Phyllidia ocellata, a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Phyllidiidae.

When the tropical storm blew across the island on Saturday night, divers laid in their beds, quietly contemplating the conditions that we’d face out at sea on Sunday morning. The rain had stopped by the morning, and the sun had returned with a mean vengeance, and as we moved out from the docks the water appeared to be in not-to-bad conditions. In fact, I thought it looked good. As it turns out, looks can be rather deceiving.

Another tiny Phyllidia sea slug. Common on tropical reefs throughout the Indo-West Pacific Ocean.

The water was freezing. If you dive outside of the equatorial region, you’re wondering what I’m talking about, well, it was freezing enough for us tropical people. We’re used diving in waters that can be likened to a nice, comfortable bath – say, 27 deg C. Today, it was something like 24. It is was slightly bordering on the, this-is-not-so-fun-anymore, side. But because we love Pulau Hantu’s reef so much, we sucked in our whines and descended shivering.

A pair of blue dragon nudibranchs (Pteraeolidia ianthina). These nudibranches have the ability to capture zooxanthellae and store them within its body. Here, the zooxanthellae get protection and in turn provides the nudibranch with much of the nutrients produced through photosynthesis. In addition, this nudibranch also eats hydroids.

The Ocean then decided to take us on a little party, flushing the reef with a series of conflicting currents. Again, not fun if you’re a new diver. But we persisted with our dive plans, and I led my two divers to see this awesome sponge structure. Cedric Sehetapy, one of our regular divers, really liked it and wanted to take a video, but was unable to keep his camera steady in the surging current, so we moved on. Sophie Martin, a first-timer in Singapore waters really managed to keep her steady in her first experience of low-visibility waters, unfortunately coupled with unfavorable currents. She was a real sport and even made a joke about it being the first time she’s swam through seaweed (we had to sick close to the shallow, where the sargassum seaweed grows, as the current was less challenging than in the deep, but still a workout). She thought it was kind of funny. Since we were in the shallow anyway, we started looking at the different type of snails, barnacles, Purple climber crabs, and oysters that inhibit the intertidal area. Both of them oohed and ahhed, much to my relief.

A pair of bullocki nudibranches were spotted near a ribbon of eggs - see link below for more photos.

The second dive was as cold as the first, but thankfully, the currents had quelled. We have many beautiful nudibranches at Pulau Hantu but none are quite as mesmerizing as the bullocki. We received a New Year bonus! A pair of bullockis and a ribbon of brightly-coloured yellow eggs!

Porcelain crab in Acropora coral

It was a real treat to find this colony of Acropora coral with a handful of Porcelain crabs. Porcelain crabs  aren’t crabs at all and are actually related to hermit crabs and squat lobsters, and more distantly, true crabs. They are so-called because they are quite fragile animals, and will often shed their limbs to escape predators. Their large claws are used for territorial struggles, not for catching food. There was also an Acropora goby in the midst but as fast and skittish as they are, I was not able to get a picture.

Coral bleaching

I also encountered a Serpent coral and this branching coral that appear to be bleaching.

Small reef octopus

To wrap it all up, and to reward us for our tenacity, this octopus was spotted with its eyes sticking out of a crevice. I quickly called Sophie over and she wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at, as you can tell from this picture, octopi are very good at camouflage! I brought my pointer close to it as I’ve learned from experience that they are extremely curious creatures. Keeping most of its body safe inside the crevice, it reached out one of its tentacles, then another, and another, and wrapped it around my pointer and gave a little tug! It’s quite strong for such a little creature. I waved my pointer in front of it again, and for the second time, it “shook” my pointer. I didn’t get to photograph this though as each time I put my camera forward while it had its tentacles out, it would retreat into its hole. So it was still quite cautious, and rightfully so! There are many larger carnivores on the reef that would like to make a meal out of a curious and bite-sized octopus. We haven’t seen an octopus at Hantu for a few months, so this first dive of 2012 as like catching up with an old friend for me. Other divers also saw winged-pipefish, cuttlefish and a juvenile seahorse, the latter has also not been sighted for several months!

