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Layang Layang Dive Sites - Layang Layang (Malaysia), Far East & Australia

Guide to the dive sites of Layang Layang in Borneo in North Sulawesi.

The isolated diving island resort of Layang Layang, commonly known as "The Jewels of the Borneo Banks" is located off the coast of Sabah in Malaysia. This island atol rises from 2000m with surrounding coral reefs, spectacular diving scenery, huge fans, deep sea atolls and big fish action, including hammerheads it really has it all! Here's a flavour of the diving on offer with our review of the reef diving sites around Layang Layang.
 

Dogtooth Lair
A 'one-in-a-million' dive. It has all - large to small, fish and corals. Turtle gently gliding turtle, schools of fusiliers and surgeon and swirling horse-eye jacks twisting across the thick and healthy coral. Explore overhangs and ledges with sleeping stingrays next to white-tip reef sharks. Spot large sun-fish at the drop off and look out for hammerheads as this location is part of their cruising area. With many cleaning stations there are a wide variety of nudibranch along side flat-worms.


Gorgonian Forest

This one of the main dive sites for hammerhead sharks, but its most beautiful feature is the dense forest-like formation of gorgonian sea fans that line the drop-off wall. Schooling fish large and small are abundant here and the hard corals are spectacular. Sponges of fantastic proportions grow along the walls and the sea whips spear the blue. Amongst all these plentiful growth, charge the horse-eye jacks in their thousands, swimming along side tuna, surgeon fish, fusilier and grey-reef sharks. If you're lucky, you'll also catch schooling hammer-heads here. In the shallows, there are many small to large coral formations. Sweet-lips can be photographed up close and giant groupers hang out along the wall. Barracudas cruise by and swim along with you as if escorting you through their domain. One or two dives are not enough for this unbelievable site of breathtaking beauty.

Navigator Lane
This is a magnificient dive with an abundance of healthy corals, sea fans, whips and fantastic hard coral formations so dense that you cannot put your hands down without damaging the corals! The dive is one of spectacular colour and breathtaking beauty. The corals are awesome and theres fish life of every size and description. The hammerheads are also seen here to regular basis and in great numbers. Photographers, hit the water loaded for panoramic views with large pelagic and colourful nudibranchs. Dive this site a couple of times to get the full scope of the magnificent marine life it holds.
 

Crack Reef
Crack-reef is a relaxing dive site with lots of reef activity and gravity-defying corals, sponges, sea-whips and sea-fans. The fish tumble down the walls side and then race back up the wall as if going to the surface for air. Turtles cruise indifferently along the steep walls and white-tip sharks drift by lazily. Its called Crac Reef because the dive begins on a large vertical crack in the wall that starts at the surface and plummets to 40+m.  Sometimes strong currents will help you cruise the wall with ease.
 

Wrasse Strip
Wrasse strip is one of the most eye-opening coral dives in the world. Hard and soft corals are on display in full technicolour and unique formations, some so intricate that they resemble an English horticulture show. The fish each have their own little kingdom of coral that they seem to stand guard over. There are large coral bommies with small caverns and overhangs that are home to batfish, sweet lips and soldier fish. Trigger fish lurk in this area so keep an eye out for the Titan Trigger. These guy will have you hustling your butt out of there quicker than you can say golly that chap tried to head butt me and steal my flipper. Turtles are seen regularly as well as schools of surgeons, jacks, barracuda, and if you are lucky, a small school of manta rays. Hammer-heads are also regulars here in their hundreds and compacted groups.
 

The Valley
The Valley is a gentle slope with large formations of hard corals, Groupers, sweet-lips, large schools of surgeon fish and fusiliers roam the site. Trigger fish have their nests here so mind your manners!

Though the depth stays shallow - 10 to 15 meters, until it drop-off into the deep blue, there are many areas to explore. Schools of barracuda and skinner swim in the area with the occasional reef shark cruising the length and breath of the dive site. Turtle tend to settle in this area to rest in the shallows. The coral formations are huge with overhangs and crevices to explore. Soft corals adorn the underside of these formations. Keep a lookout for the small and unusual. Flat-worms, nudibranchs and crustations crawl along the corals in rainbow of colours and size. Among the numerous anemone patches a Golden Anenome has been spotted.

 

Sharks Cave
No free beers for guessing what the attraction here is. The dive starts on the edge of the drop off in 3m of water and you drift down the face to a sand ledge where (all being well) one will find several Leopard sharks resting. Swimming past sea fans, whips, and coral formations, you'll see tuna and reef sharks glide by the come in close. You then find yourself in front of the sharks cave. At the back of this tranquil cavern, lay the small white tips huddled togather as a family. Once out of the cave you can make your way along another majestic portion of the wall.

Dive Holidays Sportif

Sportif Dive is a specialist tour operator offering a wide range of diving holidays all over the world. Our choice of destinations is extensive from established locations in the Red Sea, Maldives, Caribbean and the Far East to the exotic and unusual such as Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean, Wakatobi, Truk, Palau, South America & the Pacific. Whether you are looking to for a Learn to Dive course, group expedition or trip of a lifetime we can help. With over 30 years experience and a personal approach, we can advise on the ideal location to suit your needs, at a price to suit your budget.

Our extensive knowledge of the destinations means we can recommend the right location for you. Our diving centres are selected for their excellent standards of service and safety. Whatever your priority, whether starting out or wishing to dive a technically challenging site we can recommend a range of options offering the best diving for when you wish to travel. We can organise all your travel arrangements for you, pre-book equipment and diving packages in advance to maximise your time when you get there.

As an independent tour operator, we select only the hotels, liveaboards and diving centres that offer the best standards and quality of service but at the right price. Without the overheads of a large mass market operator, we can offer the best value diving holidays often with great discounts and special offers.

Our consultants have many years experience in travel and are divers. They are able to closely match your needs and take time to recommend from a carefully selected range of accommodation and diving packages. With first hand knowledge, they are passionate about diving and travel and providing the perfect holiday for you.

Sportif also have a specialist multisport division offering instruction and rental packages for windsurfing, kitesurfing and surfing. Our specialist centres are located in some of our diving resorts, often minutes from the Dive Centre for easy coordination of activities. Packages offered included taster and learn to right through to intensive coaching weeks up to expert level. Children can start from 8 years.

Sportif Dive are an ATOL bonded operator which means that every element of your holiday is secure. With the worry of disruption to your holiday plans from weather disruption or airline failure you can be sure that we will be there to help every step of the way.
 

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