A small atoll off the coast of Borneo in Malaysia, Layang Layang is definitely an unbelievable dive destination for all levels of scuba diving fans. Described as “a little gem, a sparkle within the deep blue sea. Like a mariner’s dream, it stands all alone, a striking haven in the wide ocean awaiting a visitor.” Layang Layang is also known as ‘The Jewel of the Borneo Banks’, it has created for itself a calm lagoon which teems with wildlife. As many as 13 coral reefs have formed here, creating a magnetic underwater scenery.
Layang Layang is situated 180 miles from Kota Kinabalu in the South China Sea and is typically reached by sea plane. It is an atoll 14 square kilometres in diameter jutting 2000 meters from the Ocean depths. Underwater visibility is up to 50m and the extraordinary coral gardens of these virgin atoll reefs surrounding Layang Layang Island has never been fished or experienced any kind of man-made pollution.
One of the best dive sites in Layang Layang (although admittedly you’ll be hard pressed to top most of the dive sites here) is Dog Tooth Lair. This Layang Layang dive site is named after the schools of large dog-tooth tunas frequently found cruising here especially along the drop-off.
The reef itself has a variety of coral gardens, complete with overhangs and ledges, just before the site plunges into the 2,000 metres abyss of the open South China Sea. At the shallow end of the reef, you’ll find schools of barracuda, big-eyed jacks, fusiliers and surgeonfish on the move.
Another great dive site is Shark’s Cave
April and May is the best time to see schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, which gather to perform mating rituals.
April through October is the best time to visit. The rainy season is November to March. The water temperature ranges from 26C to 30C year round!There is just one resort on this atoll which is now owned by the Avillion Hotel Group. Staying at this resort is the best way you can dive this atoll. The resort is closed from September through to February each year which is the worst part of the rainy season.
As a side point, the inhabitants of the deep blue sea are not the only treasure on Layang Layang. Situated on the other end of the island is a bird sanctuary where migratory swallow, egret, brown foot bobbi, crested terns and other feathered creatures find a resting place on a predator free breeding ground after a long journey.
Another great dive site is Shark’s Cave. For some reason, this Layang Layang diving site has an abundance of sharks of various varieties. At a depth of about 30 metres, on a sandy ledge, you are most likely to encounter leopard sharks and whitetip reef sharks.
Moving on, you’ll glide past coral formations - gorgonians, black corals and barrel sponges - till you find yourself at the mouth of a cave. The cave can be penetrated to a length of about five or six metres.
Within the cave, you’ll find leopard sharks, whitetip reef sharks and nurse sharks asleep on the floor. Watch out that you don’t block their exit out of the cave though - you may be the object of an attack from these otherwise docile creatures.
Heading back out again into the open sea, you may encounter sightings of hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks, manta rays and eagle rays, all gliding past you in the open waters. Layang Layang diving is mostly about big fish action and this site is a good bet for plenty of big fish.
For more of the world's greatest diving destinations including The Great Barrier Reef, Grand Cayman, the Red Sea, Micronesia, Thailand etc visit Great Dive Destinations Of the World
Scuba Dive The Similans, Andaman Sea, Thailand
The Similan Islands in Thailand are commonly rated as one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world. Comprising of nine granite islands covered in a tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean the Similan Islands (also referred to simply as the Similans) provide some of the most beautiful and diverse dive destinations in Thailand. The Similans lie in a 25 km long north-south chain of islands, 65 km offshore from Phang Nga Province in the Andaman Sea, about 100km from Thailand's main tourist city, Phuket.
The eastern fringes of the Similans feature pretty hard coral gardens in the shallows and sloping reef banks down to thirty metres. At some dive sites such as East of Eden, large bommies (coral heads) rise from the sea bed and are blanketed with soft corals, fan corals, and swarms of smaller tropical fish. East coast Similan Islands diving is relatively easy-going, allowing you plenty of time to explore the sites at your own leisurely pace.
