For some reason.......

....this is constantly one of my top viewed photos on Flickr.

The other persistently most viewed are below, and all of them are interestingly from the same Kusu ReefWalk.... Does this mean that the rest of my photos ain't as interesting? T_T Weird.

Click for the rambling...

Registration for 18 Oct ReefWalk @ Kusu is now open!

It's the last day of September and unfortunately, our lovely Blue Water Volunteers website is currently down due to some IP issues. However that does mean that we're not having our usual activities! Intertidal ReefWalks @ Kusu island and Reef Check surveys with ReefFriends are still ongoing!

Sign up details are under the cut ^_^
1. Kusu ReefWalks on 18 Oct


The evening Kusu Island ReefWALKs are back. The next walk will be on 18 Oct 08 (Sat) 5.30pm - 9pm and it cost $15 per participant. To register, please email reefwalk@bluewatervolunteers.org and provide the following details:

Name:
Contact Number:
Email:
Number of participants:
Ages of children (if any):
Emergency contact details:

Should you have any queries (or would like to join us as volunteers), please email reefwalk@bluewatervolunteers.org.

Cheers,
ReefWALK Team
*****************
The last two walks for 2008 would be on 15 Nov 08 (Sat), and 14 Dec 08 (Sun). Registration details would be posted up nearer the dates.

EDIT: if you have problems contacting us with the above email, try reefwalk@gmail.com

2. ReefFriends surveys


For those of you who dive, and would like to lend a hand in collecting scientific data for the monitoring of our local reefs, please email reeffriends@bluewatervolunteers.org for more details on joining. We would be glad to have you onboard the team!

EDIT: if you have problems contacting us with the above email, try reeffriends@gmail.com

p/s. Three cheers for blogs and RSS feeds that can act as our backup(s) when things go wrong with the main site ^_^

Click for the rambling...

Once Upon a Tree - Tides and Coastlines episode 01

Just caught the first episode of the new season of Once Upon a Tree. Not that I knew about watched the first season that focused on Singapore's terrestrial environment.... Thanks to Ria for pointing out the screening of the first episode (as well as a synopsis)! How apt that the second season is on our marine and intertidal environment, especially with the International Year of the Reef and ADEX 2008 in Singapore.


I may have heard wrongly but I think This new season marks the beginning of a 6 week journey with Dr Shawn Lum and Ong Sue-Lynn as they talk to people and find our more about our shores and intertidal life. A real quick 30 minute slot targeted at the general public with enough snippets of information on our intertidal and marine life, yet rich in messages. Way too general for the usual buncha intertidal/diving enthusiasts that I willingly squander time, sweat and whatever else with. But hey! This show's not aimed at us! In fact, a few of us are involved (or actually) in it!! Did try to memorise the scientific names of critters that flashed by on the screen but there were too many.... There's always my guiding notes for those anyway. ^^

Nice pacing from the start with Shawn introducing little links that tie our lives with the shore, as well as the quick sharing/interview with Dr Beverly Goh. Then we were whisked off to Kusu with co-host Sue-Lynn, to get to where the action life is. The intertidal flats!!! Kusu being one of my more frequented intertidal abodes, it was thrilling yet a little weird to see it onscreen. A quick introduction of the island (which I should take more from to weave into my guiding script...), and off she goes to meet YC, her guide for the day. Interesting how he has this bag with all those interesting (and familiar) looking apparatus hanging that wasn't put to use. Yet another guide that I can learn loads off. Pity they could only fit in a general introduction to anemones, marine snails, and hermit crabs. So much more that we can see!! But for that, I guess you'll have to join BWV on their next guided walk there. Hopefully there would be more critter introductions as the season progresses. Ria has also posted some feature articles on Kusu at the IYOR Singapore blog:
Isle of History
Isle of Shrines

We bounce back to Shawn in the heart of town where he hears a bit more about the marina barrage that is being built (and expected to be completed this year). Also introduces us to the shelled (and not shelved) life that's along Singapore river despite the canalization and all. That's before we end off with the take-home message of not littering and thoughlessly chucking out rubbish since somehow the trash all ends up in our waterways and sea....

See what I mean by rich in messages? Definitely hitting breadth (and as many issues as possible) instead of depth. Stay tune for the next installment next week!!

Click for the rambling...

Back at Kusu!!

