Clownfish Catfight

May 8, 2013

What happens when a pair of female anemonefish meet?

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Posted in Biology, Videos, Wildlife Trade 2 Comments »

Wild About Nature

May 6, 2013

Nature groups have sprung up, holding walks, talks and scientific surveys. And interest in these activities is rising too.
By Lea Wee Straits Times 5 May 13;
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Posted in News No Comments »

Karung Guni Gobi & Streamlining Crinoids

May 2, 2013

Crinoids and coral had their arms and tentacles spread out. ©Debby Ng/Hantu Blog

After a week of stormy weather, the sky finally cleared up for our Labour Day dive! Despite it not having rained the night before, the limited 2-3 meter visibility we had today was some indication of the effect of April storms on our reef. Yet reef life appeared unfazed. We entered the water as the tide was picking up and a slight current coming through. This brought some crinoids out and corals had their polyp tentacles extended out. Read the rest of this entry »

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Curious Cuthonas and a [not-so] Slender Ceratosoma!

April 22, 2013

Cuthona sp.

Despite Sunday’s thunderstorm, the Hantu Blog divers pushed on and saw lots of colourful creatures amidst our turbid waters! Veteran Hantu Blog volunteer, Jimmy Goh, blogs about his day out at Pulau Hantu: Read the rest of this entry »

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Hantu Diver Gone Dredging

April 17, 2013

In a departure from our monthly visits to Pulau Hantu’s reefs, Hantu Blog volunteer, Verona Huang, had the opportunity to help the folks from the Tropical Marine Science Institute (“TMSI”) in a dredge survey around the waters of Kusu Island and St John’s Island as part of the Mega Marine Survey, Singapore’s first comprehensive marine biodiversity survey. What’s interesting about this 3-year effort to document Singapore’s coastal and marine ecosystems – through dredge, dive and intertidal surveys – is that it caters for members of the public, with little or no experience, to take part in the activities. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Biology 4 Comments »

Hantu Blog 10th Anniversary Organic Cotton Tee!

April 15, 2013

Celebrate local reefs with our 10th Anniversary commemorative t-shirt, made from organic, unbleached cotton! Purchase it online NOW at BGO Ecoshop!

This 10th Anniversary commemorative tee features a Tigertail seahorse (Hippocampus comes), a species of seahorse that finds shelter in the reefs of Pulau Hantu. Seahorses are threatened throughout their range by habitat loss, and collection for the trade in traditional medicines. It truly is a unique feat for seahorses to live in a reef located so close to Singapore’s urban industrial developments. The Tigertail seahorse is a symbol of how it is possible to manage healthy natural eco-systems within an urban environment, if we choose to be aware, proactive, and determined.

Posted in Announcements No Comments »

Batfish, Bornellas, and Blennies in Bottles!

April 8, 2013

Elegant squat lobster ©Debby Ng/Hantu Blog

As the boat pulled up alongside the reefs of Pulau Hantu, and we gazed down through the water at the corals below, I reminded the divers that surface visibility can be very deceiving as conditions can be quite different once we descend below. Perhaps it was the evening showers we had on Saturday night that stirred up conditions at the islands, but we were determined to make good of this because after all, this is what local waters are famous for – low visibility! And make good we did! We made great, actually! With all creatures great and small to satisfy even the mega fauna addicts within our group! Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Blog Log, Photography 1 Comment »

Yellow-lipped sea krait hunting in sargassum meadow

March 28, 2013

A Yellow-lipped sea krait scans the reef flats of Singapore’s Pulau Hantu for an opportune meal.

The colubrine sea krait, banded sea krait or yellow–lipped sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) is a species of sea snake found in tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters. [1] It is easily recognised by its yellow upper lip and black bands covering its blue base colour. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Biology, Videos No Comments »

Hantu Blog Celebrates 10 Years!

March 27, 2013

The Hantu Blog marked its 10th Anniversary with lotsa slime! Our spineless friends got out in full force to make it a busy dive for all our special guests at the reef! Here’s a quick look at some of the wonderful and bizarre sea slugs we saw on Sunday! Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Blog Log, Photography 2 Comments »

Life in Mucus

February 26, 2013

Pteraeolidia ianthina PHOTO: Debby Ng/Hantu Blog

Monday was a busy day for flatworms and nudibranches. The water was cold, and the currents were mild. There were probably some other invisible elements that drew all the crawlies out from their hiding places to openly traverse the sea bed and coral reef. For some reason, the tens of seahorses that were sighted just the day before had disappeared into hiding. I wished I’d gotten the memo. Read the rest of this entry »

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