Semakau - Coral Workshop Field Trip (25 Dec 07)

We all gathered at Marina South Pier, can't wait to get started for another intertidal walk. Unlike normal walk, hard corals are the focus of this trip. But before Luan Keng arrived, speculations of our destination started... Initially it was said to be Kusu, but somehow, someone got the news that it was Semakau... Eventually, Luan Keng arrived and delivered the news - Semakau is the final destination. Many of us were fooled, and ended up not prepare (in nice little shorts and berms instead of the usual longs for Semakau... remember the mosquito infested forest?). Thanks Luan Keng...


No complains and we journeyed on - boat and mini-bus and soon we met our enemy... the 'forest'.


Pass the forest, we came to our second obstacle - the seagrass lagoon.


Only then we reach the flats. And all the way we went to the edge of it where the coral reefs were.

Mentioning that this was a hard coral ID field trip, we spotted plenty of many other critters, up to a point that I decided the critters and corals should each deserve a post of their own. So here goes the critter list!


Swimming crab


Spoon-tip crab. Instead of the usual sharp tip, as its name says, it has a spoon tip which is used to scrap food substrate off rocks. I was lucky to witness the interesting foraging method.


Spider conch

Now one of my favourite critter - NUDIBRANCHS! I always try to find at least one on every trip. I got more than I asked for this time. Although I like them but never knew what the hell are their genus or species cause I'm no expert. I just like them cause they are so cute and laid-back. Correct me if I'm wrong with their names.

Phyllidiella sp.

Jorunna funebris feeding on its favourite food - blue sponge! Who like blue sponge cakes?

Looks like another Phyllidiella sp.

Egg mass of nudis

Another different egg mass

Discodoris boholiensis

And here are some flatworms, which I also don't know their names... Anyone??




Along the way, I just happen to be thinking, "Will I spot a blue-spotted fantail ray?".

Waa Laa!


Synaptic sea cucumber and...



More sea cucumbers that I cannot ID..


Squid


Octopus and including...


A mating pair. If I'm not wrong, males have a modified tentacle that is the 'you know what'. Notice one of the tentacles stretching over to the female - procreation in the process.


As corrected by Ria (Thanks!), this is actually a peacock anemone. I've seen many but a first for a translucent one. Also my lack of observation skills, hence my mistaken identity as a fanworm. Quoted from Ria, "You should see one outer ring of very long tentacles, and one inner ring of very short tentacles (about 1cm long). This animal is very shy and will retract immediately when flashed. It is usually only seen after dark. I have seen this on many of our coral rubble areas in both the northern and southern shores."


Last but not the least - The magnificent sea anemone Heteractis magnifica.

By the time we ended the trip, it was pitch dark and torches were all on. We crept slowly in the dark, pass the seagrass lagoon and mosquito infested forest, on the mini-bus and boat and eventually back on mainland. Hungry as hell, off we went to Lau Pa Sat to fill our empty stomachs before heading home for a good rest.