Ubin rocks still alive

A small team surveys the living rocks and seagrass meadows next to Ubin Jetty. 

We started at Thomson's Rock which was sparsely 'painted' with colourful encrusting animals. And ended up at the shore opposite the old Civil Service Chalets, where the sea fans were much reduced. The rest of the team make all the special finds: flatworms of all kinds, lots of crabs.

Other shore surveys in Jun 2026

Rui Quan Oh covered the most ground in the month, checking up on Admiralty, Sungei Buloh, Pasir Ris, Marina East and together with Zen Xuan He, Pulau Ubin. They see all the amazing wildlife that regular shore survey team miss. From owls to mousedeer, snakes and skinks, frogs and weird and beautiful insects. And extortionate cats attempting to intimidate snacks out of innocent passersby.

The rest of the team cover Changi and East Coast PCN. 

Other intertidal surveys in Feb 2026

Between the low spring tides, the intrepid Rui Quan Oh relentlessly checked out more shores! As usual, I learn a lot about crabs, and also the pretty insects and spiders of our mangroves. So glad to know cute fiddlers and awesome Blue-spotted mudskippers still abound on Pulau Ubin. 

Collage of photos by Rui Quan Oh

Rui Quan checked out Sentosa, Coney Island, Admiralty Park. And also Ubin together with Zen Xuan He. Thanks also to Dr Clarence Sim for inviting Rui Quan to help in his intertidal work at Pulau Semakau.

Ubin rocks are still alive!

Next to Pulau Ubin jetty there are living rocks and seagrass meadows. We started at Thomson's Rock and was rather disappointed that it was rather bare of sponges, and the sea fans around it were mostly half dead. This is similar to our last survey here in Jul 2024.

Could the huge fish farm located just off the shore have something to do with this? The oil leak from Langsat, Johor about 2 months ago probably didn't help - Changi and other shores in the East Johor Straits were impacted. Fortunately, sea fans and sponges were doing much better closer to the jetty. And we didn't see any coral bleaching. 

Ubin living rocky shores with some bleaching

There are living rocky shores next to Pulau Ubin jetty. We started at Thomson's rock and was rather disappointed that it was rather bare of sponges, and the sea fans around it were mostly half dead.

Could the huge fish farm located just off the shore (dark blob on the right) have something to do with this? Fortunately, sea fans were doing much better closer to the jetty. Sadly, we saw coral bleaching.

Living rocky shore at Pulau Ubin

There are living rocky shores next to Pulau Ubin jetty. Today, we saw seafans, colourful sponges and other marine life here. But I sense, much fewer than on Changi shores nearby. 

Seagrasses still grow lush here, but I didn't see as many animals as I did at Changi. Could the huge fish farm located just off the shore have something to do with this?

Rainbow Rocks at Pulau Ubin!

Under a rainbow on a drizzly morning we surveyed a rainbow of creatures on the rocks!

The rocks are still very much alive with colourful sponges and other critters. And there are also lush seagrasses here.

Corallimorph Hunt Day 1: Pulau Ubin

Day 1 on the hunt for corallimorphs! A soggy survey at Pulau Ubin's awesome living rocky shores in the rain.

I'm so glad Ren Min is taking up the challenge of working on the corallimorphs of Singapore.

Living rocky shores of Pulau Ubin

We return to an underwater garden at Pulau Ubin on a rare daylight low tide.

It was a delight of seafans, sponges, soft corals and more!

Return of underwater garden at Pulau Ubin

The colourful underwater gardens on Pulau Ubin have returned!

Missing since 2015, it was a relief to see sea fans, feather stars and other colourful marine life on our favourite Ubin rocky shore.

Missing sponge gardens at Pulau Ubin

Besides Chek Jawa, there are other Ubin shores that are just as beautiful. A small team explored one such shore this morning well before dawn.

Alas, the sponges and other colourful marine life we saw on the rocks in the past are missing. We saw a similar decline recently at Chek Jawa and Pulau Sekudu, as well as Changi opposite.

Nudilicious at Ubin

We found five different kinds of nudirbanchs on a rocky shore at Pulau Ubin that we visit too rarely.

This pretty Hypselodoris nudibranch with pink gills (Hypselodoris sp.) seems seasonally common on Northern shores like Changi.

Pulau Ubin's other special shores

Aside from Chek Jawa, there's amazing marine life on other parts of Pulau Ubin too!
Yesterday, a small team head out to check it out. It's been a year since Kok Sheng arranged for us to visit this shore. Is it still alright?

An underwater garden at Pulau Ubin

Chek Jawa is not the only living shore on Pulau Ubin!
This morning, we returned to the shore which we visited last year at Kok Sheng's suggestion. It was quite nice today!

Exploring Ubin's other shores: reefy parts

There are some parts of Pulau Ubin that are quite reefy!
In deeper waters, the rocks and hard surfaces bristle with all kinds of encrusting marinelife.