Reticulated pufferfish Photo: Khoo Min Hui

What better way to beat the April heat than to spend it underwater at Pulau Hantu? A handful of divers today braved the 31degC temperatures, plunging into the waters with huge sigh of relief before descending into appreciably clear waters of Pulau Hantu’s reef. First on their list was this Reticulated Pufferfish (Arothron reticularis). It can grow to 16 inches in the wild. Apart from reefs they can also be found in sea-grass beds. Juveniles enter mangrove zones and river mouths, so apart from the sea they can also be found in brackish or even freshwater. Individuals found in fresh water are usually a dirty grey in colour, while its marine counterparts with the attractive contrasting reticulated pattern as in the individual above, appear only when these fish live in salt water. This species is known to have a preference for mussels, but like all puffers they need to eat hard-shelled foods to keep their “beaks” trimmed, e.g. clams, oysters, mussels, crabs, squid, scallops, shrimp, etc. [1] See a video of this fish at Hantu. Read the rest of this entry »

Quiet and clear horizons: Yes, this is Singapore. Photo: Jimmy Goh/The Hantu Blog

The success of the Hantu Blog definitely has to be attributed to its handful of dedicated and tenacious volunteers. What began as a humble blog to document and share experiences and photographs from individual divers who visited Pulau Hantu, has grown into a long-term effort to raise public awareness about our reefs through dive trips, lectures and roadshows for the public. Today, we celebrate the change that a few good people are capable of when they come together to work in concert.

A tiny Doto nudibranch perched on a Giant hydroid. Photo: Jimmy Goh/The Hantu Blog

Interest in diving and discovering Pulau Hantu and local reefs has grown over the past nine years. During its founding years, I struggled to convince just a few divers to come out with me for a dive trip at Pulau Hantu. I could hardly find enough divers to fill up a boat, so it often meant that I had to make arrangements with other dive operators to share their vessel as and when they went out to sea. Today, our dive boat is filled up many months in advance, and we often have to turn down many divers. I believe that this change has happened, not only because there is an increased awareness today, but because for a long time, people have desired to get out and visit Singapore’s reefs, it’s just that they didn’t know how, and there weren’t good people (read: talented Hantu Blog volunteers) to guide them along their discovery process.

Sand or Sea Slug? An untrained eye would have easily overlooked this camouflaged critter. Photo: Jimmy Goh/The Hantu Blog

I still remember the first time I dived at Pulau Hantu. I didn’t see much and wasn’t told what to expect. I was basically thrown into the water and if I didn’t see anything, it was because “there’s nothing to be seen.” Evidently, this was far from true! Like a child in a brand new world, having a good parent or guide to show the way along can make such a difference! The Hantu Blog volunteers have not only been good reef guides, they have also been unknowing change-makers. Though chatting with members of the public that join us for our dives, they have helped to re-shape the attitudes of divers from Singapore and around the world – it is possible to dive in Singapore, and it is possible for heavy development and a fragile ecosystem to exist side by side.

Slender ceratosoma nudibranch. Photo: Jimmy Goh/The Hantu Blog

The “visibility issue” is more about an attitude than a physical barrier. I like to liken the experience of diving in low visibility to walking in the forest on a rainy day. Rain can make conditions a little more challenging, but it certainly doesn’t mean that there is nothing in the forest. The same goes for “diving in the muck”. Divers who frequent Singapore are more tuned to slow down and observe instead of drift by and overlook. Most of our reefs are small and do not go on for kilometers and kilometers, so divers need to employ different techniques to dive comfortably and efficiently. Because the visibility is low, divers often have to get closer to the reef to see and photograph the critters, in order to do so without crashing into the reef requires good diving skills like hovering and buoyancy control. Nurturing these skills can help you overcome any discomfort of diving in low visibility waters. Like any sport, being able to do it more efficiently allows for a more comfortable process.

