While the team headed straight out to find marine critters, I was mesmerised by the starry night sky above me. Jupiter, Venus, and the stars of Orion, Gemini, Canis Major, and many other constellations twinkled brilliantly in the clear dark sky. This was definitely one of the best night skies I've seen in Singapore for a long, long time. Even Orion Nebula and the Plaeides star cluster could be easily seen!
However, time on the shore is short and precious. I had to, most unwillingly, tear my eyes away from the breathtaking night sky to catch up with the team who were oohing and aahing over....
a Fluted Giant Clam! This is only my second time seeing it, the first being at Big Sister's Island in May. The Fluted Giant Clam is listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore.
Also spotted was this huge Snaky Anemone. It's about 20 cm in diameter!
And here's a first for me... a Pygmy Squid! This little guy (about 1 cm) is really difficult to photograph! It simply refused to keep still! =)
Also spotted were some marine spiders. This is the first time that I managed to capture it on film. Most times, they are too fast to be photographed! 
And like most shores in Singapore, many gobies could be seen darting about as we approached...
This is the find that made my day... a Five-Spot Anemone Shrimp! Though not uncommon, this is a first sighting for me. These shrimps are often seen in Giant Carpet Anemones, Haddon's Carpet Anemones and Magnificent Anemones on many of our shores. This fella was spotted on a Haddon's Carpet Anemone.
Here's a closer look at the shrimp. These shrimps are about 2 cm to 3 cm in size, and are largely transparent, so it does take a keen eye (and patience) to spot them among the anemones!
And here's another interesting find of the day. A baby False Clown Anemonefish! Ria spotted this baby with two adults hiding among the tentacles of a Giant Carpet Anemone.
Unfortunately, the two adults were too shy to be photographed. I had a trying time pushing my camera to its limits to photograph this very tiny (about 1 cm) fish! Do check out Ria's blog for some great photos of the two adults!
Another first sighting for me - a Copperband Butterflyfish! This beautiful fish has a false eye on the dorsal fin to distract potential predators. Well, I guess this defense mechanism works - I got conned a few times when trying to photograph this fish! =P 
Also spotted for the first time is this Arabian Cowrie. Due to habitat loss and overcollection, this beautiful snail is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore.
This is a Black Long Sea Cucumber. These sea cucumbers are usually found under large boulders or rocks, so I was pretty surprised to find this fella out in the open. 
A closer look at its feeding tentacles...
The team was briefly distracted by this beautiful sunrise over Big Sister's Island midway into our trip. 
Frilly Anemones - the main lead of the day! (We were helping Ivan-the-younger, who is studying the anemones for his Final Year Project, to spot them.)
Many Feather Stars of different colours were spotted at a particularly rich reef area. This black feather star is one of them. 
However, red feather stars seemed to be the most common... We spotted at least 6 of them concentrated in one area! Kok Sheng also found one that is black with bluish-green patterns, while Ivan spotted another one that is beige with reddish-brown patterns! The reef area is covered with beautiful corals and sponges of all shapes and colours and seems perfect for snorkelling. However, it will be foolhardy to do so. The currents at Sisters Island are treacherous! I nearly took a dip in the sea when I lost my balance at the reef edge! Good thing Kok Sheng was nearby to catch hold of me! Do check out his blog for photos of the colourful corals and sponges.
While waiting for the boat to arrive to take us back to mainland Singapore, we decided to check out the sandy lagoon again. This is a Peachia Anemone. 
We spotted a colony of Common Sea Stars too... Unfortunately, these common sea stars are no longer common. Due to habitat loss and overcollection, they are now listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened animals in Singapore. 
As Ria always reminded - "The Sisters' Islands are home to many Long-tailed Macaques. Don't leave your bags unattended unless you want the monkeys to distribute the contents all over the place!"True enough, we saw a troop of monkeys over at Big Sister's Island.
Soon it's time for us to leave this beautiful island. Here's a shot of the jetty, while we wait for the boat to take us back to mainland Singapore.
Goodbye Small Sister's Island! Till we visit again! My maiden visit to the Small Sister's has been pretty eye-opening with quite a number of new sightings. The weather was pleasant and the clear blue sky made for picture-perfect photos! What more can I ask for? Today's trip is also one of the last few pre-dawn intertidal trips for the year. We'll be exploring the shores in the evening from September onwards!
