A saltwater lake at the Southern Islands?

Here's some recent info and comments in the print media about our Southern islands ...

Lianhe Zaobao 14 Aug 08
translation from the colourful clouds blog

Extracts:

"我国南部岛屿四周海域日后可能建造巨型的人工咸水湖？
(Man-made seawater lake/lagoon may be constructed in waters around the southern islands?)

刚于上个月底卸下圣淘沙南部岛屿发展计划执行董事职务的李张秀虹，昨天接受本报专访时说，一旦这个人工咸水湖的构思得以落实，相信将能为南部岛屿注入独特风情，日后政府出售地段发展旅游胜地时，预料将能卖得更好的价钱。
("If the idea of the man-made seawater lake/lagoon can be implemented, it will inject a unique style to the southern islands. In addition, it may help fetch a better price if the Government sells the lots for tourism development in the future." Said Mrs Pamelia Lee, ex-managing director of Sentosa and southern island development project, in an interview with Zaobao.)

打从80年代就接手南部岛屿发展计划的李张秀虹（66岁）透露，她已征询过专业顾问的意见，在南部岛屿周围海域筑起堤围来形成一个巨大的咸水湖，技术上应该没有问题。
(Mrs Lee, who has been handling the southern island development project since the 80's said that she had consulted the views of professional consultants regarding the building of embankment to form a huge lake/lagoon. And technically speaking, it should not be a problem.)

这么一来，游人便可在被蔚蓝海洋包围着的湖水中，更安全地尽情享受各种水上活动，甚至可在湖畔建造诗情画意的船屋（Houseboat）。
(If such is a case, tourists will be able to enjoy various water sports activities surrounded in blue water safely. Picturesque Houseboats can also be built within the lake/lagoon.)
　　
她说：“如果建有咸水湖，岛上就能提供更多空间让游人划船和进行水上运动，也能建造船屋等。目前世界上有不少度假胜地设有咸水湖和船屋，但它们的规模和特色同我的概念不一样。”
(She said that the islands will be able to provide more space for tourists to do boating/other water sports as well as constructing houseboats if the lake/lagoon is built. She also mentioned that the lake and houseboats that she has in mind are very different from those currently found in other resorts in some parts of the world.)

据知，有关计划还需通过海事及港务管理局(MPA)的批准才能落实。
(It is understood that the plan needs the approval by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore(MPA) in order for it be able to implement.)

Keep southern islands' natural and spiritual wealth
Letter from Malcolm Tan, Straits Times Forum 14 Aug 08;
also on the wildsingapore news blog

I REFER to yesterday's article, 'Southern islands at crossroads'. I read with alarm that the departure of Mrs Pamelia Lee as managing director of Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG) may jeopardise the eco-paradise potential of the southern islands. It is indeed sad to learn that Mrs Lee seems to be the 'lone voice' in SLG, fighting for the preservation of the natural heritage of the southern islands.

I have stayed on St John's Island and crossed to Lazarus Island many times, and my photos attest to the fact that the two islands have much natural and spiritual wealth to offer Singaporeans and foreigners that cannot be found elsewhere on the mainland. Amid our hectic urban schedules, my friends and I have always found our spiritual refuge on the two islands with their many naturally therapeutic highlights.

The seas around the two islands are amazingly clear at certain times of the year and support much marine fauna and flora that are rare on the mainland. Many of these can be seen clearly on an especially low tide. One of our last stretches of natural coastal rocky shores in Singapore is also found here, with plenty of intact seashells lying buried in the soft sand. There is even a stretch of naturally soft sand bar on Lazarus Island, where one can walk to an outlying rock without getting completely submerged, even at high tide.

Moreover, nowhere else in Singapore can one see as many as 18 Brahminy Kites soaring gracefully in the air, spotting for prey and even occasionally diving down to the sea to take fish out with a quick and well-timed swoop. Add to these, the spectacular 'red ball' sunset over the open sea and the occasional sighting of pink dolphins in the water and one can understand why these islands are so magical.

The many Singaporeans and foreigners I met on the islands all agreed the authorities should preserve them in their natural state for posterity. It would be sad indeed if these islands are converted into another casino or another rich man's exclusive playground. That would be the sad day when most ordinary Singaporeans like me cannot claim the southern islands are part of our homeland as we have no access to their natural beauty. When that happens, the authorities should not be surprised if some of us choose to seek 'greener pastures' elsewhere. For we would then have truly seen that this country is an elitist one, where only dollars and cents matter, despite all the recent hype about the importance of work-life balance, nature conservation and eco-tourism.

