Have you ever thought of traveling half way around the world to dive a small atoll that supports a strip of land barely large enough to land a small commuter airplane? Well, if this suits your fancy, then Layang Layang is the place for you. We spent three days diving the South China Sea in Malaysia during September of 1999.
Yes, the trip there was anything but direct, but after an over night rest in Kota Kinabalu it was only a relatively short hop to Layang Layang. |
The island and airstrip is even smaller than Wake Island. |
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The atoll is under the wing of the aircraft and the entire island is less than a kilometer in length. A small spot in the South China Sea, surrounded by a drop-off over 2000 meters deep. Yes, over a mile deep right out your back door.
Approach to resort
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This is it
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Oriental Sweetlips Plectorhinchus orientalis |
Surgeonfish
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Our diving on the exterior of the atoll was normally at a depth of about 50 to 80 feet, where an abundance of small fish life abounds.
Clown fish
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Banner fish
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Moorish Idol Zanthus corneitus |
Emperor Angelfish Pomacanthus imperator |
Starfish and seacucumbers were rather plentiful.
Puffer starfish Choriaster granulatus |
Puffer starfish Choriaster granulatus |
Starfish
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Sea cucumber Bohadschia graeffei |
As were other smaller creatures. However, owing to the marked depth , you could ocassionally observe a larger pelagic at the edge of your viewable area.
Banner fish over coral
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Butterfly fish
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Green turtle
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Giant Clam Tridacna
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Regrettably, these are among the earlier images we captured and were not of the greatest quality negative film. Nonetheless, the creatures were ever so interesting to photograph.
Sponge
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Upside-down jelly
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Nudibranch Phyllidia |
Crown-of-Thorns Acanthaster planci |
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