Semakau Tidal Walk on 7th June 2008

Today is a third day in a roll that I woke up early to explore another inter-tidal area. I'm going to Semakau Island with a group of students & teachers from Jurongville
One of the small group - Puffer fish guided by En. This group ask me if that will be able to see puffer fish, since they are named after Puffer fish? . . . since we are going to a shore, to nature not a aquarium. Nobody can guaranteed if they can be found as animals do move about!
Waiting to onboard the boat to Semakau.
While on the way to Semakau, SY shouted Dolphin! Dolphin!. . . Yes. Indeed is 3 dolphins swimming about 50 meters away from our boat. As the sky is still dark and without my zoom lens, I didn't manage to take any photo. sigh!

This is the only Sand shifting star also known as Common seastar that was found today. The lots of black eyes telling me that this is the Stichopus ocellatus sea cucumber.and the Stonefish sea cucumber (Actinopyga lecanora)A cowryGlossodoris atromarginata nudibranch
a group of two probably Phyllidia pustulosa
The puffer fish that one of the group asked about was found.Another sea star that is real big with such a striking red colour - a nobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)An anemones with nice partner - an anemones clown fishAnother found of the day was this pretty with beautiful eyes - Tiger Tail Sea Horse!

With that, we start to turn back as the thunder storm is one our way. We could see the mainland is raining very heavily.Once we arrived at the Visitor Centre, Main Building so as the heavy rain! What a wonderful day again!

Changi Beach Afterdark

I head straight to Changi after leaving my office on Friday, not to catch a flight but to visit the shore that I finds it always so attractive. Not because of the F&B outlets (in fact there is none) but the animals that lives there and most of them can't be found at any other part of Singapore anymore.

While waiting for the rest, I take a walk at the newly constructed bicycle/jogging track along the Nicoll Drive. There are lots of milipede crawling on the track . Millipedes will curl up when threatened, and they thrive on vegetation.

We saw lots of sea stars the minutes we stepped onto the shore.

There are lots of sand star of all sizes! Some of them measured only about 2cm wide.

Another 2 cute little star, probably cake or biscuit (just in time for Chinese New Year?? ;-) ) sea star.

And the green sea star too. Among the sea grass, there are also lots of tiny pipe fish and spider crabs.

We also saw this horseshoe crab that measured 45cm from head to tail!!

There are several bristle worms and ball sea cucumber on the sandy area.
Not forgetting this sand bubbler crab too.Another tiny animals in the Mini Series..... a scorpion fish.Where are all the adults??...
Sea urchin
Believe this 2 molluscs have been fighting for some time. The white clam will eventually become the meal of the drills(family Muricidae) which is smaller in size. Drills can bore holes in the shells of their prey and it may take up to half a day just to drill through the shell of 2mm thick.This smooth body worm like animal is in fact a sea cucumber(family Caudinidae)

A hairy seahare (Bursatella leachi)
And the best find so far is this beautiful sea horse! The tide was coming in so we head back to the shore.

The pink sea cucumber is everywhere when we head back to the shore area. Changi is still as charming....