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3363; NGA 26022.
Saonek Mondei
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 14 m (46 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower painted red and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located just off the southeast coast of a small island about 3 km (1.8 mi) northeast of Saonek Basar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.1.
Karang Waisai (Waisai Reef)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 14 m (46 ft), green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square green skeletal tower on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located at the west end of a long reef parallel to the south coast of Waigao, about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Pulau Saonek. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.45.
* [Pelabuhan 300 Waisai]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) white mast. Abdul Aziz has a photo and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the base of the pier at a anewer ferry terminal about 20 km (13 mi) east of the traditional Waisai harbor. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.
Waisai Entrance
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower painted green and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Gunawan Saputra has a distant view from the Waisai waterfront, Ismu Hidayat has a distant street view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a shoal on the east side of the entrance to Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat Regency, on the south side of Waigeo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.4.
Pelabuhan Waisai
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 10 m (33 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square wood skeletal tower. Ismu Hidayat has a street view from the Waisai waterfront and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal opposite the quay at Waisai. Accessible only by boat but easy to see from the dock. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.3.
Teluk Kabarei West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 13 m (43 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square green skeletal tower on a platform supported by piles. Google has a very distant street view and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a shoal on the west side of the entrance to Kabarei Bay, a harbor on the north coast of Waigeo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.2.
Kabarei
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square white skeletal tower. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Kabarei. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.
Teluk Kabarei East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 13 m (43 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square red skeletal tower on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a shoal on the west side of the entrance to Kabarei Bay, a harbor on the north coast of Waigeo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3363.25.


Tanjung Warangket Light, Pulau Salawati, January 2010
ex-Panoramio photo copyright muhajir3012; used by permission


Pulau Agusta Light, Sorong Regency, October 2014
Google Maps photo by Franco Di Nardo


Sorong Regency: Asia and Ayu Islands Lighthouses
Pulau Fani
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. "White beacon"; the tower height is unknown but as the island is quite flat the tower is probably about 15 m (49 ft) in height. 1-story station building. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view of this beacon. This light marks the northern end of the Asia islands (Kepulauan Asia), about 120 km (75 mi) north of Waigeo. NGA has placed the light erroneously under Palau in Publication 111. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F2112; NGA 111-10933.
Pelabuhan Fani
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 10 m (33 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round white barbell-shaped tower. Iksan Mahar's 2019 photo is at right, a 2022 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the coast guard station on the southern tip of Pulau Fani. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Not listed by the Admiralty.
Pulau Budd
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. The Ayu Islands are about halfway between the Asia Islands and Weigeo. Located on a small island west of the main Ayu group. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F2113.

Sorong Regency: Southern Sele Strait Lighthouses
The narrow Sele Strait separates the mainland of Papua from Pulau Sulawati to the west. Sorong is a city of about 250,000 people located at the tip of the Doberai (Bird's Head) Peninsula and on the east side of the strait; its broad harbor, sheltered by Pulau Sulawati, makes it one of the best ports of West Papua.

Kamoomyel Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. This is the rear light for a long southbound range in the Sele Strait. Located in the strait about 50 km (30 mi) south southwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3381.1; NGA 26004.
Pulau Segarau
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal on the east side of the southern Sele Strait. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3380.3.

Pelabuhan Fani Light, Asia Islands, December 2019
Google Maps photo by Iksan Mahar
Pulau Balbili (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); two white flashes every 12.5 s. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower painted white and mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. NGA lists a 5 m (16 ft) tower at this location. Located just off the northeast point of Pulau Balbili, on the west side of Sele Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3379; NGA 25992.
Pulau Majener
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal on the east side of the Sele Strait south of Pulau Yawya. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.77.
Pulau Kabra East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the center of the Sele Strait east of Pulau Kabra. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.75.
Pulau Kabra North
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Sele Strait northeast of Pulau Kabra. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.73.
Pulau Garma Kecil
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the Sele Strait just south of Pulau Yawya and about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of the Arar Terminal. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.7.
Pulau Selebus
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located about 1.6 km (1 mi) southwest of the Arar Terminal. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.6.
Arar Terminal
2009. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 3 s. 22 m (72 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located just offshore at a liquid natural gas terminal about 25 km (15 mi) south of Sorong harbor. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q3378.5.
Pelabuhan Arar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 23 m (75 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower. A portion of a panoramic photo is at right, Andi Afwan has a photo, and Google has a satellite view.Located at the Semen Gresik terminal at Arar. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q3378.52.
Arar Approach South
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. Tidja Famy has a photo (lighthouse in foreground), the tower is at upper left in the photo at right, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 600 m (3/8 mi) off the Arar waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.495.
Arar Approach North
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. Tidja Famy has a photo (lighthouse in background) and Google has a satellite view. Located about 600 m (3/8 mi) north northwest of the South light. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.49.

