Entries from October 2011

Juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips at Pulau Hantu

Date October 17, 2011

The harlequin sweetlips can be found along the reefs of Singapore’s Pulau Hantu. Juveniles, like the one in this video, are brown with large white blotches and mimic the movement of a poisonous flatworm for defence against predators. They gain more spots and the spots reverse from white to black as they age. It spends […]

Hantu Octoberfest: 1-for-1 Nudis

Date October 16, 2011

When we ran into this huge squat lobster hiding at the base of a huge crinoid, we all knew we were in for a good day out at Pulau Hantu. Squat lobsters can be found worldwide in the oceans, and occur from near the water’s surface to deep sea hydrothermal vents. Contrary to their name, […]

October Fish Fest

Date October 11, 2011

It was a special day today because we got to bring the staff of Singapore Prisons out to local waters for some education and recreation! Despite the onset of the Northeast monsoons we had a nice dry day out at the islands with a cool breeze. Above: A pair of Copper-banded butterflyfish and an Anchor […]

October Fish Fest

Date October 11, 2011

It was a special day today because we got to bring the staff of Singapore Prisons out to local waters for some education and recreation! Despite the onset of the Northeast monsoons we had a nice dry day out at the islands with a cool breeze. Above: A pair of Copper-banded butterflyfish and an Anchor […]

What’s Hiding in the Seabed?

Date October 6, 2011

What creature of local waters is peeking out from just beneath the sandy seabed? Can you try and guess? We will release a new hint each day till someone guesses what the creature is! Visit our Flickr for details! Post your guesses in the comment fields in our Flickr, Facebook or Blog! See more amazing […]

Pulau Hantu After Recent Fire at Nearby Oil Refinery

Date October 2, 2011

Today I visited the shores and reefs of Pulau Hantu with Jeffrey Low, a Senior Conservation Officer at NParks. As the jetty on Pulau Hantu Kecil was closed, we dropped off at the south jetty and walked along the beaches and sea walls of Pulau Hantu Besar.

Impact of fluorosurfactants

Date October 2, 2011

Latest media reports say that while “the fire at the Shell refinery on Pulau Bukom has been fully extinguished, SCDF is still continuing foaming operations as there are still traces of fuel vapour in the affected areas.” In light of this, I thought it would be useful to find out more about fire fighting foam.

Pulau Hantu After Recent Fire at Nearby Oil Refinery

Date October 2, 2011

Latest media reports say that while “the fire at the Shell refinery on Pulau Bukom has been fully extinguished, SCDF is still continuing foaming operations as there are still traces of fuel vapour in the affected areas.” In light of this, I thought it would be useful to find out more about fire fighting foam. […]

Impact of fluorosurfactants

Date October 2, 2011

It looks unassuming, but this is one potent fish! I almost missed this squat and grumpy-looking Hollow-cheeked stonefish as it blended seamlessly with its silty, algae-encrusted surroundings, but as I swam over it, I managed to catch it at just the right angle to pick out the shape of its upturned mouth and spiny dorsal […]