August 31, 2010
By Hantu Blog volunteer, Jimmy Goh
The sky fell on us today, pouring rain drenched all the divers even before we could get on to the boat. (Above: Divers get ready for a dive at Hantu despite the rain)
We decided to take a bet and loaded the stuff as usual, onto the boat. Just as we were departing from the marina, the rain stopped, with slight overcast. Water was clam and I checked with Mr. Yeo and he said well not much current today, lets go to the south jetty. (Above: Whip coral)
We arrived at about 1030 at the south jetty, a quick briefing and everyone was off diving! (Above: Bubble coral)
The visibility wasn’t too bad, about 1-1.5m but the water was eerily green. Maybe because it was still in the 7th lunar month! (Above: Icon seastar)
The corals are recovering well from the bleaching, and many new corals was popping up all over the place. (Above: Filefish)
The first creature we saw was a green snake eel, which curiously sticks it head out for us to take some photos.
We also saw crabs and butterfly fishes and a school of silver moonfish (above) swimming at under the jetty.
After lunch the sky cleared up and we had nice sun and a great 2nd dive 
Blog volunteer Cindy Tan managed to bump into the resident turtle who almost scared her out of her skin! We’re still waiting for her to upload her pictures from the dive so we can share them with you! (Above: Merulina coral)
Seeing the corals recovering was the biggest attraction for today. (Above: Serpent coral)
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June 28, 2010
Photo: wildshores.blogspot.com
Ria Tan and Loh Kok Sheng visited Pulau Hantu early on Sunday to check out the island’s intertidal reef is responding to the widespread coral bleaching in the region, that’s been observed since May 2010.
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June 2, 2010
By Ria Tan:
It was heartbreaking to be away from the oil spill affected areas the last three days.
But we were committed well before the spill to trips to our Deep South. Alas, another tragedy seems to be unfolding there.
Our Southern shores include many submerged reefs. We visited three southern reefs over the last three days and observed coral bleaching on all of them. In some parts of these reefs, only one or two colonies were bleached, while the others seemed fine.
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May 28, 2010
Extract from Wild Shores
Summarising recent local media reports (with my snarky comments in brackets, I blame sleep deprivation): Out at sea, efforts were ramped up to clean up the initial 4 sq km area of oil slick from spreading inland. As part of the containment efforts, some 19 craft and 120 personnel used bio-degradable dispersants to break up the oil slick into smaller globules and some 3,300 metres of containment booms used to contain the spill.
Satellite image taken from above Changi Naval Base (rectangular shaped structure) by CRISP. The bright dots are ships and the oil slick is the patches of black around the coast. — PHOTO: NUS
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May 26, 2010
Following the collision between the Malaysian-registered tanker, MT Bunga Kelana 3 and the St Vincents and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier, MV Waily at about 6:03am on 25 May 2010, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been co-ordinating the containment and clean up efforts of the resultant oil spill.
Upon notification of the incident, MPA had immediately dispatched four patrol and emergency response craft to the affected area. MPA also activated oil spill response companies to deploy their craft.
Revised estimates from AET, the operator of MT Bunga Kelana 3, indicate that some 2,500 tonnes of crude oil could have spilled into the sea. A helicopter recce by the Republic of Singapore Air Force at 2:20pm found an oil slick measuring 4 kilometres by 1 kilometre located about 6 kilometres south of Changi East.
As at 5.30pm, more than 85 personnel were on site as part of the containment and clean up efforts. A total of 20 craft, comprising 5 from MPA, 5 from the Malaysian authorities and 10 from oil spill response and other companies were on site.
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May 26, 2010
CRUDE oil was spilled off Singapore’s south-eastern coast after two ships collided on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in an e-mailed statement.
The MT Bunga Kelana 3 tanker collided with the MV Waily bulk carrier at about 6.10am in the Singapore Strait, 13km south-east of Changi East, the statement said.
‘There were no report of injury to crew members. However, MT Bunga Kelana 3 suffered damage to one of its cargo tanks, resulting in an oil spill. The Master of MT Bunga Kelana 3 estimated that 2,000 tonnes of crude oil could have spilled into the sea,’ the statement said.
It added that the MPA ‘immediately dispatched four patrol and emergency response craft to the affected area. MPA also activated oil spill response companies which have deployed three craft equipped with oil spill equipment’.
‘Both vessels are currently anchored in the Singapore Strait,’ the statement said. ‘Work is ongoing to contain and clean up the oil spill.’
The statement also said that traffic in the Singapore Strait remains unaffected. The Malaysian and Indonesian authorities were also informed of the incident.
Straits Times 25 May 10
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May 26, 2010
SINGAPORE: A Malaysian-registered tanker, MT Bunga Kelana 3, and a St Vincents and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier, MV Waily, have collided in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was alerted to the incident which occurred some 13 kilometres southeast of Changi East, around 6:10am Tuesday.
There were no injuries reported, however, MT Bunga Kelana 3 suffered damage to one of its cargo tanks, resulting in an oil spill of an estimated 2,000 tonnes of crude oil.
The MPA has dispatched four patrol and emergency response craft to the affected area and also activated oil spill response companies which have deployed three craft equipped with oil spill equipment.
Work is ongoing to contain and clean up the oil spill.
Both vessels are currently anchored in the Singapore Strait.
Presently, the MT Bunga Kelana 3 is about 7km south of Changi East while the MV Waily is about 11km southeast of Changi East.
MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre has issued navigational broadcasts to ships to keep clear of the anchored vessels and traffic in the remains unaffected.
Channel NewsAsia 25 May 10
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May 26, 2010
SINGAPORE – Crude oil was spilled off Singapore’s Changi coast after a Malaysian registered tanker collided with a bulk carrier on Tuesday morning, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
The MPA said in a press release on Tuesday that the incident happened about 13 kilometres southeast of Changi East.
It said it received a report at about 6.10am that the MT Bunga Kelana 3 and a St Vincents and The Grenadines-registered carrier collided in the Singapore Straits. Both vessels are currently anchored there.
It also said that there was no report of injury to crew members. However, one of the cargo tanks on the tanker was damaged, resulting in 2,000 tonnes of oil spilled.
MPA added work is ongoing to contain and clean up the spill.
The tanker is owned by MISC subsidiary American Eagles.
Bernice Bong, Business Times Singapore 25 May 10
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May 26, 2010
MPA media release 25 May 10:
1. At about 6:10am on 25 May 2010, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a Malaysian-registered tanker, MT Bunga Kelana 3 and a St Vincents and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier, MV Waily had collided in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait. The incident location is about 13 kilometres southeast of Changi East.
2. Both vessels are currently anchored in the Singapore Strait. MV Waily is currently about 11 kilometres southeast of Changi East and MT Bunga Kelana 3 is about 7 kilometres south of Changi East.
3. MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre has issued navigational broadcasts to ships transiting the TSS to keep clear of the anchored vessels. Traffic in the TSS remains unaffected.
4. There was no report of injury to crew members. However, MT Bunga Kelana 3 suffered damage to one of its cargo tanks, resulting in an oil spill. The Master of MT Bunga Kelana 3 estimated that 2,000 tonnes of crude oil could have spilled into the sea.
5. Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched four patrol and emergency response craft to the affected area. MPA also activated oil spill response companies which have deployed three craft equipped with oil spill equipment. Work is ongoing to contain and clean up the oil spill.
6. MPA has also informed the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities of the incident.
7. Further details will be issued when available.
ISSUED BY THE MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (MPA)
For clarifications, please contact:
Ms Serene Tan
MPA media hotline: (65) 8366-2294
Email: Serene_Tan@mpa.gov.sg
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