A transluscent shrimp gives its position away with its bight neon-blue pincers. Photo: Jimmy Goh/The Hantu Blog

The Hantu Blog has trained and worked with many generations of volunteers over the years. Each new generation brings with it new values and attitudes. Part of the Hantu Blog’s success has to be attributed to the attitudes that these volunteers bring to the Blog. Each generation has brought new ideas on how to improve and develop the work of the Blog and incorporating these values has enabled volunteers to have a sense belonging because this is something that they have helped to create. Much of what goes with the Blog remains unseen. Volunteers plan their schedules months in advance to ensure that we always have enough manpower every month to lead trips for the public. Being able to watch the Blog grow with its volunteers has been a very inspiring process for me. With their many talents and skills, the volunteers have taught me so much over the years, and while I was the one that started this Blog, they are the ones who have kept it alive.

The Hantu Blog volunteers with new and regular divers from the public and marine biologists. Photo: Skipper, Mr Yeo

A tribute also has to be made to the many skippers or “boatmen” that have worked with us over the years. The Hantu Blog continues to use traditional bumboats to lead our dive trips. We do this to give divers a real sense of local diving. Some divers have asked if we do this to “keep prices down”, that thought never occurred to us because prices (compared to fiberglass dive boats) are actually the same. What we support through diving with local boatmen is years of experience in local waters. No matter how high tech the boat, no technology can match the skill and knowledge of our skippers who collectively have had more than 150 years of navigating our islands. All these years spent out at sea also mean that they have a tremendous amount of knowledge to share with us. If you’re ever on a dive trip with us, feel free to speak to our boatmen about what the islands were like in the 50s and 60s. Ask them how the coastline has changed and what unique experiences they have had out at sea. Their stories are priceless, and this is the reason we have them on our team.

Our trusted Skipper, Mr Yeo.

Finally, YOU. You, are the reason we exist in the first place! Thank you for reading our Blog and for telling your friends about us. Thank you for choosing to dive with the Hantu Blog when you dive locally and for supporting our work. Your contributions and participation has allowed us to dive and explore our islands on a regular basis, and to share what we have learned with some who might never have the chance to go out and visit our reefs in person. We look forward to diving with you over many more years, and are eager to discover more wonders about our local reefs with you!

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

Visit our gallery to see more photos from this trip, and join our Facebook Page to see more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first!

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!

Ria Tan gave a wonderful and inspiring talk today at the National Geographic Store at Vivocity. Together with the crowd that included grandparents and children, Ria took us to explore some remote, and not-so-remote coastlines in Singapore, all in air-conditioned comfort! The crowd 00hed and ahhed as Ria went though a small collection of photographs she’s amassed over the past 10 years (did you know that Ria has a collection of over 2000 photographs on her website?!)

Because Ria has spent so many years documenting and exploring our shores, she gave us an insight into the changes she has observed over the years. She told us how Singapore’s marine creatures have struggled to survive with challenges such as coastal reclamation, climate change and disasters such as oil spills. We are fortunate to have a collective of dedicated and super motivated volunteers who relentlessly explore and record changes they observe along our shores. Ria explained that we have a lot to learn from studying our local marine life, and that they are like books which we still don’t yet know how to read! She said that scientists have a lot of work to do, and ordinary citizens like you and I can help scientists by exploring our shores, which Ria likened to a massive librabry, and help scientists find more “books” to “read”! All of us, regardless of our skill sets, have a very important role to play if we are to protect our precious and fascinating marine life as we progress as a developed country.

Ria brought some posters and calenders to give out to people in the audience who asked questions. Some people also stayed back to chat more about our shores with volunteers like Dinesh and myself. Some of the audience had volunteered with the Mega Marine Survey or attended guided walks at Chek Jawa, and it was nice to know that they have stayed in touch with our activities. There were also many new people who, after listening to Ria’a talk, wanted to know how they can get out there and start exploring! Yay!

Ria’s Talk about the “Secret Shores of Singapore” is the third of four talks that will be held at the National Geographic Store during this Marine Month. There is also an exhibition that will be at the store or another week. So even if you were not able to make it for the talks, do drop by for a look-see. Hopefully, we’ll see you next week at the store as we explore another very special and unique habitat in Singapore – sea grass meadows! What is sea grass and why should we care? Attend Siti M. Yaacub’s talk next week to find out!