Part 1 of this month's intertidally weekend ^^ It feels great to be back at Kusu with the BWV bunch after 2 months of break. Judging from the signup response for this month and next's, the public has also been anticipating our return to the shores! And Kusu didn't disappoint! Just to list some of the things we saw (thanks to our brilliant spotters thebluetempeh and D) nudibranchs, big jellyfish (~30cm in diameter), 2 octopuses, rainbow wrasse, egg crab, flower crab, hairy crab, many many common seastars, an increasing amount of carpet anemones (including one ~10cm in diameter), pipefishes, anemone clownfish (aka Nemo), stonefish, branched anemone.... It seems like the anemones that we have been seeing since the start of the year are here to sta, and have been joined by their friends!

Sadly, me being me, was a little distracted coordinating and guiding that I only took photos of the rather big stonefish and one of the pipefish we saw. Didn't even take people photos. Probably hafta wait to snitch them off MS (along with any other animal shots) and post on the RW blog/community. Anyway, on to the pictures and little snippets of information ^^


Meet Mr Stonefish. Think this is the first time for the guides to actually see a stonefish at the Kusu Lagoon. Mr Stonefish here was apparently very stoned since even with the rather rough handling it had to endure from one of our helpful "uncles" it still remained rather still. However, this does NOT mean that you can treat a stonefish thusly, even if you do come across one. Sticking a metal rod in its mouth ain't exactly very nice, even if it's a convenient way to hull it around for the rest to see. The whole purpose of the ReefWalks is to introduce people to our intertidal biodiversity that is also nature friendly to the critters and their environment (so no screaming or shouting from kids either!!) Stonefish keep very still mainly as part of their passive camouflage, so as to appear like a stone (thus its name) while it lays in wait for unsuspecting prey. Another reason why "playing" with a stonefish (even minus the rod) is not a very good idea is that the spines of its fins are actually hollow and filled with venom, so if you get scratched or pricked.... Let's just say that you won't be very happy either.

Here's another shot of Mr Stonefish, minus the offensively invasive rod. As grumpy as its face is naturally, I think I can safely say that its way more comfortably without the rod in its mouth. 'Coz with the rod in, Mr Stonefish was raising its spines up in defense....


On to another fish that is less threatening but just as adapt at camouflage. This is a pipefish. Sorta a cousin of the more well known seahorse (and leafy seadragons). Think straightened out seahorse and *wahlah* you get a pipefish! Unlike other fish, pipefish, seahorses, and sea dragons all have very small mouths located at the end of their snouts, and it's the DAD that is "pregnant" and has the honour of carrying the young in their pouches! This pipefish is around 5cm in length, and when it keeps very still (especially when near the sea bottom or amongst algae/seagrass) they look like just another random stick floating around in the sea! Isn't that amazing?

And of course, to round up an excellent walk (and evening), a few of us had a very nice dinner at Akashi, VivoCity~~

EDIT: MS has put up more of the photos at the BWV blog. Thanks dude! (Though I didn't really describe the organisms here... only did for the stonefish and pipefish~~)

Click for the rambling...

commensal crazy in Kusu!!!

Was out doing our modified ReefCheck with ReefFriends today, and I must say, this was one of my most fruitful dives at Kusu!! As expected, was relegated to doing LIT with coral genera ID for the deeper transects along with MS. Sadly, when compared to Semakau, the reef slope here hardly has any live coral cover. It made our work a little easier since we could finish the LIT with relative ease and look for stuff to photograph. =^-^=

Haven't really had to explore Kusu underwater recently, so it was really a pleasant surprise to see all these sea fans and whip corals all over the place. Even more amazing were the number of crinoids EVERYWHERE!! Poor HB had to count/estimate the number of crinoids for the mobile invertebrates survey.....


Then there were the HUGE seafans that were sticking out of the slope. I narrowly missed swimming right into one when reeling back the tapes... *phew* That would have been one BIG guilt trip for me man!!

And this was the first time that I have seen SO many brittle stars curled around whip corals. All those little bumps on this whip Gorgonians aren't some kind of disease. They're all little brittle stars!!


BUT, the dive was not just filled with enormous Gorgonians, the REAL highlights of the dives were the macrolife =^-^= Namely, whip gobies, gorgonian shrimps and allied cowries that live commensally on seafans and whip corals. These creatures have absolutely amazing camouflage, and generally, it would be near to spot them if you were just swimming past and they keep incredibly still. Rather difficult subjects to photograph using a point-and-shoot since they are skitterish on top of being tiny and well camouflaged. The first of the many that were pointed out was a pair of sawtooth Gorgonian shrimp (Tozeuma armatum). This fella was probably the largest (or rather, longest) of all the commensals we saw.

