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The Loaita Bank (10°45′N 114°30′E / 10.750°N 114.500°E / 10.750; 114.500) is one of the significant maritime features in the Spratly Islands. It is about 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) long on its NE-SW axis, and extends from Loaita Island to the NW of Dangerous Ground.

The bank contains a number of maritime features, including shoals, reefs, an island, two sand cays, and a lagoon:

• Loaita Island (10°41′N 114°25′E / 10.683°N 114.417°E / 10.683; 114.417)
• Lankiam Cay (10°43′N 114°32′E / 10.717°N 114.533°E / 10.717; 114.533)
• Loaita Nan (Loaita Southwest Reef)
• Loaita Cay

(10°43′43″N 114°21′09″E / 10.72861°N 114.35250°E / 10.72861; 114.35250)

• and numerous less well defined/named shoals and reefs.

At the NE end of the bank there is "a ridge of foul ground that is an extension" of the bank; Menzies Reef (11°09′N 114°48′E / 11.150°N 114.800°E / 11.150; 114.800) lies at the NE end of this ridge, inside Dangerous Ground.

It is neighboured by the Thitu Reefs and Subi Reef to the NW, Irving Reef to the east, North Danger Reef to the north, and the Tizard and Union Banks to the south.

References

1. ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 161: South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 13-14.
2. NGA Chart 93044 shows the area NW of Dangerous Ground.
3. Spratly Islands Digital Gazetteer

v t e Spratly Islands
Confrontations	Southwest Cay incident (1975) East Sea Campaign (1975) Johnson South Reef Skirmish (1988)
Regions	Dangerous Ground Loaita Bank London Reefs North Danger Reef Reed Tablemount Tizard Bank Union Banks
Occupied features	Brunei Louisa Reef China Cuarteron Reef Fiery Cross Reef Gaven Reefs Hughes Reef Johnson South Reef Mischief Reef Subi Reef Malaysia Ardasier Reef Dallas Reef Erica Reef Investigator Shoal Mariveles Reef Swallow Reef Philippines Commodore Reef Flat Island Irving Reef Lankiam Cay Loaita Cay Loaita Island Nanshan Island Northeast Cay Second Thomas Shoal Thitu Island West York Island Taiwan Taiping Island Zhongzhou Reef Vietnam Alison Reef Amboyna Cay Barque Canada Reef Bombay Castle Central London Reef Collins Reef Cornwallis South Reef Discovery Great Reef East London Reef Grierson Reef Ladd Reef Lansdowne Reef Namyit Island Pearson Reef Petley Reef Sand Cay Sin Cowe Island South Reef Southwest Cay Spratly Island Tennent Reef West London Reef
Unoccupied features	First Thomas Shoal Half Moon Shoal Luconia Shoals Northeast Investigator Shoal Royal Captain Shoal Sabina Shoal Third Thomas Shoal Western Reef Whitsun Reef
Related articles	Spratly Islands dispute Free Territory of Freedomland "Great Wall of Sand" List of airports in the Spratly Islands List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands Philippines and the Spratly Islands Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Nine-dash line

• Banks of the Spratly Islands
• Loaita Bank