Swallow Reef
Encyclopedia
Swallow Reef, known as Layang-Layang Island (Dusun
for Place of Swallows) in Malaysia, Danwan Jiao in China
, Celerio in the Philippines
and Đá Hoa Lau in Vietnam
, is an uninhabited oceanic atoll
of the Spratly Islands
situated approximately 300 km northwest of Kota Kinabalu
, Sabah
. Swallow Reef has a total land area of approximately 0.1 km². As with all of the Spratly Islands, the ownership of the island is disputed, but it is controlled by Malaysia and claimed by the People's Republic of China
, Republic of China
(Taiwan), Philippines
, and Vietnam
.
Swallow Reef lies in 2,000 m of ocean and, due partly to the depth, this atoll has become famous for sightings of large pelagic species and for wall diving. The naval base
has also had an important indirect contribution to the quality of scuba diving in the area, in that it has protected the island from destructive fishing practices that occurred elsewhere in the region.
, there are cooling sea breezes.
's capital Kota Kinabalu. There is only one resort on the island and a stay there requires a return flight from Kota Kinabalu.
Dusun
Dusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah of North Borneo. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Kadazan ethnic group, a new unified term called "Kadazan-Dusun" was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group...
for Place of Swallows) in Malaysia, Danwan Jiao in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Celerio in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Đá Hoa Lau in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, is an uninhabited oceanic atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
of the Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
situated approximately 300 km northwest of Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
. Swallow Reef has a total land area of approximately 0.1 km². As with all of the Spratly Islands, the ownership of the island is disputed, but it is controlled by Malaysia and claimed by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan), Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
Location
The island serves primarily as Malaysia's claim to ownership of this section of the Spratly Islands, i.e., those closer to its land area. The Malaysian Navy has maintained an offshore security post called Uniform Station on Swallow Reef since 1983 and a Malaysian dive resort has operated on the island for a number of years.Swallow Reef lies in 2,000 m of ocean and, due partly to the depth, this atoll has become famous for sightings of large pelagic species and for wall diving. The naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
has also had an important indirect contribution to the quality of scuba diving in the area, in that it has protected the island from destructive fishing practices that occurred elsewhere in the region.
Climate
Located within the equatorial belt, Swallow Reef has an equatorial climate. It is closed to tourists from November to January each year because of heavy monsoon rains. Temperatures range from 24 to 32°C. Although an equatorial climate comes with fairly high humidityHumidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
, there are cooling sea breezes.
How to get there
Swallow Reef is a one hour flight north of SabahSabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
's capital Kota Kinabalu. There is only one resort on the island and a stay there requires a return flight from Kota Kinabalu.