The Inside Story (Making of The New Nature Guides)

Some of the Semakau guides that were out at Ubin on Saturday (1st Dcember 07) automatically became VIPs (very irritating persons, we are to act as nasty visitors) and as well as guinea-pigs for Ron's next generation of Nature Guide!! According to Ron, whoever his successor is, will have the honour to take over his priceless hermit crab model and this hermit crab is the symbol of power, for the NHC. (dun play, play...)

There are 3 guides to be on their practical sessions conducted by Ron.

One of the guide to be were practicing her skill on the CJ boardwalk. All trainees were given several classroom sessions (for knowledge and confidence building, let me know if i miss anything - Ron, as this suppose to be part of his secret winning formulas) before they actually do the guiding.

From the thickness of the notebook, I believe Ron really spent lots of his brain's cell coming out his Secret Formulas. :p

The training is really SERIOUS!!!! Ron even use his favourate phrase..... in mandarine " I want to 叩 你 的 头(叩头, 磕头?? kowtow??)!!!"
After the part 1 practical session, Ron brought the new guides to the Jejawi Tower more than hundred fts above ground to do his secret review. Just look at the expression of the participants... Ron really show his 'full colour'(his wide knowledge from nature, inter-tidal, geography, human communications,.....etc).With the new skills learnt, the participants not only gained the skill of guiding, but the love for the nature....

Thank you Ron for the nice lunch!! We really don't mind to come back again to act for you as VIPs looking at the free lunch... :-)

You may read more about Ron here.

Exploration @ Tuas Coast

I'm out again today to catch the low tide over at the coastal area at Tuas behind a manufacturing plant. The seagrass team from the plant is ready to perform transect right behind their work place at Tuas Coast. Although the tide table showing -0.1m at 6.05pm, the water level however is at a rather high level throughout the whole evening. We didin't manage to walk to the beacon without getting pants and shirt wet. Must prepare to swim over or allow the sea water level to reach chest hight before can reach the beacon. Well, Ron did managed to reach the beacon after multiple attempts towards the end of our walk, but is too dark to see anything with the high water level.
This Sand star was rather skinny was spotted by Helen and is the only sea star we saw for this trip.

Sea pen.

This jelly fish is beautiful. Is small but very energetic, never want to slow down for us to take a nice shot of her.

Since theere is no sign that the water level is going down further, we continue the walk with the water at knee high and most photos were taken under water. This is also my first experience of having a tidal exploration in the water for the entire walk. Luckily with the technology, now most camera are equipped with water proving ability without having to add additional casing.
There are lots of thunder crab roamming freely in the water. The photo on the left showing a female crab with thousands of egg.

Close up shot on this beautiful sea anemones

There are lots of sponges too, this one looks like a honeycomb.

Softcorals are out for feeding too

There are lots of hydroid and sea squirt too.

Not forgetting hard corals, softcorls and sponges of all kinds and colours.
Suprisingly, we didn't see a lot of swimming crabs as compare with other southern shores in Singapore. Those that we have spotted (only 4 or 5) mainly about 4 to 6cm. Managed to take this sea fan about 1.2m under sea water.

Helen was shouting something swim below to hide under a rock! I quickly aim my camera and take the photo. I didn't see any thing at that time and only realised is a toadfish after uploaded to my PC.

Before we end our walk while on the way back, we saw this pink sea cucumber. With the water at knee hight, we also spotted alot of blue spotted fantail stingray. We will come back again when the tide is really low to visit this hard to reach coastal of Singapore.

Thanks to Sheryl, Helen & Haniff for the arrangement and guide.

Another Changi Experience

It was heavy rain over the north part of Singapore around 3.30pm. Don't want to loose another tidal walk opportunity during low tide, I proceed to Changi as usual. The weather is good on the way to Changi.

This is the first sea star that we saw near the sandy area. Not sure if this is a biscuit or crown star.

The length from arm to arm is only about 2.5cm

There are lots of brittle star too...A white sea urchin (Salmacis sphaeroides)Red spiny urchin (Prionocidaris bispinosa)This shell is a bit too small for this beautiful hermit crab.
Sea cucumberAnother beatiful pink sea cucumber

and more of them...

Sea squirt is every whereSand dollarsThis clam is rather big, almost cover the entire palm.Beautiful sea anemone. The water today abit cloudy and didn't able to see any swimming anemones.This shell is beautiful - being occupied by hermit crab.

I didn't really go and look for nudi, especially after the sighting of the big Kalinga ornata nudibranch. I spent most of my time explaining the ecosystem, the tidal changes and how we can help to keep the sea shore alive so that we can always come back and see the living shore for many more years to my young visitor.