Only Underwater @ Pulau Hantu.....

Was supposed to go for an intertidal trip at Pulau Hantu yesterday predawn. However, I overslept and missed it! :o( I was so deep into sleep that even 2 alarm clocks could not wake me up! Guess only Mother can wake me up; Mother Nature that is.....as I was woken up by the rumbling thunders of yesterday's storm. So.....I had missed out the wonderful sightings of critters that the rest seen on the trips. See their sightings here, here and here.

Nonetheless, I still get to visit Pulau Hantu yesterday morning! How? Hee.....I was there for ReefFriends reef survey. My initial plan was to go for the intertidal and then back for the diving. Anyway, we did the fringing reef in March and this time round we were surveying the patch reef.

I was assigned to do the Deep Line-intersect transect to record the benthic stuffs. The vis was about 2-3m and there were only slight currents. First dive was to lay the transect tapes and record Transect 5. And second dive was to record Transect 1 to 4 and roll back the tapes.

Managed to get some pics of critters and of course, Hard corals that I am confused with their IDs. Would appreciate for any help and correction in their IDs!

Critters that I came across;




Couple of Flatworms!

Commonly seen Nudibranch like


the Phyllid nudibranch (Phyllidia sp.)


and the Blue Dragon Nudibranch (Pteraeolidia ianthina)


There was also a Sap-sucking Sea Slug which could be a Thuridilla gracilis.


A few of the Icon Seastars were also seen along the transect tapes.


And a Synaptid Sea Cucumber feeding away.


A Long-spined Black Sea urchin was seen at the shallow end when I was surfacing after finishing Transect 5.


Some Soft corals and I came across one which was bleaching.

And now the confusing Hard corals;


Think this is a Tripped Bubble coral (Physogyra sp.).


Is this a Lobed brain coral (Lobophyllia sp.)?


I think this looks like a Hedgehog coral (Echinopora sp.).


This could be a Encrusting disk coral (Turbinaria sp.).

and these corals which I absolutely have no idea.....






Please kindly shed some lights! :o)


Also came across some overturned corals along the transect tapes.


Sigh.....and some hard corals are also bleaching too. Like this Carnation coral (Pectinia sp.).

And so we have finished doing the reef surveys at Pulau Hantu for this year. But there are still 7 sites left to do at other Southern islands for the rest of 2009.