Then there were all these tiny tiny shrimp scurrying all around. I only have nudibranch and fish books to help me in ID-ing photos, so will need a little help here in getting these guys ID-ed. Any suggestions would be more than welcome! ^^


Contraty to what I intially thought, it seems like whip gobies are rather common in Singapore. First spotted (and tried to photograph them) during the RF survey trip to Semakau last month. Managed to get a somewhat blurry shot of THREE of them on a single whip coral. And today I actually managed to get a better shot of one when I was in search of more allied shrimps!! *yay*

And then there was another one that was camera shy but seemed to like playing peek-a-boo at the same time. See him/her?


Didn't spot as many allied cowries but here was one really pretty one that MS pointed out. This one's a spindle cowrie.

Sure looks different from the usual roundish cowries that most people know of. Allied cowries (aka egg shells) are closely related to cowries, and they DO belong to the same superfamily. What does this mean to all those non-biologists? Simply put, allied cowries and cowries are kinda like cousins. Unlike their cowrie relatives, these small allied cowries are masters of disguise! They have adapted to look like what they eat (yes, they feed on softcorals and Gorgonians), and there are even some that have polyp-like extensions that resemble the feeding polyps of their host soft corals!!

But soft corals aren't the only ones with their little creatures living on them. Hard corals do too!! Like this coral shrimp (Vir philippinensis) that's living among the bubble-like tentacles of this bubble coral (Plerogyra).


The main reason why I saw as many as I did is my buddy, MS, who is simply AMAZING!!! How he can spot all those little critters on the whip corals and sea fans is really beyond me. Really thankful for his eagle-eyes. woceht has also benefited from his sharp eyes, and they saw wonderful macrolife at Hantu in April as well!! Click here for woceht's account on the experience. ^^

Of course, no dive in Singapore would be complete without nudibranchs!! The Phyllids were just EVERYWHERE on the reef and there were also a couple of blue dragons (Pteraeolidia iathina) out posing for me.

This particular phyllid even looked like it was winking at me with one rhinophore (those stubby stalky looking things) up and the other retracted. ^^


And things just keep getting better!! Wonder what MS is so intently photographing in that hole..

LOBSTER!!! Poor guy was probably freaked out by us swimming up and down and flashing at him while taking photos... Not too sure which rock lobster it is but *think* it may be a painted rock lobster...


Here are also a coupld of interesting things that I simply can't figure out... Anybody know what these are?
(1) Funny looking blobby thing at the tip of the whip coral

Update: possible ID with Nigel's help
Seems like this rather funky looking thing may be a Tubularian, and is actually a kinda of hydroid!!! So hydroids DO come in all shapes and sizes, including some that deposit a calcium carbonate skeleton (i.e. Millepora aka CME that LIT-ers should be familiar with). The very clear close-ups on the following sites do seem to confirm that this is a Tubularian hydroid. Interesting that one of the species is actually "common throughout the British isles". Perhaps this is yet another proof of Singapore's colonisation by the British!! They even brought it along with them to SEA? *okies, am starting to crap here*
New Jersey Scuba Diver
Tubularia larynx
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole

(2) Anemone-ish looking thing


Yep, we definitely went home a happy troop of people!!

Click for the rambling...

wild, wet weekend @ Semakau and Kusu

ReefWALK @ Kusu with BWV
Just got back from our rather rainy and early walk at Kusu. Nearly overslept (despite being the coordinator), just like the last time, but some how managing to wake up like 5min just before transport came. *oops* It started raining from the time we were on the boat all the way till we left the island, making it really difficult to spot animals lurking in the tide pools since the silt was pretty much stirred up before we actually trooped down. Despite being Fathers' Day, there were hardly any family groups with us today. All four groups managed to maintain their good spirits even though a number of them had no ponchos and were sportingly getting wet. Didn't really have any "special guests" this walk but the usual residents of anemones, soft corals, crabs, etc. were out. Real pity about the rain since the timing of the low tide was perfect for a sunrise walk~~~

Very tempted to *cheat* by putting up photos and blogging about last month's walk due to the lack of photos (except for this one lone flower crab shot that I took). Silly me forgot to video the pretty little moon crab we found when it was burying itself in the sand... Just like the last time. The thing is when I'm the main guide, I concentrate so much on finding things and talking about them that I forget to take photos....