[update: Sentosa announces new shore attractions in 2009 and new master plan by end of the year. More on the wild shores of singapore blog]

Fate of the Southern Islands

Today's article about the fate of the Southern Islands suggested a review of plans and developments on Kusu, St John's, the Sisters Islands, Kias, Lazarus and Seringat ...

Southern islands at crossroads
Fate of eco-paradise in the balance after fervent champion's departure
Serene Goh, Straits Times 13 Aug 08;

THE vision of the southern islands as an eco-paradise hangs in the balance with the departure of their champion, Mrs Pamelia Lee.

Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG) announced last week that Mrs Lee would be 'stepping aside' as managing director of the six-island cluster after 17 years on the project.

Her last day was July 31. The group's management has yet to announce a successor, or if there would even be one.

Pundits and eco-enthusiasts have raised concerns about whether the next head will share Mrs Lee's passion for nature conservation.

Last year, The Straits Times reported rumours in the tourism industry of a possible third casino to be housed on the islands - Kusu, St John's, the Sisters Islands, Kias, Lazarus and Seringat - perhaps by 2016.

It was a move Mrs Lee opposed. She felt the unspoilt nature of the islands could be preserved while generating revenue through eco-getaways or boutique residences.

When asked, the 66-year-old tourism veteran shied from hints that a difference of opinion had led to her parting ways with the group.

SLG also declined to comment on this at its low-key farewell for Mrs Lee, and remained tight-lipped about plans for the Southern Islands.

It would only say: 'There is no change to how the development is being handled and we will provide an update at an appropriate time.'

Mrs Lee had led efforts to lay the islands' basic infrastructure for development, including reclamation works, island links as well as the construction of a submarine trench for power cables, all completed in 2006.

She told The Straits Times in an interview yesterday that she had hoped to place the project, finally, in the 'gentle hands' of a developer who would undertake construction that would 'fit, not fight' the green environment there, a counterpoint to Sentosa's playground for the masses.

New inhabitants might be happy to walk, ride bicycles and dwell in houses 'no taller than coconut trees', she said, 'or stop and watch a sunset or a hermit crab running on the sand'.

In December 2006, investors voiced concerns that it would be complicated to maintain the islands' pristine environments while generating maximum yields, Mrs Lee said then.

Then in April last year, the Southern Islands' development was put on ice, with little explanation from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The temples on Kusu and St John's swimming lagoons and trekking routes were left as existing attractions.

More than a year later, this delay has become the reason for Mrs Lee's departure.

With the islands' infrastructure completed, her work is done. Further developments of the islands can proceed only in tandem with a concrete plan from a developer.

The fate of the Southern Islands lies in the hands of SLG's new CEO Mike Barclay (Sentosa press release about Mike Barclay, PDF file). He takes over on Aug 25.

What were the developments to these southern islands?

Kias and Seringat used to be submerged reefs like Cyrene Reefs.

from the Southern Islands Development Guide Plan (DGP) 1996

These submerged reefs were buried and reclaimed to form Kias-Seringat through reclamation completed in 2000.Lazarus Island was connected to St. John's island by a causeway.

In 2000, the plan was to offer visitors a Mediterranean resort-like setting only 17 minutes away by ferry, patterned after Italy's renowned vacation spot, Capri. Details later revealed included plans for a five-star 290-room hilltop hotel, a three-star 170-room beachfront hotel, 70 waterfront homes and 1,700 units of housing. (from Various plans for Southern Islands, by Teh Jen Lee, The New Paper, 31 Mar 04)

When plans for the Integrated Resort on Sentosa was announced in 2004, "an MTI spokesman said these plans for the Southern Islands will be 'reviewed'". At that time, there was even talk of a road from Sentosa to the islands, or a causeway, like the one linking the mainland and Jurong Island. (from Road to link Sentosa to St. John's Island? by Teh Jen Lee, The New Paper, 31 Mar 04)

In 2004 it was announced: "Soon you may be able to sun-tan on a pristine new beach a short ferry ride away. Given that trash is often found on mainland beaches, you'll be glad to know that an 800-metre long beach on Pulau Seringat in the southern islands is almost complete." (Our newest man-made beach, by Teh Jen Lee The New Paper, 24 Sep 04)

