July 1, 1608 Tsunami: Gamalama, Ternate Island, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Gamalama, Ternate Island, Indonesia on July 1, 1608. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- July 1, 1608
- Source
- Gamalama, Ternate Island, Indonesia
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 0.800° N, 127.325° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #414:
1608, July. The Dutch fleet, which had just conquered Makian Island, was riding at anchor in front on the fort on the island. For several days, the sea had been unsually quiet. Suddenly, the sea became so rough, and there was such a strong run-up on shore, that the ships could not be keep under sail. On July 1, the ships "Valkiria" and "China" were run aground on the reefs, moreover, as is mentioned in a Dutch letter dated Aug 3, 1608, not by a storm, but by a large tidal wave. There were victims on the "China". Only some of the freight could be saved from the ships. After this, the explosive activity of the Tidore Volcano supposedly intensified. On August 3, having made repairs, the Dutch fleet left for Banten.
Reference #2379:
According to the Smithsonian website the eruption was from the Gamalama stratovolcano, not the Tidore volcano.
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makian Island | Indonesia | 53 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1608The 1600sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe eruptionThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 222.