Intertidal Semakau RMBR/NEA
The weather yesterday was not much better when we at Semakau. Woke up just as early to take a early morning walk West Coast jetty, and it was my 1st OJT walk!! Can't wait to go for more!! Got assigned to Turtles, and we were with some SNGS girls out exploring life at our last landfill. Since it was nice early morning walk, the NEA bus was not there to drive us to our entry point, thus a morning walk for all of us.


And if you think Turtles are slow on land, think again!!! There's another group behind us!! Won't you look at the sky? Such lovely colors!


And on to the tour proper... Our lead Turtle, TC telling the group about the intertidal area...


With the weather threatening to turn at any moment, we head out across the seagrass meadow to get right out there~~


And look what our hunter-seeker found for us!!! Spider conch!!! This is my very first time seeing one alive!!! *jumps in excitment*

The topside doesn't look like anything special, camouflages rather well in the intertidal area of grainy brown and algae. However, when it's turn upside down, this marine shell DOES look really pretty indeed!

But that's NOT all!! It is even able to right itself when place upside (either by us or by wave action), just like how this little video shows. Neat, eh? As my camera was in it's UW casing, the "running commentary" wasn't picked up very well but if you up the volume to the max....


[More videos from juanicths]

At the same spot, there was also a moon snail. Also a first for me. Have only seen the collar of eggs before but not the actually snail per se. It's mantle (the fleshy bit) can actually spread out quite a bit in a thin, flat sheet. Rather scary in a way, compared to most other snails (marine or otherwise) that just have enough sticking out to form a foot.


Elsewhere on the flats, TC's occasional turning over of rocks/rubble yielded this. Cowrie~~~ Yet another kinda snail (Gastropod) This funky little critter actually has it's mantle our, covering and "polishing" the outer portion of it's shell, so unlike the other snails, the top/other side of it's shell is actually smooth, rather shiny, and generally have rather nice patterns on them. (Note: patterns do NOT result from the mantle covering the shell... Just that they are visible due to the lack of fouling)


One of the last few things we saw before the storm front actually hit us was this spider crab that TC's holding. (No, he's not trying to have sashimi despite the chopsticks. Those are part of our little "tool pack" to manage animals that we show our groups) The last time I saw these fellas in Singapore was during the night dive we did during the mass spawning in April this year. Pretty surprised that it was found intertidally...


And when the rain hit, boy, did it POUR!!! Too busy trying to get myself (and people) off the flats and into the ONLY shelter that was situated next to the road just before the forest area. So here's everybody squished into the shelter, except for most of the guides/OJTs who had ponchos or were just already so dreanched it really didn't matter...


But it seems that our guides and OJTs don't really mind the rain so much? At least not with friends, chitchatting and smiles all a round while we waited for Mr Poi to drive the bus over ^^

Our very own 3 *drenched* musketeers?


And of course, this being a nature walk, ANY organism that we can talk about would be shown-and-not-quite-toad...


With the rain stopped, and everybody relatively drier, it was back to the bus for a quick landfill tour. Sending us around was the very nice and friendly Mr Poi.

Our very own July giving us the running commentary on the landfill. Our LAST and ONLY landfill... So we all need to reduce the amount of refuse we produce so that this can last a long long long long long time!


Here's interesting proof that the area that we are using as a landfill used to be our sea (think of all those poor corals and organisms that were sacrificed underneath all this!!) A warning beacon to ships!!! Probably the only landlocked one that I'll ever see!


And here's the "standby" area that has yet to be converted into cells for the ash. They spotted black tip reef sharks here before!! In this very lagoon!!


And of course, to commemorate our trip, a group shot at the southern most point in Singapore that is publicly accessible! The southernmost limit is actually Pulau Satumu but it's a restricted area, and a number of other nearby islands (P.Sudong, P.Pawai, P.Senang) are live firing places that most people won't be able to go to...


Links to other accounts of our wet adventures at Semakau:
Tidechaser blog
Urban Forest blog
Mountain and Sea blog
Manta blog
July's discovery blog

p/s Found an alternative to hosting my videos on Youtube. Trying out the Imageshack hosting, so ALL my nature videos are up there now! (Click on the linkie under "multimedia")

Click for the rambling...