Pulau Jong is alive!

A large team survey this untouched island, landing at sunrise. Corals seem to be okay, we didn't see any mass coral bleaching.

The tide window was narrow but the team managed to find many Giant clams and other amazing colourful marine life. I will update with their observations later.

Pulau Jong quickly

We survey this untouched island, landing at first light of the sun and last light of the full moon. Pulau Jong is very much alive, even though it lies near petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom, the Landfill and major shipping lanes. 

This is our first survey after mass coral bleaching last year. I am relieved to see the coral situation seems as usual. The rest of the team also find Giant clams, Cushion star, nudibranchs and other colourful marine life. But our survey was cut short by heavy rain!

Pulau Jong still alive!

We survey this untouched island just half an hour away from the city. Although it lies near petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom, the Landfill and major shipping lanes, Pulau Jong is still very much alive.

We find Giant clams and other colourful reef life. I checked for mass coral bleaching. Although I saw signs of stress, I estimate only about 2% of corals hard and soft were outright bleaching.

Four-clam day at Pulau Jong

Kelvin Yong's stunning drone footage illustrates the beauty of our last unspoilt island. This is what our Southern Islands looked like before they were reclaimed. 

Dubbed the 'char siew pau' island because of its cute dumpling shape, Pulau Jong has a huge reef flat that is exposed at low spring tide. This reef flat together with the domed island is said to resemble the silhouette of a Chinese sailing junk, thus 'Jong'. Although it lies near petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom, the Landfill and major shipping lanes, the island is still very much alive.

Three-clam day at Pulau Jong

Pulau Jong is among the last untouched islands in Singapore. It has not been reclaimed or directly impacted by development. Pulau Jong is what all our Southern islands looked like before they were reclaimed.

We often see many Giant clams on this island and today we saw three!

Two-clam day at Pulau Jong, no mass coral bleaching

Pulau Jong is among the last untouched islands in Singapore. It has not been reclaimed or directly impacted by development. Pulau Jong is what all our Southern islands looked like before they were reclaimed.

We often see many Giant clams on this island and today we saw two! We also check for and are glad that there is no mass coral bleaching on this shore today.

Three-Clam day at Pulau Jong!

We saw three Fluted giant clams today at Pulau Jong! Pulau Jong is among the last untouched islands in Singapore. It has not been reclaimed or directly impacted by development. Pulau Jong is what all our Southern islands looked like before they were reclaimed.

We also enjoyed a glorious sunrise! I was busy working with Jeanette and her film crew, so I didn't take much photos. Thanks to the rest of the team for finding the clams and other cool critters.

Our Crazy Rich Shores: Pulau Jong

Pulau Jong is among our last untouched islands; it has not been reclaimed or developed. This is what our Southern Islands used to look like.

As part of the cluster around Pulau Semakau, Pulau Jong has been recommended by the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 for Immediate Conservation Priority.

The other side of Pulau Jong

We arrived before sunrise, with huge ships passing along the Jong Fairway next to the island. Vessels going to and from Pulau Bukom, Pasir Panjang Container Terminals and even Jurong Island must use this Fairway.

For the first time, I explored a different part of Pulau Jong today. I discovered it had lots of rock pools with interesting marine life in them. I also had a closer look at the rocky cliffs and coastal forest of this last unspoilt island of Singapore.

RIP Mama Jong

It was sad to discover that the Fluted giant clam at Pulau Jong was dead when we did our annual survey this morning.

But otherwise, the shore seemed fine. With a sprinkling of hard corals on the rocky shore, lots of large leathery soft corals and other amazing marine life.

Pulau Jong is alive!

Pulau Jong is among the last untouched islands in Singapore. It has not been reclaimed or directly impacted by development. Pulau Jong is what all our Southern islands looked like before they were reclaimed.

Dubbed the 'char siew pau' island because of its cute dumpling shape, Pulau Jong has a huge reef flat that is exposed at low spring tide. This reef flat together with the domed island is said to resemble the silhouette of a Chinese sailing junk, thus 'Jong'. Our last survey was in Jun 2016 at the height of mass coral bleaching. It was relief today, to see no mass bleaching. Although there appears to be fewer hard corals on the intertidal now.

Mass coral bleaching on Pulau Jong

Mass coral bleaching is happening on Pulau Jong, but not as badly as at some of the shores we recently surveyed the last few days.

About 30-40% of the hard corals and soft corals that I saw on Pulau Jong were bleaching today. As we were arriving I saw many corals in deeper waters bleaching. I also sense that there are much fewer leathery soft corals on the shore than before.

Checking up on Giant clams at Pulau Jong

Back on Pulau Jong with the Clam Team of Dr Neo Mei Lin and Ambert Ang to check on Giant clams here. Thanks for letting us come along!

Pulau Jong is among our last untouched islands. This is what our Southern islands looked like before they were reclaimed. For example, the Sisters Islands, Pulau Hantu, St. John's Island and more.

Container ship runs aground near Pulau Sebarok on 14 Oct 2014

On 14 Oct 2014, a container ship Hyundai Jakarta ran aground near Pulau Sebarok.

Photo from Stomp.

This was reported on Stomp by 'psion'.

Checking up on Pulau Jong

Pulau Jong is among the last untouched islands in Singapore. This is what our other recreational Southern Islands looked like before they were reclaimed and developed, e.g., Sisters Islands, Kusu Island, St John's Island, Lazaru Island and Pulau Hantu.

As usual, we do a check for coral bleaching and other threats. Joining us were Simon and Stephen of Travelled Paths who droned the island too!

10 Feb 2014: Another oil spill near Sisters Islands

At about 4pm this afternoon, MPA reported that a containership and chemical tanker collided off Sebarok Island. The containership's bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in spillage of some 80 metric tonnes of bunker fuel.

This comes just a little more than a week after two oil spills totalling 680 metric tonnes of fuel oil around the same vicinity.

Southern shores in the Draft Master Plan 2013

The main changes to the Southern Island in the Plan include plans to build create a freshwater reservoir next to Pulau Brani and a new waterfront park at Keppel Island.

The original natural part of Pulau Semakau is now marked green in the Parks and Waterbodies Plan 2013 overlay. Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be much changes in the status of the Southern Islands and Western Islands.

Triple Terumbus for Giant Clams

This morning, I joined Mei Lin and her team of Clam Hunters to visit three submerged reefs! Our first stop, the beautiful submerged reef of Terumbu Raya, which lies just across from Pulau Semakau.

We found Giant clams! And also encountered sharks! Saw a sea turtle and sea snake too.

Jong Surprises

We enjoyed a glorious sunrise on our trip to Pulau Jong! And also came across some interesting animals.

It's the last of our recces to prepare for the Mega Marine Survey's  upcoming Southern Expedition in May.

Dredging off Cyrene Reef and other Southern coastal works

There'll be dredging next to Cyrene until April. As well as dredging and other massive works next to Pulau Jong and Terumbu Semakau for works on the Shell pipeline for crude oil to Pulau Bukom.

Dredging next to Cyrene in Jul 2011.

Meanwhile, huge on-going reclamation continues: next to Labrador for the new Pasir Panjang Container Terminal continues, with more dredging; and at Tuas.