The atoll lies some 300 km (190 mi) north-west of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It 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 6.2 hectares (15 acres), which with subsequent reclaimation now covers 35 ha (86 acres),[4] measuring over 1.5 km (0.93 mi) long and 200 m (660 ft) wide.[5]
Climate
Swallow Reef is located within the equatorial belt and has an equatorial climate. It is closed to tourists from November to January each year due to heavy monsoon rains, however, Malaysian Armed Forces personnel operate on the island year-long. Temperatures range from 24 to 32 °C. Although an equatorial climate comes with fairly high humidity, there are cooling sea breezes.
On 21 June 1980, a plaque was erected on the reef by Malaysia's PASKAL special forces.[7]
In May 1983, eighteen PASKAL members built their first encampment, signifying the start of the Royal 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.[5] By 1991, the resort had completed construction and had developed into a comfortable and popular diving spot.[7][8] 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, the Layang-Layang Airport expansion 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.[5]
In July 2004, a marine research facility, MARSAL (Marine Research Station Pulau Layang-Layang) was opened.[8]
The island has gained recognition as a destination for scuba divers.[10] Layang Layang is especially known for the hammerhead sharks during the May mating season, among a variety of marine life including pygmy seahorses, jack fish, barracuda and manta rays.[10][11][12] Its air transport needs are served by the Layang-Layang Airport.
Gallery
Facilities and access
Layang-Layang Airport
Tourists returning to their plane after visiting the reef.
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 Royal Malaysian Navy uses CB90 boats for access to the area and also stations the boats on the island for patrols in the area.
The Royal Malaysian Navy has maintained an "offshore naval station" on the island since 1983, and CB90 assault craft based in the station patrol the surrounding waters. Several anti-ship and anti-aircraft guns are placed around the reef, and the personnel operate a Starburst air defence system to prevent low level attacks on the island.[7]
The naval personnel are normally stationed on the island on a three-month rotational deployment, transferring from Kota Kinabalu, where the Naval Area Base II (Mawila II) is located.[14]
Marine Research Station
The Malaysian Fisheries department operates a marine research facility, MARSAL (Marine Research Station Pulau Layang-Layang) on the island.[citation needed]
Layang-Layang Resort
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 a Borneo 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.[15][16][11]
Utilities
Electricity
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 company Tenaga Nasional which harnesses power from wind speeds of up to 50 knots to provide additional electricity supply to the base.[14]
Water
The island's clean water supply of 57 tons per day is obtained from a distilled water processing plant.[5]
Postal service
In 2015, Malaysia launched a postcode for those living on the island.[2]
^"Pulau Layang-Layang". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
^ abcThis blog contains 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 a WP: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)
