Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait @ Semakau 06Nov2009

Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait @ Semakau 06Nov2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

This beautiful but highly venomous sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) was out hunting amongst the coral rubble once the night sky was dark enough. It was about 75cm long and was swimming actively in the shallow water.

Notice that the sea krait uses it's tongue underwater just like how land snakes do. Interesting how the tongue taste function is used both on land as well as under the water. Note also the laterally compressed tail which allows for great swimming. Since it does not have gills, nor does it have the ability to absorb oxygen from the water through its skin, the snake has to breathe air from the water surface. The snake was observed lifting its snout above the water surface about every 3 minutes.

More Info about this snake :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/snakes/laticauda.htm
http://www.wildasia.org/main.cfm/support/Yellow-lipped_Sea_Krait
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticauda_colubrina
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-headed-yellow-lipped-sea-krait.html

Other blogs about the trip :-
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/11/snakes-in-fish-feeding-frenzy.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/11/success-at-semakau-giant-clams-and-more.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/11/id026-boring-giant-clam.html
http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2009/11/091106-semakau.html

Hawksbill Sea Turtles @ Kusu Island's captive pool - 21Sep2009

23Sep2009 Update : 48 Hawksbill Turtle hatchlings were released from the Kusu Pool into the sea by ACRES. Quick and effective action at work!

Kusu Island Green Turtle hatchlings from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Endangered turtle hatchlings deserve better care.

21Sep2009 : Visited Kusu Island and was surprised to see tiny turtle hatchlings in the big pool. (Initially thought they were Green Turtles but was later informed that they were Hawksbills instead.) The joy was shortlived as it seemed that the hatchlings were hungry...very hungry. There was no vegetative matter which they could eat and they were trying to bite into dead leaves and twigs and even plastic material as the pool was littered with plastic-bag like items. One of the hatchlings bit into another already dead hatchling. One's imagination could only run wild as to what the cause of death was.

JK took a shot of one hatchling biting a piece of blue plastic rope. Plastic is non-biodegradable and non-digestible. Turtles (and birds alike) can die from ingesting plastic material as the plastic material gets stuck in their digestive tract.

Have a look here to see how fatal plastics can be for turtles :

Rise Above Plastic: Plastic Kills Turtles from Wallace J. Nichols on Vimeo

Blogposts by others who observed the hatchings :-

http://sgn090608.blogspot.com/2009/09/kusu-island-gymnodoris-on-desolate.html
http://psychedelic-nature.blogspot.com/2009/09/they-are-cute-but-they-need-better-home.html
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/09/clamless-on-kusu.html

some links for reference :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

International Coastal Clean Up 2008 - Chek Jawa - Pulau Ubin

ICC Singapore 2008 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Compilation from the 20Sep2008 Pulau Ubin - Chek Jawa CleanUp
with facts about the overall 2008 Singapore data and quotes borrowed from www.OceanConservancy.org

(you'll have to wait a little for the 2009 compliation)

Sundial Snail @ Pulau Hantu 12April2009

sundial snail @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

It's very rare to see this beautiful snail alive. Often, only the empty shells are seen.
The video clip has been speeded up by a factor of 2x. Imagine how slow this snail moves!
Interestingly, the sundial snail has an operculum which it uses to 'shut itself into it's shell.
Notice also has striped antennae.

condo sponge w brittlestars @ P Hantu 12April2009

condo sponge w brittlestars 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Various types of sponge are commonly found on Singapore's intertidal reefs. This videoed sponge is ball shaped and contains numerous holes out of which can be seen the many arms of tiny brittlestars. The ball sponge was sized similar to a tennis ball....so you can imagine how small the brittlestars were!...supersmall!!!

The ball sponges can be likened to a condominium which has different apartments each with it's own resident tenant. However, you can find not only brittlestars but also other animals like barnacles. Towards the 50 second mark, you can see, at the lower left part of the frame, a fan like structure sticking out from one of the 'apartments'. This are the feeding tentacles of a barnacle!

Want to know more about sponges, brittlestars and barnacles? Have a look here! :-
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/porifera/suberites.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/echinodermata/ophiuroidea/tinysponge.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/crustacea/othercrust/ciriipedia/cirripedia.htm

Yellow Lipped Sea Krait @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009

Yellow Lipped Sea Krait @ Pulau Hantu 12Apr2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Came across this yellow-lipped sea krait on Hantu's wonderful reef. It was busy looking for food in nooks and crannies and did not at all mind the human watching it. It came up for air after diving for about 2 minutes.

This snake has got a highly toxic venom but it is also non-aggressive by nature.
Note that it has a flat tail. This helps propel the snake through water much like a boat paddle.
The specimen in the video was between 40 to 50 cm long and was about 1 cm thick. Adult specimens would be about double the size.