Environment Minister gets acquainted with Hantu Blog

May 25, 2009

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim gets acquainted with the Hantu Blog at this year's Envirofest2009

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, got acquainted with the work of the Hantu Blog at this year’s Envirofest at Toa Payoh HDB Hub. Dr Ibrahim who’d visited the shores of Semakau was surprised to learn that there was life on tiny little Hantu Island.

In an attempt to gain some perspective of the island, Dr Ibrahim asked how big Pulau Hantu was compared to Pulau Semakau. Hantu’s diverse reefs are about 12 times smaller than Pulau Semakau, but as marine biologist and PhD candidate, Jeffrey Low said it, “It’s just like Singapore. Small but a lot of potential. Nice things come in small packages.” Neither of us could have said it better!

The Hantu Blog hopes that awareness about the potential of even small reefs in Singapore helps with the consideration of establishing a Blue Plan for marine areas in Singapore. Our reefs are nothing like the Great Barrier Reef, but it’s what we’ve got and it’s something good and worth preserving, as many visitors to Envirofest 2009 have agreed. Many kids were inspired to learn to dive or go for reef walks after learning that creatures like seahorses and butterfly fishes can be easily spotted on our reefs. They were also thrilled to hear of the existence of Dugongs and dolphins within our shores. Many people inquired about getting “out there” and seeing such unique sights for themselves. The truth is that these areas are not hard to access! Just pop by West Coast Pier of Marina South Pier and book yourself a return ferry ticket to any of our beautiful southern islands! We always recommend you go with a guide however, to get the best experience! Open up your eyes and let nature surprise you!

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