Pelabuhan Arar Light, Sorong, January 2018
Google Maps photo by Raja Video ID
Pulau Yarusir (Pulau Pasir)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. Muhammad Fathurohim's 2020 photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Between this light and the next one listed ships are guided through a narrow passage by several smaller lights. Located at the south end of a shoal off a small island opposite the Arar Terminal. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.489.
Pulau Sisi West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the center of the Sele Strait about 20 km (13 mi) southwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.1.
Pulau Yawya
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located off the northeast side of Pulau Yawya, a large island opposite the Arar Terminal, on the east side of the Sele Strait. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.485.
Pulau Arar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the south end of a shoal area about 1.6 km (1 mi) northwest of the Arar Terminal. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3378.45.

Pulau Yarusir Light, Sorong, March 2020
Google Maps photo by Muhammad Fathurohim
Pulau Vandu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square green skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal on the east side of the Sele Strait channel about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3370.
Pulau Nanah (?)
Date unknown. Active(?); focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square red skeletal tower mounted on a platform supported by piles. No photo available and the light is currently missing from Google's satellite view. Located on a shoal on the west side of the Sele Strait channel about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3371.

Sorong Regency and City: Sorong Harbor and Northern Sele Strait Lighthouses
* Pulau Doom
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round green tower on a platform supported by piles. A 2023 street view is available and Google has a satellite view. Located beside the pier of Pulau Doom, a small but densely inhabited island across the harbor southwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat but easily seen from shore. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3374; NGA 25964.
Pulau Dofior (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 2 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted red. Richard Monny's photo is at right, Rochmadi Hendro Cahyono has a good view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. A tall monument stands behind the lighthouse. This light replaced a much smaller light seen in Ryan Sanjaya's 2008 photo. NGA misspells the name of the islet as Dopior. Located on an islet in the entrance to Sorong harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3366; NGA 25968.
Karang Dua
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) beacon, probably a fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal about 800 m (1/2 mi) off the Sorong waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3368.5; NGA 25984.
Pulau Dofior Light
Pulau Dofior Light, Sorong, March 2014
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Richard Monny; used by permission
* Sorong Jetty Head (Pelabuhan Perikanan)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round barbell-shaped white concrete tower. Tri Firmansyah has the photo also seen at right, a 2019 distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the marina jetty in Sorong. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3366.5.
* Sorong Port Common Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square white skeletal tower standing on a concrete base. Davit Nainggolan has a 2018 photo and Google has a satellite view. Located offshore in a harbor basin east of the Sorong marina. Accessible only by boat but easily seen from shore. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3368; NGA 25972.
* Sorong Port South Entrance Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. NGA lists a 16 ft tower but this must be an error. Located in a residential area 841 m (1/2 mi) northeast of the common front light. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3367.9; NGA 25980.
* Sorong Port North Entrance Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. NGA lists a 16 ft tower but this must be an error. Located in a residential area 1.9 km (1.2 mi) east southeast of the common front light. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3368.1; NGA 25976.
Pulau Tsiof
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 10 m (33 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The tower appears taller than its listed height. Located at the western tip of Pulau Tsiof about 6 km (4 mi) west of Sorong harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3372; NGA 25988.
Pulau Ram West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) tower, almost certainly a square red skeletal tower, on a platform supported by piles. No photo available and Bing has only a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. This is an important light marking the northern entrance to the Sele Strait and Sorong. Located about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Pulau Buaya (Pulau Ram). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3373.4.

Jetty Head Light, Sorong, September 2018
Google Maps photo by Tri Firmansyah
Pulau Buaya (Pulau Ram)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 86 m (282 ft); four white flashes every 25 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The light guides vessels entering the Sele Strait from the north. Located on the western tip of the island, about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Sorong. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3373.3; NGA 25956.

Tambrouw Regency Lighthouses
* Sausapor
2015 (?). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. Suprandoko Sutrisno has a photo, Bram Mambrasar has a closeup, a 2020 view from the sea is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the base of the pier at Sausapor, the seat of Tambrouw Regency, a small town on the "brow" of the Bird's Head peninsula. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3375.
Mios Su (Amsterdam Island) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft) (?); white flash every 3 s. 16.5 m (54 ft) (?) square iron skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This light marks the eastern entrance to the Dampier Strait, which separates the Doberai Peninsula of Papua from the island of Waigeo. In the satellite view the tower appears to be much taller than its listed height. Located on the western tip of a small island off the "eyebrow" of the Bird's Head. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-170; Admiralty Q3376; NGA 26024.