The octopus contemplates shaking my metal pointer

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False-clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

While many people on holiday during this season slept in on this stormy and miserably wet morning, a group of biologists and volunteers like myself, trudged down to Pulau Hantu for a little exploration. The order of the day was to do a survey of gobies and sand-divers, and retrieve some data loggers and coral samples. Sounds easy.

Work goes on despite the less than favourable weather.

Well, diving was made a little clumsy when all of us were decked out like Christmas trees with various tools from hammers and fish nets to pneumatic drills, screw drivers and other home-made devices strapped to our bodies on top of our dive gear! I even managed to drag along my camera to take some pictures. I was thinking about you!

Orange sea cucumber

Upon my first descent, while on the prowl for skittish and well camouflaged gobies, I came across this conspicuous Orange sea cucumber.  If only the gobies we were looking for were as easy to spot and convenient to study as these sea floor dust-busters!

Saddled prawn-goby (Cryptocentrus leucostictus)

This is one of several tens of gobies I encountered today along the reef slope and reef flat. Gobies are arguably the most species-diverse fish in our oceans and though they are common and almost ever diver and walker along the shore might have encountered one, very little is known about them. Which is why we’re doing these trips to learn more about the gobies we have here in Singapore.

Lined chromodoris nudibranch (Chromodoris lineolata) and Goniopora Coral

Sitting around and waiting for fish to show up (more effective than swimming around to look for them because you’re more likely to frighten them away!) means that you also slow down to spot the little things on the reef, like this Chromodoris lineolata that is the smaller than the size of of a single polyp of Goniopora Coral!

Orange-spotted gymnodoris nudibranch (Gymnodoris rubropapulosa)

Not bothering with camouflage was this Orange-spotted gymnodoris nudibranch that was crawling upon the Sargassum algae. I think it was feeding on the tiny hydroids that form a crust upon the surface of the algae.

While I was off looking at fish, Jani Tanzil, a Research Fellow at Tropical Marine Science Institute, was looking into corals. Like trees, corals add seasonal layers, which appear as bands in their hard calcium-carbonate shells. Corals respond to small changes in temperature, rainfall, and water clarity in a matter of months, making them a uniquely sensitive climate record. From a small core from the coral, scientists can put together a very detailed picture of climate in the Tropics—significant because much of Earth’s weather is controlled by conditions in the Tropics. The bore sample on the top has several holes in it from organisms that had burrowed into the coral.

In 2009 and June this year, Jani placed a stain on this particular colony of porites coral (left) which we see as purple-coloured bands. The bands in the coral’s shell can change in thickness with changes in temperature, water clarity, or nutrient availability, so while each band can record the season’s climate, the interpretation of the record depends on how the three factors are related. Jani shared with me that corals in Singapore have been found to grow between 2-2.5 inches/year on average, which is a relatively fast growth rate compared to other corals in the region. On the right is a space of white further down the bore that marks the 1998 coral bleaching event.

Although there are several tens of species of gobies here in Singapore, we rarely have the chance to take a closer look at them. Their small size and elusive nature leave scientists with many questions. Up close, we really get to appreciate the unique morphology of gobies. This one in particular resembles a mudskipper with its huge eyes on top of its head. By the way, did you know that mudskippers are a kind of goby?! But gobies come in many different shapes and sizes and can be found all over the world; in the tropics and in colder waters.

It was worth getting up early and getting caught in the rain and taking 2 very long and cold dives because I learned so much today! It was my first time holding and examining a freshly-cut coral core sample. I found out that not all corals form bands that are so distinct and comprehensive, branching corals for example have a growth rate that decelerate with increasing age and colony size, which makes studying them a little less straight forward. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn and observe field techniques that local scientists are using to understand more about not only Singapore reefs, but reefs around the world as well! Thanks to Dr. Zeehan Jaafar for inviting me for this field trip!

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Pseudoceros flatworm. Photo: Joshua Tan

By Hantu Diver, Joshua Tan

I last visited Hantu on 26November. Visibility then was pretty bad, around 1 metre; I could barely see the tip of my fins. Currents were pretty strong as well, Sargassum seemed in full bloom. This weekend however, visibility was good, around 3-plus meters, and currents were manageable. I tried looking for seahorses but couldn’t find any, but I saw quite a handful of nudibranch and flatworms, 2 large urchins, at least 2 red swimmer crabs, loads of sand divers, a few butterfly fish and silver moonies. Spent the last part of my dive trying to chase down a good shot of a filefish but failed miserably.

