Otters@Sg.Buloh 15Jan2011

Here's and 8-minute clip on the wild Smooth-Coated Otters of Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve.

The 2 otters were spotted swimming near the middle of Sg Buloh Besar and they had stopped briefly around a sunken tree stump before swimming submerged towards the central bridge occasionally coming up for air. Fish in the water scattered as the otters approached and some could be seen jumping out of the water to escape becoming lunch.

The otters swam under the bridge towards what seems to be a frequently used landing point on the near embankment. They then proceeded up the embankment towards the sand box overlooking a freshwater pond near the visitor centre's exhibition hall.

The otters then began a serious session of 'scratch that-itch' which lasted for about 25 mins before settling down for a late morning snooze.



Otters 15Jan2011(mobile) from BeachBum on Vimeo.



Otters 15Jan2011(HD) from BeachBum on Vimeo.


Here is Ria's blog post about the otter sighting :
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2011/01/otters-at-sungei-buloh-and-mangrove.html

Read more about the otters here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm

First Seagrass session for 2011 @ Chek Jawa 02Jan2011

Was lucky to have a green mussel clam on the stake and which itself was covered with acorn barnacles. 

Zero% seagrass cover - makes for a quick transect

Zero % again!

Ria's sharp eyes pointed out the bleaching of Ovalis leaves. This was something I had not noticed until she pointed it out. Some patches were really bleached and the leaves were a transcluent yellow.

And that white stuff is actually bird poo which is a good fertilizer for the seagrass.

(Need more information on this ?  

Click here : http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/12/bird-poop-helps-heal-seagrass-damage.html)

The Northern tip of Chek Jawa had a bay full of Halophila ovalis! 

However, it looks like the high shore area here needs a cleanup too. 

Anemones galore! The North to NorthEastern coastline bordering Chek Jawa was peppered with small Haddon's anemones. They were mostly green and averaged between 10 to 15 cm across.

But there were some which were a deep dark blue

The Northerly parts of Chek Jawa seemed to be starting up a fringe of seagrass patches. These were predominantly Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis.

Uninervis and tubeworms

Ovalis, Uninervis ... and more tubeworms

pink thorny cucumber at near the Northeastern tip

 There were some small patches of Spinulosa as well!

tyres are frequently seen stuck in the sand. This one was close to the Northeastern tip.

a carelessly discarded fish net which had gotten stuck on a log.
(Read about Project Driftnet Singapore)

a group of visitors to Chek Jawa had decided to walk out into the seagrass meadow oblivious to the need to  use the more trodden paths and the need to avoid stomping unnecessarily on untrodden paths.

barefootness is not advised as there are a lot of things which can poke, bite, sting pierce and infect bare skin. (Read about a friend's stonefish encounter).

Luckily for this group, no one was injured during their short walk which was interrupted when they were advised to head back to the safety of the boardwalk to avoid getting caught by the fast incoming tide.

a wide panorama from the Northeastern tip of the sandbar. 

To the left is Changi and to the right is Johor.

Read more about the trip at these other blogs :-

http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2011/01/chek-jawa-2-jan-11.html

http://ourlittleurbaneden.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/starting-off-2011-with-seagrass-monitoring-at-chek-jawa/

http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweltering-hot-at-chek-jawa.html

http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2011/01/mangroves-at-chek-jawa.html

Happy New Year!

Another beachbum year!

☆。★。☆。★
。☆ 。☆。☆
★。＼｜／。★
Happy New Year!
★。／｜＼。★
。☆ 。☆。☆
☆。 ★。☆。★

Fireworks without the smog! :)

Otter at Semakau!

Had heard of reports of there being an otter sighted in the Semakau mangroves some months ago and had also seen what looked like otter footprints on the beach but had never seen other signs of it.

Fortunately, a recent visitor (YYJ) to Semakau was lucky enough to not only see the otter but she manage to take a picture of it carrying off it's dinner of a snake!



This could mean that Semakau's mangroves and seagrass lagoon are indeed capable of sustaining larger mammals and hopefully eventually a resident family of otters.

However, perhaps there should be a formal restriction on long nets used by visiting fishermen especially in the seagrass lagoon and areas surrounding Semakau. This would help ensure that the otter does not end up being entangled in the nets which are often left abandoned or discarded irresponsibly.

other sightings of an otter at Semakau :-
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/index.php?entry=/education/20051203-public_semakau.txt
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070506/070511-2.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com.sg/wildfilms/blog/archive/2006_04_01_wildfilms_archive.html

decorator-velcro crab @ Big Sister's Island 24Dec2010

This amazing crab was a large one being about outstretched palm sized. Spotted in the big lagoon near the stingray patch. It was the star like appearance which one notices first and remarks ... 'that is odd!?'. i.e. to see a star shaped object with pale blue and yellow bits. And then when it moves, it's identity becomes known. This particular one was able to ambulate rather speedily and it reminded me of a R&D robot taking its first few steps only this one was for real and was probably older than humankind!

iPhone version :

decorator crab-iPhone from BeachBum on Vimeo.


Desktop version :

decorator crab-desktop from BeachBum on Vimeo.


Read more about it here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/crab/majoidea/retusa.htm

Other blogs on things seen during this trip:
http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2010/12/101224-big-sisters-island.html
http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-eve-with-big-sister.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/12/joyous-fishes-on-sisters-island.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/12/merry-reef-on-sisters-island.html

Another seacil regurgitated at Labrador Nature Reserve 19Dec2010

A picture speaks many things. Unfortunately, mostly negative in this case.

A video clip speaks even more...

seacil@labrador (sml) from BeachBum on Vimeo.


seacil@labrador (HD) from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Here lies another 'dead' seacil from what seems to be a poorly thought out project with questionable positive results if any at all. If the seacils are appearing on the intertidal, should we wonder how the corals on the reef surrounding the seacils have fared whilst the seacils were breaking up?

It is reasonable to consider that a seacil being dislodged would act like a elephant carrying a sledgehammer in a fine china shop. What then of the natural reef that existed before the seacil project?

With the cumulative effect of the neverending waves on the regurgitated seacil, more bits of plastic, concrete and netting will get dislodged and distributed along what used to be a gem of a natural shore ... in fact one of Singapore's first 'protected' nature reserves! And it was because of the rocky shore and seagrass lagoon that Labrador is so unique.

If the seacil in encased in concrete, can a section of it float up? Or was the 'regurgitated' seacil section brought up and left abandoned where we see it now?

Perhaps the institution of higher education which installed it can have it removed immediately. The seagrass bed should not be used as a dumping ground however 'unresultant' the project is. And perhaps it is time for a formal official review on the project?

More on the seacil project :
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/10/debris-on-labrador-explained.html
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/11/updates-on-large-concrete-slabs-on.html
http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2007/11/26/artifical_reef_at_labrador_an_up.html
http://jus-dive.blogspot.com/2007/11/labrador-park-seashore-environment-with.html
http://jus-dive.blogspot.com/2007/12/is-labrador-talk-really-that-cheap.html
http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20071126-38347.html
http://www.innovationmagazine.com/innovation/volumes/v7n1/feature3.shtml
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070910/071029-1.htm
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-labrador-survive.html
http://reddotbeachbum.blogspot.com/2007/12/labrador-hope-rebirth-and-waiting.html