LAYANG LAYANG DIVE SITE DESCRIPTION
Valley - An easy dive located at the western tip of Pulau Layang Layang is a gentle slope beginning at about 10 M and slopes to about 20 M. This site features excellent hard coral growth with small reef fishes inhabiting the coral garden. You will find countless fish ranging from tiny Gobies, Blennies and Wrasses to Reef Sharks. Numerous nooks and crevices provide a hideaway for invertebrates like Crabs, Shrimps and also fishes such as Red Coral Trout and other Snappers. Also look out to the sandy patches - you might see the occasional Leopard Shark resting on the sandy bed.

Sharks Cave - The highlight for this dive site is sharks and a cave. The wall drops down to a ledge at around 30 meters where Leopard Sharks can often be see resting, providing motion is slow and limited you can get quite close to them. The cave itself is a little further along at a depth of around 25 M and with a 3 M entrance you can penetrate around 6 M. Several white tips, leopard and nurse sharks can be found resting on the bottom. Be sure not to disturb them as a flurry of divers, bubbles, sediment and confused sharks in a cave can be extremely unpleasant for all involved.

D' Wall - This is an interesting wall dive, with the reef top starting at about 6 M and plunging down rather steeply at an inverted angle, cutting off the sunlight. Visibility is usually better than most sites around and is about 40+ M. Coral life on the face of the wall is quite spartan, probably from the nature of the steep wall. Several black coral bushes, colourful dendronephthya soft corals, sponges and clusters of tunicates carpet the wall. The coral garden is populated with small reef fishes darting about, Red Coral Trout and several big Emperor Angels. Big Moray Eels make their home in several crevices on the wall, playing hide and seek with divers, popping in and out of the lair. In the openwater, schools of Surgeonfish, Fusiliers, Jacks and sometimes Manta Rays cruise by. Large schools of Pennant Butterfly fish also can be seen hovering around the coral garden, probably seeking out food. White tip reef sharks are frequently sighted, and after a while you stop noticing them. The reef top is quite interesting with abundant marine creatures foraging for food among the hard coral formations, keeping the diver occupied during his safety stop.

Snapper Ledge - Snapper ledge is a safe and easy dive with magnificent corals and colour-full reef fish galore, for the photographer it is a good wide angle spot, macro and close-up area when the sun is directly on it. One can simply drift along with the current. Once again remember your depth and avoid collision with the corals please.



Runway - The runway is an breath taking dive its deep vertical walls, gullies and creavasses galore to explore. Along the steep vertical walls on is in awe at the corals that defy gravity as they grow and expand out into the blue. Reef fish swim in the vertical mode which at first glance seems to be an-unusual phenomenon. Schools of Jacks cascade down the wall like water from a waterfall. Schools of Bait Fish, Fusiliers, Surgeon Fish sparkle and glitter in the crystal clear water. Sharks and Manta-rays cruise the wall and shy they are not, Hammerhead have on occasion been seen in this area so always look to sea, fingers crossed of course. Remember that the depth limits is 40meters in these waters it is easy to accidentally exceed this limit, especially the photographers amongst you. With regard to photography one can go loaded with close-up or wide angle either way one should not be disappointed with the results.

Tunnel - Tunnel spot is a little more sheltered than the rest of Layang Layang's dive sites. This spot is similar in topography as wreck point. The only difference is that there are no sand slopes to settle in so please maintain good buoyancy control. We have a feast of hard corals such as, Staghorn, Plate, Table, Mushroom and Brain Corals. The occasional Turtle drifts past with an indifference that only these 'wise old man of the sea' can exuded. At 10 M the coral slope gives way to a vertical drop off which is home to soft corals, sponges of all descriptions and colour. Schools of Amber-jacks swim by as if on parade on occasion they can be seen swimming around as if mimicking a large barrel. If one drifts to this formation slowly one can enter the coil of fish and providing you swim in the same circular manner the 'jacks' accept you as one of their own and around and around you go with your new found friends of the sea.

Wreck Point - Despite its name this dive site does not actually have a wreck anymore, there used to be one but only a few scraps remain. The topography here is a shallow reef with coral gardens ideal for both diving and snorkelling. Many varieties of hard corals and smaller reef fish can be found here and this spot is also good for night dives. The wall seems to drop off to infinity after the 30 M mark, this is where you may spot the bigger visitors.

Dogtooth Lair - Located just minutes from the resort, Dogtooth Lair probably got its name from the numerous sightings of these tunas encountered during dives. The reef topography starts at about 7 M and slopes down into the depths. Passing schools of barracudas can be seen at the shallows along with fusiliers and surgeonfish. The wall is typical of those around Layang Layang, featuring steep walls of corals, interspaced with small ledges. There is also a popular site to encounter the schooling hammerheads swimming against the current. Dogtooth Lair can sometimes experience fierce currents due to its location at the corner of the atoll. However, currents bring rich nutrients and attract a chain of predators.

Gorgonian Forest - Most dive sites around Layang Layang follow a similar dive profile with the reef top starting at 5 to 12 M and sloping steeply down. Gorgonian Forest, as the name suggests, is a virtual forest of fabulous sea fans swaying with the currents along the slopes from about 14 M down to 40 M. Bushes of black coral and whip coralsshare the seascape with small marine reef fishes. The stillness of the dive site is interrupted by the presence of scalloped hammerhead sharks, either solitary, swimming close to the reef or in a school, cruising off the wall in the open water usually against the flow of the currents. It is a magnificent sight to behold, their heads swaying from side to side unlike any other shark, swimming in formation. An advice to underwater photographers: These animals are easily spooked, especially if you utilize a flash. They are best photographed with available light, capturing their silhouette shapes in the blue water.

Navigator Lane - This is a magnificent dive with abundance of healthy corals, sea fans, whips and fantastic hard coral formations that are so dense that you cannot put your hands down without damaging the corals! This dive is one of colour and breath taking beauty, the corals alone are simply awesome and the fish life is in abundance and of every size and description. The Hammer-heads are also seen here on regular basis and in great numbers. For the photographer you will hit the water loaded for panoramic views and large pelagic and see a colorful Nudibranch, it is that kind of place so one dive this site a couple of times to get the full scope of what magnificent marine life that it holds.

Crack Reef - Crack-reef is another relaxing dive site with a lot of reef activity and fantastic gravity defying corals, sponges, sea-whips and sea-fans galore. The fish tumble down the wall side and then race back up the wall side as if going to the surface for air. Turtles cruise along the steep walls and gentle glide passed you in an indifferent attitude of one of those weird looking things again White-tip sharks lazily drift by and the occasional. Dog-tooth Tuna swims with purpose passed you in display of defiance and strength. We call it Crack-Reef because the dive begins on a large vertical crack in the wall that starts at the surface and plummets to 40+M, please remember your depth limit and air consumption. At times we have had strong currents that help you cruise the wall with ease so please do not grad onto the coral formations so you can get that one shot in a million, OK! Once again the photographers can go loaded and armed with close-up and or wide angle.

Wrasse Strip - This is a seriously impressive coral dive with coral gardens absolutely jam packed with every variety of hard and soft coral competing for the light and warmth above. Coral bommies with their territorial fish inhabitants are abound, the sheer concentration of corals and smaller fish is breath taking. Towards the deeper waters eagle rays or a manta may be spotted.