Melibe sp. Photo: Joshua Tan

On my second dive, I went down trying to hunt for the filefish again but decided to explore a slightly different area. That was when I met the highlight of the dive the awesomely large Sea Slug (Melibe sp.) the size of my hand! I was a bit stunned when I saw it and had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t another piece of Sargassum. I read about a nudibranch which Chay Hoon found in her previous dive but this one was different. Check out the video! Spent most of my time with the slug until batteries ran out. Buddy found the seahorse (darn it!) On the way back, saw a large black marine flatworm but was already out of juice for that. Other divers saw a small fingernail-sized cuttlefish as well.

Pulau Hantu's north island and reef flat with a view of Pulau Ular. Photo: Joshua Tan

Overall it was a good day out. Good vis, excellent weather (until we went back to Singapore in the evening), good company. There was unfortunately, quite a lot of rubbish under the jetty, plastic forks, broken fishing lines, sinkers and metal cans. Tried to bring up as much as I could, including a broken drinking glass. Got to bring a small mesh bag the next time I visit on the 18^th of Dec.

Rainbow over Pulau Bukom Shell Oil Refinery. Photo: Joshua Tan

On another note: There were people fishing at the jetty, one of them caught small barracuda (about 3-4, each around 20-30cm)  There was also another barracuda caught, but this one was almost 1m long! No photos unfortunately.

The Hantu Blog thanks Joshua Tan for sharing his trip report with us! If you have an experience to share as well, email us! See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

Chay Hoon writes on her blog Colourful Clouds:

Yesterday, I was out diving with The Hantu Bloggers again! We did two dives at the South Jetty. The visibility was about 2-3m. Haha…..as usual, my search subject would be the Nudibranch! And we saw quite a few! Ranging from tiny tiny one (about 3mm) to big big one(about 150mm)!

Apart from nudibranches, Chay Hoon also encountered a pair of Ocellate pipefish and what might be Ocellated Tozeuma Shrimps (below)? See how they blend in almost seamlessly along the branch of a Giant Hydroid.

To see more of Chay Hoons pictures from this dive, visit her blog!

Or, some see these amazing critters for yourself and enjoy a weekend out in a quiet and expansive ocean reef right here in Singapore. Read here for details and See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

We saw a heap of Tambja nudibranches out at Pulau Hantu today, and I’m not exaggerating! Check out the pix below!

This is just a hint of the amazing trip out to Hantu we made today! Stick around to see more cool pictures and videos!

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When we ran into this huge squat lobster hiding at the base of a huge crinoid, we all knew we were in for a good day out at Pulau Hantu. Squat lobsters can be found worldwide in the oceans, and occur from near the water’s surface to deep sea hydrothermal vents. Contrary to their name, these are not lobsters at all, but are more closely related to porcelain crabs, hermit crabs and then, more distantly, true crabs. [1]

I also encountered a fantastic little cuttlefish that was trying very hard to blend in with the brown algae. Even though it was about the size of 5 cent coin, it was already very fast and feisty, building up its reputation to be one of the top predators of the reef. At the moment though, its got to be sure it stay out of reach of other, larger predators!

I spent a really long time today camping out at the burrows of gobies as I was in search of a goby I saw last weekend that I’d never seen before and didn’t manage to get a picture of. This weekend, like the last, I saw that goby once again but still didn’t manage a picture because it proved to be extremely elusive and ceaselessly patient (well, considering it’s got gills it can afford to be more patient!). So I gave up waiting for it to come out of its burrow and instead got these pictures of other gobies and shrimps that share the same burrow.

