Operation Seahorse @ Sudong Wreck

Sunday, 30 July 2006

Finally got to dive the infamous wreck in the southern islands since the last unsuccessful attempt at this site. Initially, our spirits were super drenched to the core along with the weather. Judging from the initial conditions, we( especially Hanyong, Kat, Issac and I) thought it's going to be another wretched dive at the wreck. Huge nimbus storm clouds darkened the skies, spewed rain over the horizon and encouraged strong, chilling gale to churn the seas in an upheaval of unrest. I sent my prayers for a better experience this time and the heavens miraculously answered them. As soon as we reached the mooring buoy marking the wreck, the sun tore apart the clouds to send us its warmest smile, taming the waters into a state of tranquil.

Juvenile Golden Travelly darting around its temporary sargassum home

Issac and I were the 1st buddy pair onboard Southern Comfort to enter the water. We waited for Debby and Lee wen at the buoy. We descended along the mooring line. Just a few meters below the surface, Debby and I found this cute juvenile Golden Travelly seeking shelter at a patch of sargassum growing along the line. To my delight, just when we hit the wreck of the steel barge at about 6m, I chanced upon a colourful Siboga Cuthona -- a Nudibranch of the family Tergipedidae that feeds on Hydroids. The wreck was overgrown with soft sponges, colourful seafans, seagrasses and other corals. The sandy bottom of the wreck at about 10-15m was full of sea whips, hydroidsss(ouch!! got stung all over my knees), criniods and Iconaster Seastar. It is interesting to see the prolific marine life thriving on and around the wreck. The wreck of the steel barge is full of holes on its side and there are alot of sharp metal pipes and rusty wires around her Bow. The holes bored into her provided good refuge for fishes like an Angel fish and catfish that Issac saw. We were instructed not to penetrate the wreck as it is too dangerous. The water was calm with little or no current and visibility was around 3 to 4m. We also saw a Blue-spotted stingray, white juvenile blue dragon and a humongous polyclad Flatworm.

Enormous Spotted Black Flatworm (Acanthozoon sp.)

Left:.........Grrrrrr.......an angry and disturbed Blue-spotted Fantail Stingray, Taeniura lymma was peering out of its den to check out the intruders....
Right:Iconaster longimanus is a seastar found commonly in Singapore waters but rare anywhere else in the world.

We sun-tanned, relaxed with a cup of milo and shared our experience during the surface interval. Debby came face off with a school of yellowtail Barracudas literally and Kat spotted a tiny winny shrimp. The thing that got all of us excited was Ivy's experience with a Seahorse!

A pair of Cuthona sibogae feeding on a Hydroid

So it was Operation Seahorse for the second dive. We descended along the line again and yes the GT was still there at its seagrass home. Issac and I deviated from Debby and Lee wen from the start. It was getting a bit darker and my damn torch died on me again.... There was no luck finding the seahorse and I could find nothing due to my mask's repeated fogging. Saw the enormous Flatworm again(can't possibly miss that) and only managed to find a pair of Black margined Glossodoris when we strayed out from the wreck along bottom. It seemed Lady Luck favoured all except Issac and I 'cos ALL of them saw the Tigertail Seahorse. Debby even got a video of it! Heard Hanyong and company were hogging the little guy's attention for a good 20-30 mins such that Debby and Lee wen have to queue in the line for pictures. The seahorse was definitely a star for the day!

Macro shot of the Glossodoris atromarginata

There were 2 of these Black-margined Glossodoris

Sunset over Pulau Sudong

Leaving the wreck for another day... Port Beacon marking Sudong Wreck with Pulau Salu in a distance

See Debby's Hantu Bloggers Site for her Video on the Tigertail Seahorse here

Here's a few pictures of the Tigertail Seahorse(Hippocampus comes) taken by Hanyong:


....and by Ivy.....