Layang Layang Island

[davidlkh]

The hammerhead start to school and mate around March time, which is NOW. They really go shallow.

They can be seen other times of the year too, but not as many. When I was there (not in march), I saw them everyday, but only one or two per dive. Way too deep and far for my camera.

 

[DontLieToMe]

I just spent the last week at Layang Layang. It was my second visit in the last two years. About half of the people seem to be intent on seeing Hammerheads and thus spend as much time as possible hanging in the blue. I would say they have a 50% success rate of seeing a "shape" but that most encounters were brief or at a distance. There are always exceptions. Saw a few reef sharks now and then. In terms of good wall life and tropicals - not much. Saw a Manta a couple of times with one good encounter. Others were drive-bys. The resort can handle between 90-100 people and when it does it runs 10+ boats on a staggered schedules. I have not been there during such periods and would not want to deal with the congestion - like queueing at meals. Dive times limited to 45-50 minutes. Resort and food are fine. If you want to hang on some walls or in the blue then Layang Layang is OK. If you are intent on Hammerheads - head to Galapagos or Cocos.

 

[Albion]

not going to lie to you but "a shape" the things were coming close in on us. On one dive we were out in the blue away from the wall but still had good sight of it, A Grey reef came which we were all watching, then i heard someone screaming through their reg and turned round to see a pack of about 30 hammerheads squeezing through the gap between us and wall.

 

[davidlkh]

Sounds like the hammerhead mating season is late this year. Even the wet monsoon is late, so perhaps all time frames are shifted since weather and the thermal sea conditions and linked.

 

[scubashooter]

Rick, I'm sure hammerheads are not the only reason you'd go to LL because you can head south to La Paz and hit El Bajo (even though the hammer population is dwindling).
Having been to LL 3 times (and no more anymore), life without the hammers is still quite interesting. Schooling pelagics like trevally and cudas are prevalent (but not at Sipadan strength), it's quite fishy and the reeflife is healthy esp around Gorgonian Forest, where I've seen the most hammers in my trips there. They tend to be deep and many encounters are short and sweet. I'm sure someone out there has been close enough to pet one but since it's not a cleaning station, I doubt those encounters are often. The coral is probably is better shape overall compared to Sipadan but not Sangalaki.
Overall it's nice diving and I'm sure you know that Sipadan also has hammers way deep. The biodiversity is nice and it's a change being on something manmade that has good life around it. It can be (and was twice for me) crowded and I personally wouldn't go back unless someone paid me to.
For a little over $100 a day, you can't complain. It can feel like a big resort unlike Sangalaki (assuming you went to Sangalaki lodge) with silly things like swimming pools and even conference rooms :15a:
Divingwise, it's pretty much top 10 pelagic diving for the Borneo area and above average for macro and reef/coral life. Just don't have too much expectation so you can be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Rickg]

Scubashooter,

I appreciate you comments. It is beginning to look like we might be going to Indonesia this year instead of Layang Layang because we won't be able to make it during hammerhead "season" and save Layang Layang for another time.

Rickg

 

[colio]

We're thinking of going to LL this July - mainly because I won a dive package for 1 there!

The diving looks/sounds awesome, the only issue is that we did a search on the internet about the resort & found this article:

http://www.divernet.com/travel/layan998.htm

The guy's comment about the smell & the birds is scaring us! We've been to Heron Island in Australia which for our first diving holiday was awesome but this place is also famous for its birds & it also stinks there & the noise at night is unbelievable. We aren't keen on living through the same experience.

What is it really like there?? Does it depend on the time of the year you go? Is the smell really that bad? My wife has a very sensitive nose so she's gonna smell it even if its not hugely smelly to the normal person.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Albion]

We're thinking of going to LL this July - mainly because I won a dive package for 1 there!

The diving looks/sounds awesome, the only issue is that we did a search on the internet about the resort & found this article:

http://www.divernet.com/travel/layan998.htm

The guy's comment about the smell & the birds is scaring us! We've been to Heron Island in Australia which for our first diving holiday was awesome but this place is also famous for its birds & it also stinks there & the noise at night is unbelievable. We aren't keen on living through the same experience.

What is it really like there?? Does it depend on the time of the year you go? Is the smell really that bad? My wife has a very sensitive nose so she's gonna smell it even if its not hugely smelly to the normal person.

Any help would be appreciated!

I dont have a sensitive nose, in fact quite the oposite, but most of our group didnt notice it unless you were on the runway area, and certinaly didnt hear them. The birds dont seem to be so much of a problem these days

 

[davidlkh]

The nesting area is at an extreme end of the man made island. The resort is almost at the other end. So that kind of takes care of the sound.

In terms of smell, you would need some wind to blow it into the resort area. Whilst I was there, the wind was blowing it away from the resort. So no smell. Of course if you walk right next to, into the nesting area or down wind, there is quite a stench.

 

[JONATHAN A]

The review on Layang Layang which you posted is dated 1998, here is a link to a 2001 'update' which may allay your fears -

http://www.divernet.com/travel/0901layang.htm