There were also many flatworms out on the reef today. Flatwoms are really very very flat. Usually less than 1mm thick! Being flat has its advantages. They can get into almost every kind of space: to hide or to get at their food. Oxygen diffuses quickly across the skin and to all parts of the body. So a flatworm doesn’t have a blood circulatory or respiratory system. [2]

Today I spent some time appreciating the beautiful sponges that are so prolific along our reefs – some stood tall and majestic like the barrel sponge on the left, and some were small and delicate like the Red maiden fan sponge (Oceanapia sagittaria). Even if you don’t dive, you can still try to spot a sponge along our shores. Sponges are commonly seen on almost all our shores. They grow on all kinds of hard surfaces, from boulders, jetty pilings to coral rubble and even other animals. While many are large and colourful, others may be small, found under stones and other hiding places and thus overlooked. Although they look like plants, sponges are actually animals, albeit very simple animals. It is made up of a few types of cells that are largely independent of one another and only loosely held together. These cells do not form tissues or organs, so a sponge does not have a mouth, digestive system or circulatory system. A sponge is NOT a colony, in the way that a hard coral is a colony of individual animals. [3]

Nudibranches were a dime a dozen, and divers were darting between every rock and crevice to sneak a peak at these seemingly benign yet wonderfully mesmerizing creatures of the reef. Left column from top: Hypselodoris kanga, Tambja sp. – check out its blue-coloured mouth parts!, Chromodoris cincta. Right column from top: Reliable Chromodoris (Chromodoris fidelis), Orange-spotted gymnodoris, and a pair of Blue dragon nudibranchs (Pteraeolidia ianthina) mating.

While most slugs encountered today were big, bold, and declared their presence on the reef, some others, like the four above, were hard to find because they were either so miniscule or so well camouflaged! You can perceive how absolutely tiny the young Orange-spotted gymnodoris (top left) is by comparing its size to the pores of the barrel sponge it’s crawling upon. Top right is a kind of Phyllid, and as for the two in bottom row, Chay Hoon has helped identify them – on the left is Elysia sp. that is not a nudibranch but a Sarcoglossan (ie. Sapsuckers). On the right may be Murphydoris sp. Its generic name Murphydoris was created to honor the zoologist and ecologist D. H. Murphy. [4]

I also managed to find a few Icon seastars to wrap up out trip to the island for this month. I next visit will be in November and I can’t wait for that! The months just seem to be getting better and better, and I always love taking out new people to the reef and watching as they transform from being once skeptical to being excited and enthusiastic about visiting our reefs again, and sharing the news with their friends! That makes any trip for the volunteers and myself, a fruitful one!

To view more pictures from this dive, visit The Hantu Blog Gallery.

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It was a special day today because we got to bring the staff of Singapore Prisons out to local waters for some education and recreation! Despite the onset of the Northeast monsoons we had a nice dry day out at the islands with a cool breeze. Above: A pair of Copper-banded butterflyfish and an Anchor tuskfish ply the shallow reefs for food.

Underwater visibility, like the past five months have been very favourable for new divers, but seasoned divers like the Hantu Blog volunteers who have become used to the low visibility conditions do miss the more challenging conditions. Above: Soapfish, Paradise whiptail, Eight-banded butterflyfish, and Damselfish busy feeding off the reefs.

It also seems that we are better able to spot critters on the reef when the visibility is low. I’m not sure if this is because that’s just what we’re used to, or if it’s true that more critters come out when the visibility isn’t so good. Above: A Barrel sponge can grow large enough to fit a person inside! The largest amongst this cluster of seems seems to have had a huge chunk taken out of it. Hawksbill turtles are known to eat Barrel sponge. Could it be?!

There has been some speculation that because of the low visibility, small critters might not feel so threatened by larger predators, especially those that patrol along the reef like barracuda and other large carnivorous fish. Above: Arul Kishnadas gets close to the reef to take a photograph of a tinsy tiny nudibranch.

Look at the assortment of nudibranches we managed to uncover! Some of the divers out with us had not seen or even heard of these flamboyant reef creatures till today! It’s very satisfying to be able to share the wonders of local reefs with others! How lucky they were too to have the good visibility to make their dives more comfortable.

