The village of Lamalera is located on Lembata Island in Eastern Indonesia along a coastline formed from jagged volcanic rock. The village was first settled in the year 1410 when refugees from a tsunami disaster on nearby Lapan Batan Island arrived after their community was destroyed by the huge waves. Whaling was already a tradition on Lepan Batan Island, and the new community of Lamalera also adopted it as their primary livelihood. Today more than 1,700 people live in the village and whales are still the most important source of meat for their diets. Whale meat is also used at the local market to barter for fruits, vegetables and other commodities.