Erica Reef

Erica Reef

Disputed atoll
Satellite image of Erica Reef by NASA.
Other names	Enola Reef Terumbu Siput (Malay) Gabriela Silang Reef (Philippine English) Bahura ng Gabriela Silang (Filipino) Đá Én Ca (Vietnamese) 簸箕礁 Bòji Jiāo (Chinese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administration
Malaysia
State	Sabah
Division	Kudat
District	Kudat
Claimed by
China
City	Sansha, Hainan
Philippines
Municipality	Kalayaan, Palawan
Taiwan
Municipality	Cijin, Kaohsiung
Vietnam
District	Trường Sa, Khánh Hòa

Erica Reef, also known as Enola Reef (Malay: Terumbu Siput, lit. 'Shell Reef'); Gabriela Silang Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Gabriela Silang); Vietnamese: đá Én Ca; Mandarin Chinese: 簸箕礁; pinyin: Bòji Jiāo, is located in the SW of Dangerous Ground, 24km east-northeast of Mariveles Reef in the Spratly Islands.

It is small, almost circular, with an outside radius about 1 km. It dries entirely at low tide, enclosing a shallow lagoon. A few rocks remain visible on the east side at high water but there is no obvious point of reference. The lagoon is too shallow to be of much interest and the outer reef is a steep slope rather than a drop-off, but it descends into very deep water. Healthy stony corals harbouring a myriad of reef creatures descend into the depths and many shoals of semi-pelagic fish are seen in the clear visibility. On each reef the south walls are precipitous while their other boundaries are slopes, the walls are a result of prevailing currents and the direction of maximum sunlight encouraging coral growth.

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 Sierra" since 1999. The atoll is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, and Vietnam. The Filipino name is named after Philippine revolutionary leader, Gabriela Silang.

External links

• Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker