| Disputed atoll | |
|---|---|
 Satellite image of Investigator Shoal by NASA. | |
  Investigator Shoal | |
| Other names | Terumbu Peninjau (Malay) Pawikan Shoal (Philippine English) Buhanginan ng Pawikan (Filipino) Bãi Thám Hiểm (Vietnamese) 榆亚暗沙 Yúyà ànshā (Chinese) |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 8°6′51″N 114°42′7″E / 8.11417°N 114.70194°E |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Administration | |
| State | Sabah |
| District | Kudat |
| Claimed by | |
| City | Sansha, Hainan |
| State | Sabah |
| District | Kudat |
| Municipality | Kalayaan, Palawan |
| Municipality | Cijin, Kaohsiung |
| District | Truong Sa, Khanh Hoa |
Investigator Shoal, also known as Malay: Terumbu Peninjau; Pawikan Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Pawikan, lit. 'Sandbank of Sea Turtle'); Vietnamese: bãi Thám Hiểm; chữ Nôm: 𣺽探險; Mandarin Chinese: 榆亞暗沙/榆亚暗沙; pinyin: Yúyà ànshā, is located in the SW of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.[1]
It is an atoll above water at low tide; some large rocks at the western end might be visible at high water. The atoll is 32.1 kilometres (19.9 mi) and is up to 10.6 km wide.[2] The total atoll area is 188 square kilometres (73 sq mi). The lagoon is up to 45 meters deep.[3]
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 Papa" since 1999.[4]
- ^ NGA Chart 93047, oceangrafix.com
- ^ Measured from a satellite image with the wikimapia measuring tool at Wikimapia
- ^ Atoll Area, Depth and Rainfall[permanent dead link], rock.geosociety.org
- ^ 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.