Patch Reef Hopping.....

We went patch reef hopping yesterday!

Our initial plan was to search Giant Clam on Terumbu Bemban only. But turned out that ML needs to check out the other Giant Clams that were tagged in the nearby patch reefs, and since it was a long low tide, we decided to visit two patch reefs instead of one! Whereas for ML, she did four patch reefs!

First time visiting Terumbu Bemban. It's a patch reef next to Beting Bemban Besar off Pulau Semakau. Upon landing, we did a quick check on the corals. Sigh....most of them were bleaching. Both hard corals.....





and soft corals!


Some soft corals are dying and starting to rot!



Fortunately, there are still some tough ones doing fine!

And another quick look at some marine creatures on Terumbu Bemban;


Flatworm!


A little cute Floral Egg Crab! It is one of the highly poisonous crab around!


A Stonefish Sea Cucumber! It looks like a smooth stone when disturbed by bloating up into a rounded, smooth shape.


Among the Hairy green seaweeds was this tiny Pipefish!



Nudibranch! The top is a Lined Chromodoris Nudibranch (Chromodoris lineolata) and the bottom one is the Polka-dot Nudibranch (Jorunna funebris) that seem to be in season.

And soon, ML had finished her works at the other two nearby patch reefs and we made our way to Terumbu Semakau. This patch reef is just off the north side of Semakau Landfill.


And yes, corals were bleaching too.


So are the Bubble Tip Anemones! Here's one with a Tomato Anemonefish!


And in the Giant Carpet Anemone was this False Clown Anemonefish!


Near some piles of pillar was this Leathery Anemone.


As well as a pair of Tiger tail Seahorses! Here's one of them and it has Blue eyes!


Likely a Dragonfish Sea Cucumber.


James spotted this Furry Sea Hare (Stylocheilus sp.).