Layang Layang is located 300 km off the coast of Sabah in the South China Sea. It is part of a group of 600 islands known as the Spratley Islands. The small artificial island (50 acres) was built by the Malaysian navy to put a base on in 1985 and is little more than an airstrip. 
Now there is one resort on the island as well as the navy and the only way for divers to get there is with the resort's 19 seater plane from Kota Kinabalu or by liveaboard. As seats on the plane are limited the resort can get booked up well in advance so divers who want to go at peak times need to book early. Diving at Layang Layang runs from March to September and is closed for the rest of the year when the South China Sea gets rough. April and May are the peak months to visit when hammerhead shark sightings are virtually assured. The island is also very popular with bird watchers and East Malaysians call the island "Terumbu Layang Layang" or "Swallows Reef."
Layang Layang is a coral reef atoll, the thirteen linked reefs covering fourteen square kilometres. There is a central lagoon which is good for smaller marine life and is often used for night dives but most dives are done on the outer edges when the visibility is superb and the big pelagics can be seen. The surrounding seas are 2000 metres deep and there is nothing else for miles around making this spot a magnet for pelagic marine life. Manta rays are also common visitors as are tuna, giant trevally, barracuda and occasionally whale sharks. The coral is pristine, there is no river run off or pollution to damage its health. The navy keeps the fishing boats away so the reefs full of life. Continued >>
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