Thousands of cubic metres of sand were imported from Indonesia to make the beach. The sand was checked for sandfly eggs so that visitors will be spared the insect's bites, which can be itchy. Another $120 million was spent to bring water, electricity, gas and telecommunication infrastructure from Sentosa to the islands. (from The newly redeveloped St John's and Lazarus islands have beautiful beaches and sparkling waters, by Teh Jen Lee The New Paper 2 Dec 06)

In 2006, massive landscaping was reported of the 1km reclaimed beach on Lazarus to simulate a natural environment so that it would look 'natural and wild'. 5,000 lorry-loads of soil measuring two storeys high when piled up were brought in by barges, an entire coconut plantation in Malaysia was bought, about 1, 000 trees was trucked and shipped to the island. To meet the 36 cubic metres of water needed every day to keep the plants growing, a 400-sq-m-wide pond was created to collect rainwater and ground water tapped. This was part of the $60 million worth of reclamation and infrastructure work on the southern islands of Pulau Seringat, Kias, St John's, Lazarus, Kusu and Sisters' islands. (from Lazarus beach makeover wins firm top landscaping award, by Tan Hui Yee The Straits Times 13 Dec 06)

In Dec 06, it was announced that Singapore Tourism Board (STB) may launch a request for concepts, possibly in the first quarter of 2007. One idea is to develop the islands into a 'premium resort', a getaway for the rich. Other ideas include eco-tourism and cultural tourism, and even possibly a third casino in Singapore, although it is not known if STB would consider offering a casino licence to any developer of the islands. (from The newly redeveloped St John's and Lazarus islands have beautiful beaches and sparkling waters, by Teh Jen Lee The New Paper 2 Dec 06)

More media articles

Investor feedback to plans for Southern Islands, Dec 06

• No new plans for Kusu temple despite resort move
  Ansley Ng, Today Online 1 Dec 06
• All powered up and ready for offers, Infrastructure in place, time is right to attract investors, Serene Goh, The Straits Times 1 Dec 06
• Targetting nature lovers and the well-heeled, The Straits Times 1 Dec 06
• Investors give positive feedback to the Southern Islands' development, May Wong, Channel NewsAsia 30 Nov 06

Playground of the rich, Nov 06

• Southern Islands may be next big tourist attraction, One plan being considered: Make them a getaway for the rich, Krist Boo, The Straits Times 29 Nov 06
• STB plans to develop Southern Islands into tourist attraction, Jeana Wong Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 06
• Kusu: Playground of the rich? Tourism Board looks into ideas to develop S'pore's six southern islands to attract the super-rich, Ansley Ng, Today Online 29 Nov 06
• Southern Islands could be premium resort: STB, Super-exclusive haven for billionaires, location for third casino are some possibilities, Arthur Sim, The Business Times (Singapore) 29 Nov 06

Third casino? Jan 07

• Asia's mini-Monaco by 2015? STB to put out feelers for interest in developing the Southern Islands into an exclusive yet accessible resort, third IR unlikely, Tor Ching Li, Today Online 19 Jan 07
• Southern Islands home to third IR? Smaller, more luxurious resort will feature F&B, spa, health and beauty facilities
• By Arthur Sim, Business Times Singapore 18 Jan 07

[update: Sentosa announces new shore attractions in 2009 and new master plan by end of the year. More on the wild shores of singapore blog]

Living Reefs of St. John's Island

4am and we're off to St. John's Island! This well developed island still has some narrow natural reefs with a variety of hard corals. It's great to visit a reef at night as the animals seem more lively then.Hard corals are actually colonial animals, each colony made up of many individual polyps. At night, many hard coral polyps are fully extended, showing their beautiful tentacles.Here's a closer look at one of the polyps in this hard coral colony. Each polyp in a hard coral produces a hard skeleton. The different shapes and arrangement of these tiny skeletons produce the delightful patterns of hard corals.

Here's some of the kinds of hard corals we saw today.

