Short Visit to Dead Sea at Jordan (J9/10)

 

Hearing so much about how salty the Dead Sea are... sounds just not right. Aren't sea water at else where not salty?😂 

Located along the Jordan Rift Valley and bordering Israel (seen at the background of the photo). There are many resorts setting up along both sides of the sea. You may choose to access the beach by resort (need to pay) or find a public spot (free but no access to changing room or shower facilities). You may use public beach if you have your own vehicle to act as changing room and brough alone some fresh water to wash up.

Salt formation on the beach. The salt/minerals here are much higher compare to other sea that make this place so special and beneficial.

Since salt are heavier than water, that make us more buoyant and able to float on water easily.

No, don't expect a white sandy beach. Instead rock or salt formation is what you will see here.

Do you know that this is also the lowest point on earth? My mobile phone show me that I am -427.5m below sea level. Another sense of achievement for been to the lowest point on earth😊

Coney Island Park, Singapore

After waiting for more than 2 years, Coney Island Park finally open to public! As with all newly opened facility, I expect some crowd so I choose to go early morning. 

The park open from 7am to 7pm. What a beautiful sun rise when I arrived at West Entrance of the park.

 I enter the park through West entrance.

This tiny island have 2 entrances. The West entrance is just next to Punggol Promenade Nature Walk while the East entrance is joined to Lorong Halus.

What can you do on this tiny island?

You may just enjoy the scenery, get into the forest. Scenery like this is something that consider uncommon in highly urbanized Singapore. They may look like pine trees but they are not. They are actually Casuarina trees also known as Rhu trees. This is probably how Tanjung Rhu got her name.

 If you are a bird watcher, this bird hide will come in handy.

 There are lots of signs of wildlife activities on the island.

 This heart shape nest probably built by Baya weaver birds.

Nature photographer of all sorts (be it insects, landscape or birds) flocked to Coney Island this morning.

 There are lots of cyclist too. Mountain bike is recommended due to the rough terrains.

Some just take out their phone and take wefie with their love bike. One pacik  try his fishing luck here too.

You may simply just explore this tiny island on foot. Highly recommended as you will get higher chance to see wildlife on the island by walking.

Some take the opportunity to groom their dog there too.

Pulau Ubin, another rustic island just opposite Coney island. It looks so close! Be forewarned, there are lots of sand flies on the beach. If you intend to walk on the beach, I will suggest that you wear long pants and long sleeve shirt.

Or you may just sit on the concrete path and enjoy the scenery and sea breeze instead.

Oh! There are shuttle service to Coney island from Pasir Ris and Punggol MRT!

Another nature space for the resident around Punggol/Pasir Ris area. What are you waiting for? Go visit today!  :)

Changi Beach Walk Around

After the Kekek Quarry walk and lunch at Changi Village already around 2pm. Since I'm so close to the Changi beach that I've heard so much about the sighting of seastars, I decided to try my luck knowing that the chance is slim as it was very very hot that afternoon. Seastars will probably go burrowing to avoid the hot sun. As advised, I went straight to Carpark 7.

The beach was full with seaweed that washed to shore when I arrived.


See the usual 'stuff'. . .
Saw this pile of green mussel being collected and cleaned...

Not sure if this is the anemone ... is alive and when I touch it, it just curl up. Don't think is the jellyfish either, as I use my bare hand to feel it and it didn't give me any irritation... don't try that if you are not sure. :)
This should be anemone

And another one...

And lots of beautiful button shell, and fan shell...
What a surprise found - a Moon Crab (matuta lunaris) under the hot sun. It dissapear burrowed into the sand the minute I touch it.
Gonggong with 2 slipper snail inside the shell
And the whole beach are full with this tiny sand buble crabs...

Well, although I didn't manage to spot any seastar today, it is another great experience. I'll be back again this Sunday when the tide is low.