Seagrass meadows are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth but ask around and chances are, no one knows what they are! Are they algae? Are they seaweed? Can it be eaten? Is it true you can find mermaids frolicking in seagrass meadows? Dive in and learn more about these underwater forests, what makes them tick and why their disappearance is a big problem for us. Join us and we guarantee that you’ll wanna hug a seagrass today!

About the Speaker: Siti read marine biology as an undergraduate at James Cook University where she dabbled in various aspects of the marine sciences from geology to genetics. Her first encounter with seagrasses started in a marine botany class in second year and when she went back to Singapore during her semester break, she started surveying seagrasses in Singapore just for giggles. Little did she realise that brief dalliances turn into lifelong obsessions – seagrass continued to be a feature when she worked as a Senior Biodiversity Officer with NParks and now as a graduate student at the National University of Singapore. She has since accepted her fate as a seagrass-nerd-extrodinaire and strongly advocates that everyone should hug a seagrass today.

See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

It was wonderful that he even took a walk along to the mangroves, where other guides such as Subaraj gave an impromptu tour of some of our shores threatened flora like the Seashore nutmeg! Professor Peter Ng, who was one among the handful of local academics at the site, also chipped in a little talk about our shores to the First Lady, Mary Tan.

Many of the people who came to the shore today were visiting it for the first time. It was really nice to see so many new faces and I think it was a great way for them to witness the tremendous amount of work that so many volunteers and staff of NParks put into to maintaining interest and protecting our coastline. Above, visitors were greeted by three oriental pied hornbills and at least four wild boar at the Chek Jawa Visitors Center, while awaiting the arrival of President Tan. Other non-marine critters we saw included Great-billed herons, the biggest bird on our shores, White-bellied sea eagles and White-throated kingfishers.

Read more about President Tan’s visit to Chek Jawa here.

On Saturday, it was my turn to give a talk at the National Geographic Store at Vivocity. I’m really happy that the store decided to create this marine month for a few of us to share with others our experience of exploring our seas and coastline. Walking around the store, we see a lot of images of forests and land creatures, but the earth is 75% water! That means we still have a lot of exploring to do! Being an island, Singapore is the perfect place for any one to get started.

I’m really glad that so many people turned up to check out the talk. The store informed me that this was one of the best turn outs they have seen at the store for talks! Speaking to some of the audience, I found out that several of them were referred by friends who read about the talks online or through our Facebook page. It’s great to know that people are talking about and sharing information of our activities. We still have two more talks to go! Ria Tan will be giving a talk about Secret Shores of Singapore on Saturday, December 3; and Siti M. Yaakub will be sharing her experience of investigating the Forests of the Sea on December 10. So mark those dates!

Kids, there will also be a colouring session for after the talk that gives kids a fun and easy way to learn about some of Singapore’s curious and colourful marine creatures.

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!

As a part of the National Geographic Store‘s Marine Month, Hantu Blogger Debby Ng will be speaking instead of blowing through her regulator, all in an effort to share her experience of diving and exploring Singapore’s reefs for the past nine years! There’s no better way to spend the weekend! (Apart from an actual dive at Pulau Hantu)

There will also be a colouring session for kids after the talk that gives kids a fun and easy way to learn about some of Singapore’s curious and colourful marine creatures.

See you at the National Geographic Store: 1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-19, Vivocity, at 2.30PM.

Jeffry Low and Jani Tanzil bumped into a Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Pulau Hantu yesterday! Jeffrey described that the turtle was rubbing itself against a rock, perhaps to dislodge a parasite, or simply because it had an itch to scratch!

Hawksbill Turtle at Pulau Hantu, 7 Nov 2011. Photo: Jeffrey Low

The Hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle that is regularly sighted at Pulau Hantu and around local waters. Below are more videos of Hawksbill turtles encountered on Hantu’s reefs during night dives.

