Erica Reef

Erica Reef

Disputed island Other names: Enola Reef Boji Jiao 簸箕礁; Terumbu Siput; Gabriela Silang; Đá Én Ca
Satellite image of Erica Reef by NASA.
Geography
Erica Reef (South China Sea)
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	8°6′0″N 114°8′37″E / 8.10000°N 114.14361°ECoordinates: 8°6′0″N 114°8′37″E / 8.10000°N 114.14361°E 8°6′0″N 114°8′37″E / 8.10000°N 114.14361°E
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administered by
Malaysia
Claimed by
People's Republic of China
City	Sansha, Hainan
Philippines
Municipality	Kalayaan, Palawan
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Municipality	Cijin, Kaohsiung
Vietnam
District	Truong Sa, Khanh Hoa

Erica Reef, also known as Enola Reef, Boji Jiao (Chinese: 簸箕礁) in China, Terumbu Siput in Malaysia, đá Én Ca in Vietnam, and Gabriela Silang in the Philippines, is located 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.

The Royal Malaysian Navy has maintained a naval station called "Sierra Station" since 1999.^[1] The reef is also claimed by the PRC and Vietnam.

References

1. Joshua Ho; Sam Bateman (15 February 2013). Maritime Challenges and Priorities in Asia: Implications for Regional Security. Routledge. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-1-136-29820-2.