It was also a good day for me because I managed to find this Tomato clown anemonefish living in a Bubble-tipped anemone (above left). Bubble-tipped anemones are known to be a natural host of several species of anemonefishes, including the Cinnamon (Amphiprion melanopus), Tomato (A. frenatus), Orange-fin (A. chrysopterus), Amphiprion clarkii, Amphiprion ocellaris, Amphiprion percula and Maroon (Premnas biaculeatus). On the right is a “family” of False clown anemonefish in a Magnificent anemone.

Some creatures could only be found by peering into nooks and crannies along the reef, such as this False scorpionfish (left) and the Red swimmer crab that’s making it clear that it does not want me to get any closer!

Something I thought was really cool that I wanted to share, was this photograph of a school of Sand-divers (Trichonotidae). Because of their superb camouflage, they would be very hard to spot in the picture if I kept it in colour, so I got rid of the colours and pumped up the contrast so now you can see at least nine of them hovering just above the surface of the sandy seabed. Notice that all but one of them have tiny spots on their body. The one closet to the camera has large and distinct black spots. I wonder if it’s just a colour variation or if the species is sexually dimorphic.

On all of our dives, we always have to do a little cleaning up. Among the most troubling kind of debris we encounter are monofilament fishing lines. Discarded monofilament lines can present serious environmental problems. These lines are extremely difficult to spot when submerged in water, and fish, birds, sea turtles and other marine life can easily become entangled, causing starvation, amputation, and death. Ingestion is also a serious threat to wildlife. Monofilament lines also present a risk to swimmers and scuba divers. There are actually two lines in the above photo, one of the lines is translucent and the other is a bright yellow. This line was at least four meters long, and some parts had already cut into and become embedded in the whip coral. The line continued to the right of the picture where it is tangled with more sponges and a seafan. The Hantu Blog encourages recreational fishermen to choose their equipment wisely. Find out more about the fishing spot so you understand the right lines to use and prevent entanglement and collateral harm to the environment.

To view more pictures from this dive, visit The Hantu Blog Gallery.

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Today I visited the shores and reefs of Pulau Hantu with Jeffrey Low, a Senior Conservation Officer at NParks. As the jetty on Pulau Hantu Kecil was closed, we dropped off at the south jetty and walked along the beaches and sea walls of Pulau Hantu Besar.

We were most amazed at how crisp the air was. Jeff and I commented that the air was not as foul smelling as days when the refinery at Pulau Bukom was flaring. There could be any number of reasons for this – there was the big rains that we’ve been having that could have helped clear up the air, but it could also be the kind of fuel that was burned during the recent fire combusted more completely than the gasses that are usually burnt during flaring, which can leave a distinct scent of sulfur in the air. (Above: oysters and carpet algae with Shell refinery in the background)

Without any comprehensive tests though, we can only speculate the causes and potential effects of the recent fire. (Above: View of Shell Bukom refinery from Pulau Hantu Besar, less than 2km away)

The latest media reports say that while the fire has been put out, fuel vapor remains at the site. This news was likely submitted yesterday evening at latest, before the large night time/morning downpour. It also mentioned the use of foam to curb the resuscitation of any fire. In light of this, I thought it would be useful to find out more about fire fighting foam.

During the walkabout with Jeff, we found this snail with an oyster living on its back. Jeff said that snails are known to be able to keep their shells clean so how an oyster ended up getting lodged in and growing on the back of a snail is truly interesting!

We also encountered several large Casuarina trees that have either been uprooted by recent storms or fallen over from old age. Look at the size of this tree’s roots next to Jeff! The fallen tree is estimated to be about 20 years old. Evidently, the soft and shifting soil along the edges of Pulau Hantu isn’t great for the roots of big trees to grow into.

After the walkabout, we took a dive into the reef, which was very busy with fish today! I saw a pair of Leopard grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) which really made my day as not only are these fish not common, they are a very desirable fish for anglers, so its good to still see some around. Other fish I saw included schools of Parrotfish, Goldenback fusilliers, Goldengirdled Butterflyfish, Copperbanded butterflyfish, Six-banded angelfish, Streaked Spinefoots, Yellow-spot rabbitfishes, Silver moonies and Yellow-tail barracuda. We also spotted a Reliable Chromodoris, Black-margined Glossodoris, heaps and heaps of Blue dragon nudibranch, and a Winged pipefish.

