Semakau Inter-tidal Walk on 9 March 2008

I’m back at Semakau after the splendid walk last month. It was a very heavy downpour on our arrival at Semakau. It stops just in time after the video presentation by the NEA before we start the Landfill Tour.

A group photo at the most Southern tip of Singapore where public can access.

In order to reach the inter-tidal area, we need to go through a forest at times infested with mosquitoes. Safety briefing was conducted outside the entrance while participants put on their insect repellent.
Some part of the route has been flooded by the heavy rain earlier on. However, the rain has also brought down the temperature and make today’s walk a very comfortable one.

Soon after we cross the sea grass lagoon, there are lots of common sea stars. Some sea stars are stacking on another sea star in the ‘mating’ position. Common sea stars adopting external fertilization hence, the 'mating' process doesn’t have any physical contacts of reproductive organs.

The tiny moving teeth-like things on the under side of the sea stars are their tube feet. They rely on the tube feet to move and feeding.

We are rather lucky to see 3 different type of sea cucumbers at one go today. Sea cucumber are related to sea star and both are classified under the phylum of Echinoderm (means spiny skin in Greek)Sand fish sea cucumber (Holothuria scabra)

This huge sea cucumber with white spots is a Ocellatad sea cucumber (Stichopus ocellatus)

Sand fish sea cucumber (Holothuria scabra)

We been seeing nobel volute (cymbiola nobilis) laying eggs for the past few months. We finally got to see the baby volute!Beautiful fan wormA very aggressive swimming crab

We also saw 3 different nudibranchs. The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus, naked, and the Greek brankhia, gills. Nudibranch simply means naked gills.Polka dot nudibranch (Jorunna funebris)Gymnodoris nudibranch (Gymmodoris rublopabulosa)and a pair of beautiful Chromodoris lineolata2 different type of marine flatworms
Octopus!!!

Wow.. that’s a huge sea star – Knobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus). This big Knobbly sea stor really get everyone excited.Another group photo and now with the big super star!

Thanks to all the participants for their enthusiastic. (and also thanks for sharing the tips of how to get up early too! ;-p )