Sulu Sea

The Sulu Sea is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean.

Geography

Overall, the Sulu Sea covers a sea area of 420,000 km ². With an average depth of 1139 meters which gives a volume of 478,000 km ³.

In several areas the Sulubecken drops steeply to great depths. The previously known deepest point is 7,022 m.

The Sulu Sea extends between the north-eastern Visaya Islands, the island of Mindanao in the east, the Sulu archipelago in the South East, Borneo and Palawan in the southwest to the northwest. The adjoining the Sulu Sea, Borneo, the Sabah, Malaysia belongs to all the other islands of the Philippines.

In the northwest separates Palawan Sulu Sea and South China Sea, including the Balabacstraße the west and the Mindoro Strait to the north combine both. In the north, the Sulu Sea is excreted in Tablas Strait and the Sibuyan Sea. The border between the two form the Caluya Islands. In the northern region of Cuyo Archipelago shares the Sulu Sea in the Cuyo East and West Pass, both major sea lanes for shipping in Southeast Asia.

To the east lies between Panay and Negros, the Gulf of Panay, which is connected via the Guimaras Strait to the Visayan Sea to the northeast. Panay upstream of the islands Maniguin, Mararison and Batbatan. Upstream of Negros is Dajugan and Apo.

In the southeast of the Sulu Sea, passes into the Celebes Sea in the Sulu Archipelago.

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

Ecology

In the southwest of the island of Cagayan de Sulu Tawi - Tawi archipelago and the Turtle Islands, which houses most ecologically valuable breeding sites of the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle is. Changing monsoon winds provide only a narrow time window of maximum mid-March to early June, in the Sulu Sea can be safely traveled and dived. The starting point is usually Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Zamboanga City on Mindanao or Bongao.

Headlines

Internationally known this sea area, as of belonging to Malaysia resort island of Sipadan ( abduction of Abu Sayyaf ) tourists and hotel staff was kidnapped by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf to Jolo.

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