Layang-Layang Island(拉央拉央岛)
Layang-Layang, known as "Swallows Reef" is an atoll situated in the South China Sea 300km north-west of Kota Kinabalu. The island is man-made and was constructed for the Malaysian Navy and later developed for the only dive resort, Layang-Layang Island Resort.
The island location offers absolute isolation, luckily there is an airstrip with regular flights from Kota Kinabalu, which is the only mode of transport for guests visiting Layang-Layang. The extreme location of Layang-Layang, the pristine reefs, excellent visibility, steep walls down to 2000km and regular sightings of pelagic has given Layang-Layang a much deserved reputation of being one of the top ten dive locations in the world.
With resident schools of barracuda and big-eye trevally and frequently seen green and hawksbill are plentiful and healthy with sea fans stretching to more than three meters across that filter plankton from the passing currents.
The 20m deep lagoon has some great macro creatures to be found including seahorses, cuttlefish and pipefish but it is the pelagic visiting the outer walls that truly excite divers. Schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks, leopard sharks and the occasional threshers and silvertip sharks can all be seen.
Stingrays are also regular visitors including manta rays, pygmy devil rays, marbled rays and eagle rays. Rare sightings such as whale sharks, orcas and melon headed whales have all been seen over the last few years. Spinner and bottlenose dolphins frequently follow the dive boats to each location and divers are sometimes rewarded with snorkeling and diverse fish life and visiting pelagic marine life.
Layang-Layang has rightly gained worldwide recognition.
被称为“燕子礁”的拉央拉央岛,位于亚庇西市西北300公里的向南中国海。最初是一个为了作为马来西亚海军基地特意打造的人造礁岛,之后成功发展为拉央拉央唯一的潜水度假村。
拉央拉央岛虽处于偏僻孤立的地理位置,却幸运地拥有一个简易机场,为欲前往拉央拉央岛的游客提供往返亚庇的固定航班服务。占据优势的地理、未受污染的珊瑚 礁、极佳的水底能见度,2000公尺深的峭壁加上远洋景观等优越条件,造就了拉央拉央岛被冠上世界十大潜水胜地之一的佳誉。
潜入海底可发现到成群结队的梭鱼、大眼鲹等,结队伴游的绿龟玳瑁更是轻易可见,与海扇及各类浮游生物在覆盖超过三米范围海床壁顺着潮流,打造丰富的 海洋生态。 深达20米的拉央拉央环礁泻湖,蕴藏着海马、墨鱼、尖嘴笛鱼等大量奇异珍宝,但真正让潜水爱好者赞叹不已的,是远洋鱼群悠然自在漫游的景象。成群结队的的 双髻鲨、灰礁鲨、豹纹鲨,以及偶然还可发现的罕有长尾鲨和白边真鲨,巡访环礁泻湖壁时,确实令人叹为观止。
魟鱼(魔鬼鱼)也是潜水者常见的鱼群之一,包括鲾魟、无棘鲾鲼、云石魟和鹰魟。踪迹较罕见者如鲸鲨、虎鲸和瓜头鲸,在过去几年来也频频可见。长吻飞 旋海豚和瓶鼻海豚则经常尾随载送潜水者的船只至各个潜水点,眼福好的潜水者在浮潜观赏形形色色的鱼类、探索远洋生态时亦可发现它们的踪影。 拉央拉央岛已获得全球性认可,实至名归。