Mariveles Reef

About

Mariveles Reef (Malay: Terumbu Mantanani, Filipino: Bahura ng Mariveles, Vietnamese: đá Kỳ Vân, Mandarin, pinyin: Nánhǎi Jiāo), is located in the SW of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands. It is 59 kilometres (37 mi) slightly east of north from Swallow Reef and 35 nautical miles (65 km, 40 mi) southeast of Barque Canada Reef. It dries at high tide enclosing two large lagoons in a figure of eight formation with a sand cay between them. This small cay, 1.5–2 metres (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) high, and some isolated rocks are just visible at high water. It is one of the areas in the Spratly Islands occupied by Malaysia. The Royal Malaysian Navy has maintained an "offshore naval station" there called "Station Mike" since 1986. The atoll is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.