Northern Shore of Singapore

As with previous year, there are a few days in the month of June when the tide is really low. Area that usually cover by sea water will be exposed during low tide. That make it easy to have a glimpse on the life underwater without putting on scuba diving gears.

Most Biscuit sea star will have 5 arms. This one is special, having only 4 arms.

Is always a pleasure to have seen this big sea star in the mainland Singapore. They are found commonly on off-shore island but not so on the main island of Singapore.

A Plain sand star is about to burrow into the sands.

A good comparison of size between the big brother Chocholate Chips Sea Star (aka Knobbly Sea Star) with the smaller Buiscuit sea star.

A Noble volute with its distinctive zig-zag patterns on the shell and the black & orange spots foot.

Saw this Murex snail that is bigger than my palm!

There are several Babylonia snail that is still out in the open, they will usually burried themselves in the sand after sun rise.

Another Babylonis snal that is orange in colour.

Saw this small Horseshoe crab moult. Do you know that horseshoe crab's blood is blue in colour? The copper in their blood that gave them the blue colour unlike us, red colour came from iron.

A rather uncommon posture of  Thunder crab, play dead when it got spotted. 

This Brittle stars taking shelter under the Sea Anemone. Only one arm is visible.

Another creature that live among Sea Anemone is this Anemone Shrimp.

Another very beautiful animal that camaflag very well and not easy to be spotted easily. This Porcelain crab is having the same colour and patterns with their host - a Sea Pen. 

Big pile of Squid egg.

A rather docile Bansded File Snake.

Another sun rise another great trip in the month of June.

Babylonia Snails of Singapore Shore

Babylonia Snails are also found here quite often at the northern shore of Singapore. A beautiful gastropod that are excellent scavengers that will sift through substrate searching for food, They do prey on smaller clams too.

Saw these 2 babylonia snails going for a same spot perhaps targeting for the same clam under the substrate.

This snail on the right started to burrow into the substrate while the other closing in.

When the second snail arrived, the first snail already half way through the substrate.

Looks like the second snail is too late and the first snail already fully burrowed into the substrate.

Better luck next time...

The Amazing Singapore Crab

You really don’t know what you will find in the inter-tidal area when they are exposed during spring low tide. Animals & creatures that living in this area have to face the tide changes, they can be swept away by current during high tide & they will face the extreme heat from sunlight during low tide. As such, the animals living here all have some kind of adaptations either they burrow, having hard shell, possess some kind of toxin  or they are very good in camouflaging. 

Such as this very creative spider crab below. When attaching herself to the seaweed, is almost impossible to spot it. Who will expect to see a crab below the seaweed?

Is almost like seaweed growing from the carapace of the crab!

 The crab attach the seaweed so well that even the underside is like part of the carapace.

 Close up look of the crab from the left side.

 Close up look from the right side of the crab.

Isn't it amazing? For those who like to wear hat, may be you will find some inspiration from this tiny crab.

The Amazing Biscuit Sea Star

Many still call them "starfish" as they are found in the sea. However, since they are not actually fish, I prefer to call them sea stars. They may look cute with the shape of the star, but what amaze me is their regenerating abilities!  They can regenerate their arms lost to the predators just like in the movie Deadpool 2.  ☺

 Found this Biscuit sea star (Goniodiscaster scaber) that lost 2 of its arms.

The wound has healed and is very much alive! 

This is how a Biscuit sea star looks like. Amazing right?

Disappearing Act of Moon Crab

Is another spring low tide morning and is time to head to the inter-tidal area again. I saw this Spotted moon crab (Ashtoret lunaris) showing her best Singapore Got Talent's skill right in front of my eyes. Is really a "Now you see it, now you don't". She took less than a second to be completely disappear from my sight!

 I slowly approach this very beautiful Spotted moon crab when I saw her.

 The crab getting ready with her disappearing act...

 Now you still can see it...

 .....

 .... barely visible with her camouflage colour

 ...

 .. only left her pair of sexy eyes visible

 ... now you don't. Is completely disappear under the sand.

Only one of the eye can be seen peeping through the sands.

Eastern Shore of Singapore

Month of May is a good time to visit inter-tidal area as the low tide during this period usually around 7-9am. 

 I arrived at the shore around 7am and the tide is already quite low.

This may looks like a football field but are sea grass lagoon. They are only exposed during spring low tide.

 This bivalves did not burrow fast enough before the tide gone down and is now stuck.

 This sea star trying to turn itself after the wave swept it upside down.

 This sea star will have to wait for at least another 2 hours before the tide return.

 This elbow crab almost impossible to spot if it was not on top of the sea grass.

 Likewise this stone crab, away from the rock they are easily spotted.

 One of the less colourful anemone that was spotted today.

 This is the much colourful one as compare to the previous one.

 Different from the sea hare I saw last month, this is Hairy Sea Hare (Bursatella leachii).

 Sea cucumber of all shape and colour are spotted today. Such as this thorny one.

 Another funny shape, ball sea cucumber.

 This reddish Thorny Sea Cucumber is still busy feeding.

 Saw lots of Noble volute today too. This one about to burrow into the sand.

 I like the patterns on their shell. It looks like a Chinese painting.

 This hermit crab is taking over this empty shell as resident.

This swimming crab is enjoying his breakfast. Slowly munching on one end of this bristleworms while the other end try to swim away!

 Several white sea urchin was spotted in the sea grass area.

Not often to spot common sea star at this area, they are very common at the off-shore island. It must be my luck day for me.

Yes! Is my lucky day. See what I found! This huge iconic sea star is found in off-shore island. But I saw so many of them today!

Saw another big one almost as big as this huge carpet anemones!