Disk corals (Turbinaria sp.) are quite regularly encountered on our reefs. The colony is plate-like and generally forms disks.This particular kind of Turbinaria has large polyps with many long tentacles and the colony plate is rather thick.Another commonly seen colony has thinner disks and smaller polyps with fewer tentacles.Yet another kind has plates that hug the surface. While the colony may be quite large, the polyps are really tiny with few tentacles. This kind is generally only seen in good reefs.Pocillopora corals (Pocillopora sp.) are also regularly seen. The colony is branching, and the tiny polyps have white rounded tips.Branching Psammocora corals (Psammocora sp.) are also often seen. In these, the tentacles are short and pointed. Branching corals are like underwater trees, providing hiding places for all kinds of tiny animals such as this little crab.There are also Psammocora sp. that form boulder shaped colonies. This species is identified by the tiny petal-shaped holes in the skeleton.These holes are not so obvious when the tiny tentacles are extended.Here is another pretty coral that is sometimes seen on our reefs. I don't know what kind of hard coral this is.Brain corals (Family Mussidae) are also seen on good reefs. In these, the polyps create skeletons with meandering walls.Unlike most other hard corals, these mushroom corals (Family Fungidae) are solitary polyps. And adults lie unattached to the surface. There was a cluster of these beautiful animals in the middle of the reef.

This narrow reef also had some nice surprises.I seldom see this Hydnophora sp. hard coral. The colony has polyps that form conical skeletons.Another beautiful and rarely encountered hard coral is this plate-like Pachyseris sp. with elegant ridges in its skeleton.

There were also lots of large leathery soft corals on the shores. These are colonies too of tiny polyps. But the polyps share a leathery tissue instead of building hard skeletons.
Here's a view of the shore at sunrise with the city just a few minutes away.This leathery soft coral is one that I've seen sometimes. Today I took a real close look at them and noticed there were lots of tiny brittle stars on the soft coral!Including some that were a little larger.Indeed, a good reef with their soft and hard corals provides shelter and food for a vast variety of animals. Here's more about some of the reef creatures we saw today.

Fishes and more at St. John's Island

Today we saw lots of fishes at the reefs of St. John's. The water was teeming with little blue Tropical silversides (Atherinomorus duodecimalis). They kept disturbing the water surface making it difficult to photograph submerged creatures. And to make things even more difficult, they were attracted to my torch!
There were lots of Blue-spotted fantail rays (Taeniura lymma)! Of course, the little silversides just messed up the photos.Finally at sunrise, I managed a clear shot of this beautiful animal. There is a broad skin fold under the tail, that's why it is called the fantail ray. Like other rays, it has one or two venomous spines near the middle of the tail. The spines are used to protect itself and not to capture prey. As long as we are careful not to step on them, these fishes are harmless.
Hiding among the corals were several of these blue fishes. I don't know what they are, probably some sort of damselfish (Family Pomacentridae).This fish stuck its face into a crevice, probably thinking if it can't see me, I can't see it. I'm not really sure what it is, but it could be a Longspined scorpion fish (Paracentropogon longispinis).This Painted scorpionfish (Parascorpaena picta) was right out in the open but so well camouflaged that I almost missed seeing it.

Scorpionfishes have stout spines on the dorsal fins act like hypodermic needles, injecting venom that can be excruciating to humans. A scorpionfish uses its venom only for protection and not to catch or kill prey. The scorpionfish is not aggressive and prefers to hide or swim away, using its venom only as a last resort. The best way to avoid being stung is simply not to disturb or touch one.
This scorpionfish-lookalike was also seen. It is NOT a scorpionfish and belongs to the grouper family (Family Serranidae). It is the harmless False scorpionfish (Centrogenys vaigiensis). If you compare it with the Painted scorpionfish, the False scorpionfish has small eyes and nose flaps.Among the thickets of brown sargassum seaweed was this ball of Lined eeltail catfishes (Plotosus lineatus). This is another fish that should be left alone as they can sting.
This White-spotted rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus) can also sting if they are handled. Although the Stonefish (Synanceia horrida) was seen before in the past, we fortunately didn't encounter him today.

The reefs were also teeming with crabs, especially the Brown egg crabs (Atergatis floridus) and Red egg crabs (Atergatis intergerrimus), and colourful swimming crabs (Family Portunidae) of all kinds.
There were also lots of octopus out busy hunting.Another fascinating hunter of the shores at low tide is the Marine spider (Desis sp.). This one seemed to have caught something. These spiders hide in crevices at high tide and emerge at low tide to forage.

Besides the reef creatures, St. John's also has other intertidal habitats with interesting animals.The swimming lagoons of St. John's also has some Common sea stars (Archaster typicus). There were also lots of busy bulldozing moon snails (Polinices sp.) and lots of little gobies and snapping shrimps.St. John's is one of the few places where you can still see the beautiful lilac Land hermit crab (Coenobita cavipes). This one is using the shell of a land snail! They are only active at night and disappear into hiding places in the day.

St. John's also has a small patch of mangroves. But we didn't have to energy to explore further today.

