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 »
A female Tigertail seahorse in a yellow phase. PHOTO: Khoo Min Hui/Hantu Blog
It’s been two weeks in a row that divers that spotted several seahorses making their presence known along various parts of the reef. So it may well be an indication that spring has arrived at Pulau Hantu! Read the rest of this entry »
Seahorses are known to enter shallow areas when they are ready to mate. Perhaps the special time of the year when seahorses pair up and mate is soon approaching or recently occurred, because during last weekend’s visit to the reef at Pulau Hantu, divers spotted lots of seahorses, and some of the boys had their tummies really bloated! Read the rest of this entry »
This evening, Ria Tan and I had the very special opportunity to share our wonderful mangroves with the staff from Shell. Most of the staff that came for today’s walk work at the Bukom Refinery just adjacent to Pulau Hantu. They have seen and heard of Pulau Hantu but have not been for a walk there yet! Hopefully, the Hantu Blog gets to take some of them out for a tour soon! The Bukom refinery is also right in front of Labrador Park, so in a way it was kind of like exploring the surrounds of their office! Read the rest of this entry »
The Hantu Blog goes to Tanjong Katong Girls School
The Hantu Blog gave a talk to about 90 students and teachers at Tanjong Katong Girls School on Thursday. Apart from learning lots about Singapore’s marine life, students also learned that there are many simple ways that ordinary people can become involved in our community to help promote and safeguard the future of our natural heritage. Read the rest of this entry »
It rained all day on Saturday and we wondered how the surface runoff would affect the water conditions at Pulau Hantu. When our boat pulled up along the reef, things looked good with the water a beautiful dark turquoise colour. The sky was overcast, there was no wind and the water was completely flat. “Like glass”, one of our volunteers commented. But the island had one prank up its sleeve – the waters were freezing cold! You think we’re exaggerating but when you’re used to diving in 29degC waters, 26-27decC is cold! Especially when you have to soak in it for an hour! (Above: Divers descend into the reefs of Pulau Hantu) Read the rest of this entry »
In Dec 2012, Hantu Blog diver and passionate underwater photographer, Jeemee Goh, led a group of divers out to Pulau Hantu and descended onto a reef marred by poor visibility. Perhaps it was the monsoon rains combined with massive land and coastal developments that brought the tremendous amount of silt into our waters. Whatever the reason, the creatures that live in the reefs of Pulau Hantu were riding it out, so Jeemee leaned in closer to the reef and put together this wonderful photoessay from his trip! Above: Reliable chromodoris (Chromodoris fidelis) Read the rest of this entry »
A pair of cuttlefish were spotted along the reefs of Singapore’s Pulau Hantu. They were about the same size. Could they be siblings? Or were they individuals from different clutches that find safety by being in a pair? Read the rest of this entry »
A sponge can be an interesting place to inspect when looking for cool critters. This pair of cuttlefish were trying to make-like-a-sponge when I first spotted them. As you can see from the cuttlefish at the back, it appears to be mimicking the colour of the sponge quite well! And if you look closely at the one in the foreground, it has distorted the surface of its skin to mimic the part of the sponge that is has been encrusted with algae and other bits. Read the rest of this entry »
A sponge can be an interesting place to inspect when looking for cool critters. This pair of cuttlefish were trying to make-like-a-sponge when I first spotted them. As you can see from the cuttlefish at the back, it appears to be mimicking the colour of the sponge quite well! And if you look closely at the one in the foreground, it has distorted the surface of its skin to mimic the part of the sponge that is has been encrusted with algae and other bits. Read the rest of this entry »
February 26, 2013 
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