Silver Moonies school in estuaries and near freshwater streams, in harbours and near jetties. Some species are inhabit brackish waters and may even swim far up into freshwater systems. They are also known as Diamond fish and Silver batfish, but they are not batfish. They are also sometimes confused with Pomfrets. We encountered this school at Pulau Hantu over the weekend. Aren’t they just magical? See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

There were two commensal shrimp in this burrow but only one was captured during the length of this video. As the fish was skittish and I didn’t have all day, I hovered quite a distance away from this burrow so they the fish and shrimp could keep doing what they do without too much disturbance. See more amazing videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

You don’t usually see sand-divers because they are quick to dart into the sand for safety as soon as they spot something unfamiliar near by, but on a day with a nice current, they are coaxed out of their hiding places to feed in the water that’s pushing through. Watch this video and check out how the sand-divers simply disappear into nothing at the end! That’s how fast they are! See more amazing videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

Mei Lin observed and photographed this tiny cuttlefish hunting and grabbing its prey at Pulau Hantu yesterday. She also posted a fabulous blog about the rest of the finds! Check it out!

Octopus, two handfuls of Snakey bornella nudibranches, schools of Yellow stripe scad, rabbitfish, fusillers, batfish, and Silver moonies. A weekend of diving at Pulau Hantu had everyone surfacing with smiles and many pictures!

What do we do when Formula cars are spinning around town at 120 decibels? We submerge ourselves. But it didn’t prove to be as quiet as we’d thought, there were some piling works going on along the fairway between Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau. While on our first dive, we thought someone had sounded the emergency dive cancelling signal so we all went up, only to realise that the clanging sound was coming from a ship several hundred meters away.

It was just awesome how bright and lively the reef looked today. The reefs have been less turbid than we’re used to for the past five months. That’s almost half a year, but we’ve been diving these reefs for eight years, and all of us are used to lower visibilities. I guess because of the high turbidity we’re used to experiencing over the years, we’re very grateful for conditions like today, where we can experience the reef in all its glory and share photographs like this with you.

A Fan-bellied filefish swims along Hantu’s reefs.

Gorgeous gorgonians (seafans) and whip corals. Yes! This is their original colour. Isn’t that just mind blowing?! Each of those little feathery protrusions are single animals or polyps that are reaching out to sift food from the water that’s being moved by the current.

There were plenty of Phyllidia sea slugs, some of them even formed small clusters upon rocks on the reef.

Evidently, there were also plenty of fish! Clockwise from the top: Star puffer and Seagrass filefish, Kite butterflyfish, Six-banded angelfish, Yellow-spot rabbitfish, and Longnose butterflyfish.

Today’s special was the Snakey bornella. Divers were served as many as TEN individuals of this mesmerising creature. I saw a little one (left) that I measured against my index finger, and a huge palm-sized one that was too busy munching on hydroids to be bothered with me. Those white bits in front of its face are its mouth parts. Cool huh?! I got a video too so we can all gawk and stare at how this fella eats. Stay tuned for the video.

There were plenty more nudibranches that were decked all over the reef… but there was one that was particularly beautiful. But you’ll have to come to this blog another day to see what it is. Or check-in at The Hantu Bloggers Facebook Group to get the headsup first!

As divers ascended from their second dive, we saw this small school of Long-finned batfish hanging out just below the water’s surface. The one on the bottom seems to have its fins rather tattered. I wonder what snagged it.

Of course these aren’t all the pictures from today’s dive. We have videos too! Sit tight for more stuff coming up over the next couple of days/weeks! Meantime, check out our Gallery for more cool stuff!

Ria also posted about this trip on her Wild Shore Blog, and Jocelyn did a little write up too.

To view the complete set of pictures from this trip, visit the Hantu Blog Gallery.

Yesterday, divers on a dive trip organised by the Hantu Bloggers encountered a large batfish along the reef of Singapore’s Pulau Hantu. This is the largest batfish encountered on the reef by the group in 8 years!

