Halmahera (sea)

The coast of Halmahera Island (the western part of the sea) is characterized by a rather narrow strip of the coastal shelf . In the northeast and east, the shelf is more developed and extended, replete with shallow water and banks. Further, the mainland slope goes quite steeply downward, at depths of about 1000 m turning into the bottom, replete with bumps and elevations. In the south of the sea there is a hollow with depths of more than 2000 m. The straits connecting the Halmacher sea with the Pacific Ocean are deep (more than 1000 m), in the south and southwest they are shallower (100-500 m), which makes the deep water exchange of the Halmacher sea with the Pacific the ocean is more intense.

The Halmahera Sea is fully part of the western part of the equatorial zone of the Pacific Ocean. The climate is characterized by high air temperatures (up to 28 ° C in open areas of the sea and up to 35 ° C on the coast), high humidity, cloudiness, light winds, showers and thunderstorms. The monsoon type of atmospheric circulation prevails, most pronounced in summer and winter. From December to March, the winter monsoon dominates, with prevailing winds from the north-west, west and north-east. In April-May, the transition to the southwest monsoon begins. In June-September, the southeast monsoon dominates the sea with the predominance of southwest, south and southeast winds. The average wind speed in the period December-September is 3-5 m / s, sometimes squalls are noted, especially they are frequent off the east coast of Halmahera Island. Storms are rare. In October-November, due to the formation of the Siberian anticyclone and the destruction of the Australian anticyclone, the direction of the winds becomes unstable, their speed increases to 5-6 m / s, storms are frequent, at which the wind speed reaches 24 m / s. There are frequent rains, showers and thunderstorms all year round, the annual rainfall is more than 2500 mm. Due to the limited water exchange, sea currents are mainly wind, relatively weak. The sea’s wind waves due to weak winds are insignificant, waves up to 1-1.5 m high, only with rare storms storms waves up to 2.5 m are observed. The tide is incorrect, half-day, its magnitude is 0.7-1.5 m (maximum - 2 m). The tidal wave goes from the north (from the Pacific Ocean) to the southwest.

The Halmacher Sea is rich in biological resources, except for its southern part, poor vegetation and plankton . Fishing vessels get herring , tuna , mackerel , octopus . Trepangs , lobsters , shrimps are caught in coastal waters, and pearls are mined. In the open sea there are sharks , sea turtles , stingrays , barracudas , dolphins . In the eastern part of the sea, from south to north, from Misool Island to Waigeo Island, the Raja Ampat Archipelago stretches, consisting of more than 1,500 islands, reefs and shallows. This is a large marine reserve where the most beautiful coral reefs of the Halmacher Sea are concentrated. Here, in the abundance of lagoons, bays and sea caves, there are 1309 species of fish, 537 species of coral and 699 species of mollusks , which makes this area unusually attractive for both experienced divers and ordinary tourists. On the island of Waigeo there is a pearl farm.

B.S. Zalogin, A.N. Kosarev. Seas. M., "Thought", 1999