Sulu Lake

Map with the Philippines and the Sulu Sea (Sulu Sea, in the southwest)

The Sulu Sea is a western tributary of the Pacific Ocean .

geography

The Sulu Sea covers a total of 420,000 km². With an average depth of 1139 meters, this results in a volume of 478,000 km³.

The Sulu Basin drops steeply to great depths in several areas . The deepest point known to date is 7,022 m.

The Sulu Sea extends between the northeastern Visaya Islands, the island of Mindanao in the east, the Sulu Archipelago in the southeast, Borneo in the southwest and Palawan in the northwest. The part of Borneo bordering the Sulu Sea , the province of Sabah , belongs to Malaysia , all other islands to the Philippines .

In the northwest, Palawan separates Lake Sulu and the South China Sea , including the Balabac Strait in the west and Mindoro Strait in the north. In the north, the Sulu Sea merges into the Tablas Strait and the Sibuyan Sea . The Caluya Islands form the border to both . In the northern region, the Cuyo Archipelago divides the Sulu Sea into the Cuyo East and -West Pass, both of which are important sea routes for shipping in Southeast Asia .

In the east, between Panay and Negros, lies the Gulf of Panay , which is connected to the Visayas Sea in the northeast via the Guimaras Strait . In front of Panay are the islands of Maniguin , Mararison and Batbatan . Upstream of Negros is Dajugan and Apo .

In the southeast the Sulu Sea merges into the Celebess Sea at the Sulu Archipelago .

The most centrally located Tubbataha - atolls are the largest contiguous coral reef , and there are still some lesser known and not yet fully mapped and dive-driven explored reefs, such as around the Cagayan archipelago .

ecology

In the southwest of the Sulu Sea is the island of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi and the archipelago of the Turtle Islands , which are particularly ecologically valuable breeding grounds for the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle . Changing monsoon winds only create a narrow time window from mid-March to early June at the latest, in which the Sulu Sea can be safely navigated and dived. The starting point is usually Puerto Princesa on Palawan, Zamboanga City on Mindano or Bongao .

Headlines

This sea area became internationally known when tourists and hotel employees were kidnapped by the Islamist terror group Abu Sajaf to Jolo from the holiday island of Sipadan, which belongs to Malaysia, in the so-called Abu Sajaf kidnapping case .

The southern and western Sulu Sea is internationally regarded as a high risk area and one of the most pirate- infested waters on earth.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Donald G. Groves and Lee M. Hunt: Ocean World Encyclopedia, McGraw Hill 1980. ISBN 0-07-025010-3 . Sulu Sea (page 374)

Coordinates: 8 °  N , 120 °  E