Located at the tip of North Sulawesi, Likupang SEZ is one of the few places in the world that is included in 4 different biogeographical destinations, in the middle of the Wallacea Botanical Region, The Coral Triangle, The Wallace and Weber line, and the Ring of Fire.
These 4 destinations have made this region one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, with its endemic flora and fauna. Therefore, The Pulisan aims to create a conservation-based ecotourism resort, so that people around the world can experience the natural beauty of the Likupang ecosystem while learning about the importance of nature, and how we can contribute to protecting and enhancing the natural environment by enhancing and ensuring its survival so that future generations the next can also experience what we see today.
Pre Christianity, Likupang was called ‘Linekepan’ meaning ‘drowned’ in the Austronesian language of Tonsea, as it is said during nights of a full moon the high tides would seemingly submerge the village. These nativeancestors of the region started as hunter-gatherers who eventually began practicing agriculture with notable crops such as rice still being a staple of the region to this day.
Though historically recorded as a culture with believes in the supernatural even before the introduction of christianity it is believed that the indigenous ancestors of the land exercised faith to a monotheistic god natively known as ‘Opo Empung Wananatas’ which roughly translates to ‘God the Creator
However, with the 16th century Portuguese colonization of North Sulawesi the strategic location of ‘Likupang’ had made it a center for spice and cultural trades between the indigenous peoples and western cultures, shifting the people to a predominantly Christian population, with many of the histories and cultural richness of the area being lost and forgotten.
Being included in 4 biogeographical designations Likupang is home to some of the most unique terrestrial and marine flora and fauna in the world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Notably some endemic flora and fauna includes the Celebes-Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra), Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus), Spectral Tarsier (Tarsius Tarsier), Indonesian Coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), hundreds of unique species of Orchids (Phalaenopsis) and Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes), amongst many more.
With the little archeological studies done in the Likupang region, many of the rich cultures and past of Minahasa Utara before the introduction of Christianity remains undiscovered, with many of its histories being passed down through oral traditions instead of literary writing.
However, the combination of word of mouth alongside archeological discoveries such as the ‘Waruga’ burial stones have allowed historians to piece together the mystical history of Likupang.
It is now commonly believed that the Likupang region was descended from multiple different tribes and cultures with similar origins, but different legends of heroes and leaders titled ‘Dotu’, which commonly refers to the ancient ancestors of Likupang who often led their tribes with legends describing them as individuals with superhuman abilities such as Invincibility, Flight, and Teleportation.
These ‘Dotu’ are also described to have a great connection to the monotheistic god, ‘Opo Empung Wananatas’ the god of the predominant religion of the time.
As part of our vision, The Pulisan Bay has collaborated with Yayasan Indonesia Biru, creating a program called ‘Wallace Conservation Licoupang’, which aims to educate locals and tourists about the ecosystems surrounding Likupang and how to better manage it, alongside of the creation of a research centre which focuses studying the regional biodiversity so that we may better protect it