West Papua Province North Coast Lighthouses

Manokwari Regency Lighthouses
Manokwari is the capital of West Papua Province; it has a metropolitan population of more than 250,000. The city has a fine natural harbor and has become an important port.
Tanjung Saukorem (Saoekorem)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) iron skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on a low promontory on the top of the Bird's Head, about 125 km (75 mi) north northwest of Manokwari. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-269; Admiralty Q3376.5; NGA 26028.
Tanjung Memori (Tanjung Bakaro)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 33 m (108 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. Ronald Marthen has a 2020 photo, a drone view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Tanjung Memori is a promontory sheltering the harbor of Manokwari, the capital of West Papua province. Located at the tip of the cape, about 8 km (5 mi) east of Manokwari. Accessible by road. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3389; NGA 26032.
Karang Butsiuri
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) square red skeletal tower on a platform supported by piles. A distant drone view is available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the entrance to Teluk Manokwari. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3391; NGA 26036.
Manokwari Range Front (2)
Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) square white skeletal tower. A 2021 drone view is available, Google has a street view and a drone view showing both Manokwari lighthouses, and Bing has a satellite view. NGA lists a much shorter tower. Located on the waterfront of Manokwari. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty Q3390; NGA 26040.
* Manokwari (Range Rear) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square white skeletal tower. A portion of a drone view is at right, and Google has a satellite view and a drone view showing both Manokwari lighthouses. NGA lists a much shorter tower. The range has been discontinued and the Admiralty has dropped its listing of the front light. Located about 250 m (820 ft) northwest of the harbor area in Manokwari. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3390.1; NGA 26048.
* Manokwari Perikanan Pelabuhan (Fishery Harbor)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower. A 2023 photo and an aerial view are available, the tower is seen in the first few seconds of Bastian Noriwari's video taken from the sea, and the light is centered beside the blue-roofed building in Google's satellite view. Located at the fishery port on the west side of the Manokwari harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3391.3

ManokwariLight, Manokwari, January 2011
ex-Panoramio photo copyright David Worabay; used by permission
Pertamina Manokwari
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); white light, pattern unknown. 6 m (20 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, three sides covered with white siding. Laode Rasyid has a 2023 photo and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located at the Pertamina oil terminal in Manokwari. Site and tower closed but the light is seen from the street. Admiralty Q3390.6.

Manokwari Selatan (South Manokwari) Regency Lighthouse
Tanjung Oransbari
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white light occulting once every 4 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory at the back of the Bird's Head, marking the west side of the entrance to the Cenderawasih Gulf. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3395.1; NGA 26080.
* Pelabuhan Gaya Baru
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round white barbell-shaped tower. Aida Krisna's photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Located at a small boat harbor in central Manokwari Selatan. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.

Teluk Wondama (Wondama Bay) Regency Lighthouses
Tanjung Yanimerai
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); yellow flash every 4 s. 24 m (79 ft) yellow tower, probably skeletal. No photo available but Bing's indistinct satellite view may show the light. Located at the northern tip of Pulau Yanimaerai, a small island off the end of the much larger Pulau Rumberpon, which shelters Teluk Rumberpon. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3395.15; NGA 26081.
Pulau Matas
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); yellow flash every 4 s. 14 m (46 ft) yellow tower, probably skeletal, on a platform supported by piles. No photo available and the light is not shown in Bing's satellite view of the listed location. Located off the west side of the Pulau Matas atoll, about 65 km (40 mi) east of Pulau Rumberpon. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3395.35; NGA 26106.5.

Pelabuhan Gaya Baru Light, Manokwari Selatan, March 2017
Google Maps photo by Aida Krisna
Tanjung Wandoswaar (Mios Waar)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); yellow flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) yellow tower, probably skeletal, on a platform supported by piles. No photo available and the light is not seen in Bing's satellite view of the listed location. The light is presumably offshore guiding ships away from the reefs surrounding the northern end of Mios Waar, a large forested island southeast of Pulau Rumberpon. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3395.2; NGA 26082.
Teluk Wasior (Wandamen, Wandammen) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light, 2 s on, 8 s off. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery painted white. Jefry Echletus has a street view and Google has a satellite view. Located near the port area in Wasior, a ferry terminal on the east side of Wondama Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3395.55; NGA 26107.7.
Pulau Yop
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) green tower, probably fiberglass. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the eastern tip of Yop, an island on the west side of Wondama Bay. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q3395.5; NGA 26107.5.
 

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Northern Papua | South: West Papua South Coast | West: Central Maluku | Northwest: North Maluku

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Posted December 31, 2008. Checked and revised December 11, 2023. Lighthouses: 63. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.