Pulau Hantu

Blog Log! February 17, 2008!0

If you read our Blog Log last month, you might’ve gasped at the report of us having to “dodge the currents” because they were so strong. Well, this time around, we weren’t quite so lucky as to be able to dodge them! The currents created little whirl pools on the waters surface, giving divers a good Sunday morning workout trying to beat the current! But it all ended well, with the spectacle that is Hantu shining through despite the less than favourable water conditions! “At least the weather was good!” we all consoled ourselves! And the 27 degC waters (water temperatures have been observed to drop during the turn on the monsoon seasons) left all of us nicely chilled despite the intense sunshine. This post features pictures taken both by myself and long-time, super experienced, critter hunter, reef walker, and Hantu diver, Chay Hoon!

We had quite a cosmopolitan weekend with divers joining us from origins of France, Australia, and Indonesia. Beneath the waters surface, life was as if not even more diverse! Flabellina’s were out in full force! With large ones and even tiny ones braving the currents as they creep along the reefs in search of a mate or a meal!

As we stuck really close to the reef, there were somethings that we kept ourselves well aware of (and away from)! Such as the stinging menace that hydriods are. Like corals, hydriods are a colony of animals living together. They are from the family cnidaria. Although they are infamous for the wave after wave of pain the can incur for the careless diver, they are actually very pretty animals. They occur in an array of colours from white and yellow, to red and black, resembling a feather of a bird or a frond of a fern.

Other details that we caught notice of were the intricate patterns of corals such as this Diploastrea and the tentacles of a palm-sized mushroom coral. The latter is a free living coral, capable of moving itself across the reef. Hantu Blog reefguide Mingsheng enlightened me once that mushroom corals achieve this by infusing themselves with waters, making themselves less dense. Doing this allows them to “float” and skim across the reef. This trait is possibly one of the reasons why mushroom corals are so hardy, being able to relocate themselves to greener pastures when the going gets tough! They also have the largest coral polyp amongst all corals, and unlike other corals, do not live in colonies but occur singly.

Here’s a look at a truly LARGE Serpent coral colony. This one has a diameter that is about twice my height! Incredible if you wonder how old it possibly is, considering these animals grow so slowly. The curves and edges of the coral as it grows is reminiscent of cloud forms in period Chinese and Japanese art!

Recruits! This round bubble coral colony is one of the many tiny colonies of corals we saw today, that may one day grow to be as large as the resilient serpent coral colony!

Then there are the sponges, which when they get to a good size can be very intriguing to look at. This is a pink variation of Spiky Sponge. Sponges consist of a mass of cells supported by fibres or by spicules made of silica. The polyps are known to be able to recolonise if separated by squeezing them through a wire mesh and contained in a fixed body of water.

There were also plenty of swimmer crabs!

And Chay Hoon’s favourite - nudibranchs! She even added a new one to her record today! A new record for Chay Hoon is a new record for all of us!

And of course, everyones perennial favourite - the seahorse. We love our seahorses. They are ambassadors of Hantu’s reef, and represent the elusive, exotic and enticing nature of our reef and all the fauna that is contained within it! You haven’t quite visited Hantu if you haven’t met one of our seahorses!

For more pictures from the dive, check out the Hantu Blog Gallery!

Posted: Blogs, Blog Dives

IYOR talk at Maris Stella High School0

The Hantu Blog kicks off the International Year of the Reef at Maris Stella High School with a talk by Chay Hoon and myself! Titled “Southern Haunt” my talk emphasized the beauty that is Pulau Hantu, it’s natural history and it’s threats. Told from a diver’s perspective, students were introduced to life that exists in an underwater realm, a realm that is far less accessible than we’d like it to be! What is to be discovered during the talk is also mostly unexpected as the myth persists that there is little life left in Singapore murky waters, or that diving is even possible!

For two hours, students from across all levels were treated to videos, pictures and most importantly, stories from our reefs, forests and shores! It’s a great thing we had Chay Hoon give the talk! With her wealth of experience and quirky stories from diverse habitats in Singapore, students were led to discover a truly unique and dynamic environment that exists right at our doorsteps! She had stories to tell about everything beneath the sky - from spiders and lizards to slugs and bugs! From their reactions and bizarre questions, it was apparent they were intrigued and astonished.

But the exciting part has only just begun. Our little two-hour talk is going to form a base for the student’s podcasting project, which their teachers have themed Environment & Conservation! What a great theme! If their projects prove to be of an appropriate caliber, we may have the opportunity to present their little projects about Singapore’s wild environment right here on the Hantu Blog! We’ll check back with them a few months down the road and hopefully we’ll have them present local flora and fauna from their own, unique perspective!

Surprise yourself! Learn more about this talk and other talks that are available to your school or office by visiting the IYOR website.

Posted: Talks, News

Flatworms and reef flats!0

What an exciting dive it was last weekend! Now we’re really motivated to do more diving this year! Sure you saw of our photos from the last post, but there’s nothing quite like watching the animals and our divers in the ACTION of exploring and discovering new things in Hantu’s reefs!

Here’s an tinsy tiny flatworm that Pei Wen spotted whilst we were shielding from the monstrous current out in deeper water. Boy! Was she eagle eyed! Imagine how treacherous it must be for a tiny fella like that to be surviving in the rough habitat of the reef. With all the hungry fish darting about, does it have some sort of secret weapon?

And here we go creeping into the eerie and claustrophobic thicket of the sargassum “forest”. Even though we call it “seaweed” sargassum is really a kind oflarge brown algae. I wouldn’t have ventured in if not for the enthusiasm of my divers! It’s amazing how even though the area of the reef is relatively small compared to some greater reefs out there, there still so many different ways to dive it, so many things to explore, and a ton of things to discover!
Here we have the famous Tomato Clown anemonefish, one of 3 species of anemonefish that can be found in Hantu waters. As you can see, these fish are very shy, always trying to dodge the camera, into the safety of their anemone. Other types of anemonefish found around Hantu include the Flase Clown and the other being the Saddleback. The latter is a truly rare encounter!
Finally here’s taking a peek at what it’s like to cruise along the reef flats of Hantu with confidence! Sibling Wen Loong (who gave the “v” sign) and Pei Wen were amongst the most enthusiastic divers I’ve ever led!If you’re inspired to join us next month, drop us an email with your details!

Posted: Blogs, Blog Dives, Videos