Swallow Reef
| Disputed atoll | |
|---|---|
 Satellite image of Swallow Reef by NASA. | |
  Swallow Reef | |
| Other names | Pulau Layang-Layang(Malay) Đá Hoa Lau(Vietnamese) Viên đạn tiều, chim én đảo, kéo ương kéo ương đảo(Chinese) Celerio Reef(Philippine English) Bahura ng Celerio(Filipino) |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 7°22′20″N113°50′30″E/ 7.37222°N 113.84167°E |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Area | 35 ha (86 acres) |
| Administration | |
| State | Sabah |
| Claimed by | |
| City | Sansha,Hainan |
| State | Sabah |
| Municipality | Cijin,Kaohsiung |
| District | Truong Sa,Khanh Hoa |
| Additional information | |
| Malaysianpopulation: 70[1] Malaysian postal code:88005[2] | |
Swallow Reef,also known asMalay:Pulau Layang-Layang;Vietnamese:Đá Hoa Lau;MandarinChinese:Chim én đảo;pinyin:Yànzi Dǎo;Celerio Reef (Filipino:Bahura ng Celerio), is an oceanicatollof theSpratly Islandsadministered byMalaysia,which is situated approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) northwest ofKota Kinabalu,Sabah.The atoll is about 7 km long and 2 km wide with a central lagoon. The part of the atoll above sea level is a reef on the south-east rim which had an original land area of approximately 6.2 hectares (15 acres), but with reclaimed land now covers 35 hectares (86 acres),[3]measuring over 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long and 200 m (656 ft) wide.[4]
TheRoyal Malaysian Navy(RMN) has maintained a presence on the reef since 1983, but as with all of the Spratly Islands, the ownership is disputed, and it is also claimed by thePeople's Republic of China,theRepublic of China(Taiwan) andVietnam.ThePhilippinesdoes not lay claim to Swallow Reef.[5]
The island has gained recognition as a destination for scuba divers.[6]Layang Layang is especially known for the hammerhead sharks during the May mating season.[7]Its air transport needs are served by theLayang-Layang Airport.
History[edit]
On 21 June 1980, a plaque was erected on the reef byMalaysia'sPASKALspecial forces.[8]
In May 1983, eighteen PASKAL members built their first encampment, signifying the start of theRoyal Malaysian Navy's presence. At the time, the only infrastructure available was a helipad for personnel transfer, and the special forces had to camp under the open skies on the bare reef. Naval Station "Lima" was constructed in April 1986, consisting of a small living-cum-operations centre.
In 1989, the government decided to develop the island into a tourist spot.[4]
By 1991, the resort had completed construction and had developed into a comfortable and popular diving spot.[8][9]
By 1995, more buildings were added, including two air-conditioned accommodation blocks, an aircraft landing strip, two hangars, a radar station, an air traffic control tower, watchtowers and a jetty.
On 20 July 2003, theLayang-Layang Airportexpansion which increased the length of the runway from 1,064 metres (3,490 ft) to 1,367 metres (4,480 ft) was completed. As a result, the length of the island increased from 1.2 kilometres to over 1.5 kilometres.[4]
In July 2004, a marine research facility, MARSAL (Marine Research Station Pulau Layang-Layang) was opened.[9]
On 5 March 2009,Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,theMalaysian Prime Ministerof the time, visited the island.[10]
Tourism[edit]
The island has a reputation as a destination for scuba divers, with clear water and a variety of marine life including hammerhead sharks, pygmy seahorses, jack fish, barracuda and manta rays.[6][11]
Facilities[edit]
Layang-Layang Airport[edit]
The airport consists of a paved aircraft runway, twoaircraft hangars,aradar station,anair traffic control towerandwatchtowers.The runway, made of concrete, is 1367m long and 28m wide.[4]The runway has aPavement Classification Numberof 032RBXU, indicating that the runway is a medium strength rigid pavement, with a high maximum tire pressure.[12]
The aviation facilities on the island allow the operation ofC130 Herculestransport planes andCN-235maritime patrol aircraft of theRoyal Malaysian Air Force(RMAF).Layang Layang Aerospaceoffers flights for civilians to and from the airport.
Layang-Layang Resort[edit]
Layang-Layang is a 3 star resort located on the island open from 28 February – 1 September. It has 86 rooms and shares the look of aBorneo Longhouse,the traditional community homes of Borneo's tribal people. The resort's restaurant serves Asian and Western Cuisine. There are also fresh water swimming pools and a body massage and foot reflexology centre called Raba Raba House.[13][14][11]
[edit]
TheRoyal Malaysian Navyhas maintained an"offshore naval station"on the island since 1983, andCB90 assault craftbased in the station patrol the surrounding waters. Several anti-ship and anti-aircraft guns are placed around the reef, and the personnel operate aStarburstair defence system to prevent low level attacks on the island.[8]
The jetty is located inside the lagoon of the submerged atoll, and has access to the sea through a man-made path cleared of corals.