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The western side of the Similans along with the north and south points can offer more exciting diving as currents swirl around huge sunken granite boulders, which form a series of arches, tunnels and swim-throughs at sites such as Christmas Point and Elephant Head Rock. Growing on, and between, these enormous rocks you find a tapestry of colourful soft corals. In the channels between the boulders, sea fans can grow to some three metres across, and in such numbers that you cannot possibly swim through. The contrast between the east and west coasts and the variety of underwater topography is one of the reasons the Similan Islands are so popular - every dive offers you something different.
For underwater photographers and lovers of marine life, then diving in the Similan Islands is difficult to surpass for variety and abundance of tropical fish. Leopard sharks make appearances on a regular basis and you'll also see white-tip reef sharks. It's not a 'big fish' paradise, but it's consistently great for sheer diversity of marine life. You may find anything from tiny ghost pipefish to turtles and giant bumphead parrotfish.
Although the tsunami of 2004 did affect a few of the reefs here, most are in excellent condition and many divers in the last seasons have commented to us that they could not see any reef damage.
Liveaboards leaving from Phuket are typically 4 day tours, and visit both the Similans and Surin Islands including Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. Some shorter tours (2 or 3 day) visit the Similan Islands only. Day trips for diving and snorkeling are now becoming more common from Phuket.
For more of the world's greatest diving destinations including The Great Barrier Reef, Grand Cayman, the Red Sea, Micronesia, Thailand etc visit Great Dive Destinations Of the World
Scuba Dive Palau, Micronesia
Palau, is one of the greatest diving destinations in the world. Palau can be found far to the southwest of Micronesia. Palau consists of an archipelago of 343 islands, spread north to south over 100 miles which form the atoll of Kayangel to the island of Angaur plus five tiny islands, known as the southwest islands.
Palau’s huge variety of unspoiled reefs offer a wealth of marine life, coral formations and wrecks. Dives begin in knee deep water and plunge straight down to depths of 1000 feet and more. Blue holes, huge caverns and an immense variety of rare and exotic marine species are easily accessible in clear water with visibility exceeding 200 feet. Vast numbers, not found anywhere else in the world, of large pelagic predators, sharks, turtles, dolphins and many species of migratory fish gather here at a unique crossroads of three of the world’s major ocean currents. Palau features land locked marine lakes, accessible from the sea through tunnels beneath the island’s steep shorelines, are home to rare jelly fish, anemones and soft corals.
Palau’s famed “Rock Islands” are a collection of rounded, foliage-covered isles which seem to float above the surface of the water. A boat trip through them will reveal a number of magnificent white sand beach hideaways perfect for a secluded picnic or adventurous overnight stay. Below the water’s surface, divers and snorkelers are treated to a diverse technicolor paradise of fabulous drop-offs, blue holes , breathtaking reefs, crystal caves and World War II wrecks.
Another great dive destination is Palau’s most popular dive site, Blue Corner, which is recognized as one of the best in the world due to its concentration of marine life, whilst Jacques Cousteau considered Ngemelis Wall, commonly known as Big Drop-off, to be one of the best dive walls in the world. Just a few minutes away, German Channel is known for its regular sightings of manta rays, which come in and hover over rock outcroppings inhabited by tiny cleaner wrasses.
Throughout Micronesia divers can encounter an abundance of marine life in just about every imaginable colour and shape. The seas are inhabited by hundreds of types of hard and soft corals, anemones, colourful sponges, countless varieties of shellfish, manta rays and pelagics.
Divers worldwide are drawn to the Palau’s terrific drop-offs, the beauty of the Rock Islands, the underwater wreck museums of Chuuk, and to Yap, the home of the giant manta rays
It is common to see 30 - 50 grey reef and whitetip sharks, eagle rays, hundreds of schooling barracuda, thousands of blue trigger fish, moray eels, lion fish, schooling humphead parrotfish, nudibranchs, several turtles and a leaf fish all on one dive.
Getting there: Palau is served by Continental Micronesia with daily flights from/to Guam. There are daily connections to Guam from Tokyo & U.S.A. along with two flights per week from/to Cairns, Australia. Additionally, two weekly direct flights from Manila connect Palau with other points in South-East Asia and on to Europe.
For more of the world's greatest diving destinations including The Great Barrier Reef, Grand Cayman, the Red Sea, Micronesia, Thailand etc visit Great Dive Destinations Of the World
