New Year, New Shore

1 January 2010 - Happy New Year everyone! Our first destination for 2010 is Beting Bemban Besar, a patch reef off Pulau Semakau that is only exposed during low tide. This is my first visit to the shore and I can't wait to check out what marine life abounds!

And here we go, setting off in high spirits in the trusty little rubber dinghy.

Making our way towards drier ground...

for our group photo and a toast to a wonderful 2010!

Just as we completed this, the rain clouds closed in on us and it began raining cats and dogs. Bearing the hope that the rain might stop soon, we put on our rain gear and continued with our exploration.

But alas, the strong wind and rain just went on and on, and most of us had to keep our cameras. It's a good thing that some of us had underwater cameras and were able to capture some of the creatures we came across.

Here are some of the creatures I saw:
(all photos courtesy of Kok Sheng)

Knobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus). The only one I came across today...

Bohol Nudibranch (Discodoris boholiensis). A first sighting for me... This poor fella seemed to have a bit of its body chewed off...

and a really cute juvenile Polka-dot Nudibranch (Jorunna funebris) which Kok Sheng found under a rock.

Ok, these are the few "mobile" creatures I saw on this trip. There were many types of hard and soft corals on the shore too. Do check out Kok Sheng's and Ria's blog to read about their interesting finds.

Seeing was difficult in the relentless rain and strong wind. The raindrops and wind made ripples on the water and half the time, we couldn't see clearly what we were stepping on. It didn't help that many parts of the shore are covered with seaweed too - there's no telling what dangerous creature lurks beneath them.

Unfortunately, despite everyone exercising all caution, Ivan had the misfortune to step on a stonefish and had to be evacuated to the hospital. The pain got worse as we made our way back to mainland Singapore and his foot swelled up considerably. He described the pain as sharp and stabbing, and it spread from his foot to his ankle, calf, and knee as the venom worked its way round his system.

The first aid treatment for stonefish stings is to soak the affected limb in hot water. This is because heat denatures the proteins that make up the toxins in the venom and helps to alleviate the pain. However, medical aid must be sought as soon as possible as stonefish venom can be fatal to humans.

Oh boy, what a dramatic start to the new year, and also a reminder just how dangerous our shores can be. Am glad that Ivan is now better and hope he recovers soon to join us on more adventures. Get well soon, Ivan!