The naval personnel are normally stationed on the island on a three-month rotational deployment, transferring fromKota Kinabalu,where the Naval Area Base II (Mawila II) is located.[15]
Marine Research Station[edit]
The Malaysian Fisheries department operates a marine research facility, MARSAL (Marine Research Station Pulau Layang-Layang) on the island.[citation needed]
Utilities[edit]
Electricity[edit]
The main power source of the island comes from diesel generators. On the naval station, there is a large windmill maintained by state-owned power companyTenaga Nasionalwhich harnesses power from wind speeds of up to 50 knots to provide additional electricity supply to the base.[15]
Water[edit]
The island's clean water supply of 57 tons per day is obtained from a distilled water processing plant.[4]
Post service[edit]
In 2015, Malaysia launched apostcodefor those living on the island.[2]
Internet and mobile cellular connectivities[edit]
Internet services are currently been improved and mobile connectivities will be improved from2Gto4GbyMalaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.[16]
Climate[edit]
Swallow Reef is located within the equatorial belt and has anequatorial climate.It is closed to tourists from November to January each year due to heavy monsoon rains, however,Malaysian Armed Forcespersonnel operate on the island year-long. Temperatures range from 24 to 32 °C. Although an equatorial climate comes with fairly highhumidity,there are cooling sea breezes.
Accessibility[edit]
The only civilian flight route to Swallow Reef is a one-hour flight fromSabah's capitalKota Kinabalu.Layang Layang Aerospaceis the only airline that services this route, using its fleet ofNomad N22Cplanes. A return ticket must be purchased before departure fromKota Kinabalu International Airport.
TheRoyal Malaysian NavyusesCB90 boatsfor access to the area and also stations the boats on the island for patrols in the area. TheRoyal Malaysian Air ForceusesCN235andC130 Herculesaircraft as well asNurihelicopters for access to the island.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Layang Layang Atoll".
- ^ab"Deepest Underwater Post Box Launched at Pulau Layang-layang".Bernama.7 August 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 9 August 2015.Retrieved9 August2015.
- ^"WantChinaTimes(Taiwan)".Retrieved16 March2015.
- ^abcde"History of Station Lima at Swallow Reef (Terumbu Layang-Layang)".Konflikdanmiliter.Blogspot.8 September 2014.Retrieved15 March2015.
- ^ThePhilippinesdoes not lay claim to Swallow Reef; it is outside of theKalayaan Island Groupwhich was defined by Presidential Decree No. 1596 signed byFerdinand Marcos-"Philippine Presidential Decree No. 1596"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 October 2013.Retrieved31 August2012.
- ^abMusa, Ghazali (October 2006)."Layang Layang: An Empirical Study on Scuba Divers' Satisfaction".ResearchGate.
- ^"Scuba Diving in Layang Layang".DiveGlobal.
- ^abcThis blogcontains a useful summary of the history of the Malaysian settlements in the Spratly Islands. It expands on the basic facts provided in the Mohd Nizam Basiron chapter (Ref 4), filling in some of the gaps.[citation needed]
(Note: A blog is NOT aWP:RS- hence the "citation needed" tag - but until a RS is identified, it's better than nothing.) - ^abMohd Nizam Basiron (2013)."5".In Joshua Ho; Sam Bateman (eds.).The search for sustainability and security: Malaysia's maritime challenges and opportunities.Routledge. pp. 73–75.ISBN978-1-136-29820-2.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^"Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs".Retrieved16 March2015.
- ^ab"Layang Layang Island Resort - Diving".layanglayang.
- ^"AirportsWorldwide".Retrieved15 March2015.
- ^"JourneyMalaysia".Retrieved15 March2015.
- ^Layang Layang Island Resort,layanglayang
- ^"SKMM naik taraf internet di Pulau Layang-layang"(in Malay).Sinar Harian.7 August 2015.Retrieved9 August2015.
External links[edit]
- Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker
Layang Layangtravel guide from Wikivoyage
| Confrontations | |
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| Regions | |
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| Unoccupied features | |
| Related articles | |
| Pratas Island | |||||||||||||||||
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| Paracel Islands |
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| Spratly Islands |
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| Southeastern SCS | |||||||||||||||||
| Southern SCS | |||||||||||||||||
| Tudjuh Archipelago | |||||||||||||||||
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