Pulau Lankayan or Lankayan Island is located in the Sulu Sea north west if Sandakan on the north east coast of Sabah. This small paradise island, with stretches of white sandy beaches, swaying casuarinas pines and beautiful sunsets is another island with only one dive resort, Lankayan Island Dive Resort. The resort was built in 1997 and since then tourists have slowly been discovering the serenity and tranquility of this remote peace of paradise, Lankayan offers a fantastic variety of macro marine life, a muck-diving arena that rivals both Mabul and Kapalai Island. However, with new protection from local fishermen, the larger marine creatures such as leopard sharks, marbled stingray and giant grouper have returned to the surrounding reefs. Schools of bumphead parrotfish, yellowtail barracuda and scads also appear at many dive sites.

Among the 40 dive sites is ‘Lankayan Wreck’, an ocean going fish poaching vessel thah demised in the area of its illegal activities. This wreck now hosts many different species of fish from small glassfish, harlequin ghost pipefish, painted frogfish to giant grouper and marbled stingrays.

Many rare subjects can be found on many other dive sites including seahorses, flying gurnards, flamboyant cuttlefish, jawfish, dragonets and sand divers. Having Pulau Selingan, home to Sabah’s Turtle Sanctuary nearby, it is not a surprise to also see the occasional hawksbill or green turtle on one of your dives.

Pulau Lankayan is soon to be declared part of an immense Marine Conservation Area. Unpopulated and covered by thick tropical rainforest on its topside, this peaceful, untouched little bit of paradise is ringed by an endless pure white sandy beach, offering simply elegant and exquisite accommodation in a handful of wooden, roomy and perfectly appointed seafront double-occupancy chalets. Meals are informally served at the central open building, which boasts an amazingly beautiful open-air wooden terrace, the ideal spot for after dinner, relaxation and chatting, all the while admiring the dozens of juvenile blacktip sharks swimming leisurely a few feet beneath. While the ideal destination for those who search tranquility and relaxation in a virgin natural setting and for families with children, Pulau Lankayan is also one of the hottest diving destination on the map today: its dive sites - all just a few minutes away - boast unbelievably colorful macro fauna, fascinating wrecks and in season from March to May, regular sightings of gigantic and harmless whale sharks, the " dream date " of every diver in the world.

You can have a look on thousands of baby tip shark right in front of Lankayan Island's Sundeck.

Courtesy of Sabah Tourism and Tourism Malaysia;

Other resources: http://www.impressions.com.my/lankayan/lankayan.htm