Human fishing practices threaten E. imbricata populations with extinction. The World Conservation Union. classifies the Hawksbill as critically endangered. Hawksbill shells are the primary source of tortoise shell material, used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species outlaws the capture and trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them.^[1]

We in Singapore are very privileged to be able to dive with these rare and beautiful creatures. It is also very special that despite being an urban and highly developed island city, we are still able to find these creatures off our coast.

In 2006, a turtle fixed with a satellite transmitter and deployed off the coast of Melaka, where she went to lay her eggs, was found making a straight journey from Malaysia to Singapore in the southern islands. The turtle was named Puteri Pulau Upeh and you can read more about her at the WWF website.

Sea turtles are also known to nest on Singapore’s beaches, alongside city dwellers at East Coast beach! To see photos of baby turtles born in Singapore, check out the Wild Singapore website.

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Hantu Blog volunteers were a part of the effort to help discover and document the marine life beneath the Marina at Keppel Bay. The Marina has put together a wonderful website for what is now known as the City Reef at Keppel Bay.

It was a very unique experience to explore the myriad of corals and marine life that have colonised the, what I like to call, upside-down world beneath the pontoons of the marina. Usually the reef is in front or below us, but for the dives at Keppel Bay, we had to crane out necks to peek into the reef above us! It was so thrilling!

Volunteers did two dives at the marina, one during the day and another during the night. This octopus encountered during the night dive was certainly a highlight for all of us. Ria Tan recently posted about Keppel Bay winning two awards for its efforts to protect the life in its marina. Congratulations to Keppel Bay! We hope their efforts inspire others in the industry to play an active part in enabling their marinas to burst into life!

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!

See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

It looks unassuming, but this is one potent fish! I almost missed this squat and grumpy-looking Hollow-cheeked stonefish as it blended seamlessly with its silty, algae-encrusted surroundings, but as I swam over it, I managed to catch it at just the right angle to pick out the shape of its upturned mouth and spiny dorsal fins, which gave away its position.

Some divers have likened this fish to its cousin the rhinopias. They look similar and are sometimes classified in the same family (Scorpaenidae) but there have been no records of rhinopias in local waters.

Stonefish are ambush predators. They don’t actively hunt their prey. Instead, they lie motionless, relying on their camouflage to remain undetected. When a suitable snack comes close enough, they suck it into their huge mouths, or grab it with a sudden lunge of incredible speed. They generally eat fishes and crustaceans.

Running into a stonefish might mean death if you’re a fish or crab, but you’re just at risk if you’re a human. They are one of the most dangerous fishes on our shores, with tough dorsal fin spines that can penetrate thick soled shoes. These spines act like hypodermic needles, injecting a venom that can be fatal to humans! Stonefishes produce a neurotoxin that is considered the most deadly of fish venoms. While there have been few documented cases of fatalities, a victim should be brought to hospital as soon as possible. Though they are deadly, the fishes use their spines only in self-defence and not for hunting prey.

Despite the mean arsenal, some animals do eat stonefishes! Known predators include sharks, rays, a sea snake, and well, humans of course! I’ve witnessed local fishermen catch these fish with hook and line and they’ve told me that it’s good deep fried to a crisp.

So just how painful is the sting of a stonefish? A victim from Australia describes, “Imagine having each knuckle, then the wrist, elbow and shoulder being hit in turn with a sledgehammer over the course of about an hour. Then about an hour later imagine taking a real kicking to both kidneys for about 45 minutes so that you couldn’t stand or straighten up. I was late 20s, pretty fit physically and this was the tiniest of nicks. Got sensation back in my finger after a few days but had recurrent kidney pains periodically for several years afterwards.” Other stories describe sting victims wanting to have their stung limb amputated from their body. Mother Nature’s Kings of Pain Stings and Bites of Some Animals Are Almost Beyond Endurance, Victims Say By Lauren Cahoon ABC News 26 Feb 08

There have been cases of people getting stung by stonefishes in Singapore. Naturally, they weren’t too happy about it. See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

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] Read the rest of this entry »

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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