Vyna shared about her crinoid and other sightings on her can you sea me blog

Evening at St. John's

It's the first evening tide of the season as the morning super low tides ease off. And the usual bunch of beach stalwarts were out to revisit St. John's Island, beneath a threatening sky.Lying just off the Sisters Island, St. John's shore is crammed with all kinds of marine life.Soft and hard corals abound.

Some hard corals flouresce at dusk, the bright green polyps glowing in the water!Among the first things spotted, by Ron, was a Spider conch (Lambis lambis).Later on, I spotted the pretty snail on the right. I don't know what it is.

The usual egg crabs were seen; Red egg crab (Atergatis integerrimus) and Brown egg crab (Atergatis floridus).Both these crabs are highly poisonous to eat. So they are rather 'bo-chap' and trundle about slowly on the shore.

As it got dark, the octopuses started coming out.Worms also got busy. While most people may consider them icky, the worms on the shores can be quite fascinating.I saw a black flatworm with an orange-and-white edge to its frilly body (on the left). As well as a very VERY long ribbon worm (on the right) in its striped pajamas.
Some worms have bristley sides (left), others have feathery tentacles on their heads (right).

There was a LOT of sargassum of various shapes on the shores. And the brown seaweed was literally crawling with dove snails.They seemed to be grazing the algae off the broad brown blades of the sargassum. You can see the 'clean' areas next to these snails.
Of course, once there's a whole bunch of animals all grouped together, hanky panky seems to be part of the festivities.

The shore was also full of fishes.The little darting cardinals easily distract from well camouflaged fishes like this Painted scorpionfish (Parascorpaena picta).

Other assorted fishes were encountered.I don't know what the fish is on the left; while on the right is the tail of a Carpet eel-blenny (Congrogadus subducens) which obviously burrowed into a crevice that was too short for it.

Marcus yelled "Stingray all around me!" and I rushed over, carefully, to have a look.There were several small Blue-spotted fantail rays (Taeniura lymma) flitting about with the incoming tide. We managed to snap this one that stopped for a little while.

Nem Mode never really being switched off, even though the nem team was not with us, I looked out for nems.There were lots of frilly anemones (Phymanthus sp.) of various patterns and colours.And this transparent thing that looks like a sea anemone, but is actually probably a peacock anemone as it has a ring of smaller tentacles in the centre, and I've seen these live in tubes.As the tide came in, I thought I should have a look at the swimming lagoon.

On the way there, I bumped into a Land hermit crab (Coenobita cavipes). These pretty animals are more active at night. They are very happy on the shores, scavenging for food and keeping things clean and tidy. It's a pity that some people take them home to keep as pets. Our marine life should live wild and free instead of caged for the pleasure of a few people. The Land hermit crab is unfortunately listed among the threatened animals of Singapore due to habit loss and over-collection.

In the swimming lagoon, the sand was littered with creeper snails.I startled a Ghost crab (Ocypode ceratophthalma) and came across a juvenile Gong-gong (Strombus canarium) which had not yet grown the extended 'wing' on the shell. And right in the middle of the lagoon, were clusters of Common sea stars (Archaster typicus)!These sea stars are no longer common and are in fact listed among our threatened animals. It was thus a delight to see them there. Many were stacked in pairs getting ready to mate. There were also some smaller ones, which is rather unusual to see.

St. John's is truly a marvellous shore that's very much alive.

There are lots of other sightings that I missed: seahorse, velcro crab and more. Here's more about the trip on other blogs:
Chay Hoon's colourful clouds blog: seahorse, more fishes, flatworm and tiny nudi and a successful waterproof camera test.
Ron's tidechaser blog: weird anemones, velcro crab, moon snails and more about how spider conch snails gather together.
The budak blog for a more lyrical account of our trip, and a feature on the land hermit crabs found there, perhaps two species on St. John's?
July's discovery blog: our very own native pong pong tree, rocky features, anemone shrimp and more.
Kok Sheng's wonderful creations blog: reefs crowded with life, great billed heron, lots of crabs and more.

Despite the ominous clouds and threat of rain as we began the trip, the evening turned out to be clear with a velvet sky sprinkled with stars. The water was equally clear, even with the incoming tide!

Andy and I noted that the rubbish we saw tucked into the cliffside on our earlier trip had been removed to the high shore. That's good.

On a less happy note, poor July's camera went swimming today. Sigh. That's one of the hazards of exploring our shores.