After eight years of diving at Hantu, I had another first and extraordinary experience – 1000s of sand divers! A sight to behold! (Above: A pair of Long-nosed butterflyfish)

Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a photograph of the massive school of sand divers (Trichonotidae) that darted about the water, probably picking food as it drifted through with the strong currents, but I did manage to take some pictures of smaller beauties on the reef that were just as awesome. (Above: Coral polyps on a sea fan open up in the strong currents)

I also managed to sneak up on some gobies on the reef, but didn’t manage to get a photograph of the shrimp that share their burrows. Gobies are so tricky to photograph as not only are they extremely alert thanks to huge eyes on top of their heads, but they can also dart back into their burrows within a fraction of a second. To top of all off, they are extremely patient, and can remain hidden in their burrows for an indefinite length of time!

There were also a some elegant little flatworms in both plain and intricate designs.

Several Phyllidia sea slugs were spotted looking like blobs of bright colours on the reef.

Spotting some sea slugs like this Doto sp. nudibranch on a hydroid needed some closer inspection.

The favourable visibility this weekend gave photographers many things to photograph. Yet some of the local divers are so used to the limited visibility that we usually get, that it felt kind of strange for them!

There was also some beautiful colonies of soft coral, but I didn’t have any luck finding any commensal animals on them such as porcelain crabs or allied cowries.

When the visibility gets good, it makes spotting big stuff a little easier. We are used to staying close to the reef and looking just feet from our faces; but on days like these, we can gaze out into the distance and spot mega fauna like this reef cuttlefish (above left) and this MASSIVE batfish! Chay Hoon, the diver that’s photographing the batfish, is more used photographing lifeforms that are a thousand times smaller, no kidding!

We spotted more nudibranchs, some like the Tambja sp. (left) were tiny, and others like the Glossodoris atromarginata (right) more conspicuous.

Other interesting and intriguing lifeforms on the reef were tube worms (above left) and sea pens.

This seabed dotted with rocks and coral rubble may look devoid of life at first glance, but that’s only because the life forms that inhabit it are really good at keeping themselves hidden!

Peering into the nooks within the rocks, a False scorpionfish (Centrogenys vaigiensis) which is actually from the Grouper family (Serranidae), remains absolutely still as I approach it, and seems to have complete trust in its camouflage!

This Indian grouper (Cephalopholis boenak) that I spotted in the distance also appears invisible when looked at from a distance. Unlike the False scorpionfish, it doesn’t trust its camouflage and shoots off to hide under a rock as soon as it spotted me looking at it!

Some fish on the reef behave in curious and entertaining ways. I saw this pair of Butterfly whiptails (Pentapodus setosus)playing, darting, then finally, resting on this barrel sponge. The darker-coloured fish seems to be in a state of rest at the moment of this photograph, as when it got up to leave the sponge later, its colours lightened.

Chay Hoon spotted this juvenile Winged pipefish (Halicampus macrorhynchus), much to my delight! This slender creature can stay still and in one location for a long time, but can wriggle away into a crack if it senses danger. This individual seemed to be feeding as it darted its head into the space of water around it, as it picking bits of food from the drifting current.

This neon-coloured fish stood out from the neutral colours on the reef and I was surprised at first but then realised it was a false bait that some careless fisherman left snagged on the reef. Its hook was still intact and its nylon line is practically invisible against the seabed that could entangle or kill a fish or marine reptile that commonly forage around our reefs. We had it removed and hope that fishermen would take care to be more careful and responsible while enjoying our coasts.

Then at the second dive, we spotted a pipefish, the same noble volute and more shellfish moving around. On the surface after the dive, another one of our regular divers, Cedric Sahetapy, dropped his video light, so I went down to search for it, luckily I still had my camera with me because when I spotted the video light, there was this huge cuttlefish next to it and I happily snapped away! (Above: Noble volute; below: Reef cuttlefish)

By Hantu Blog volunteer, Lam Pei Min
Finally saw a bullocki nudibranch (it has been a while since I saw one), a marginata and a oreo nudibranch. There were also crabs, big and small and flabellinas and phyllidae, and a shy eel blenny. On our second dive, I saw many swimmer crabs and a blue-spotted ray. (Below: Sand goby)

I’ve noticed the reefs tend to be quiet during June/July period. I wonder if this is because the water is warmer? (Below: Stick pipefish)