Seahorse - Is it a horse, a fish or what?

Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape.

They are indeed a rare fish not a rare horse ;) They are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. How cool is that?!!

They are also monogamous and mate for life. Awww....such loyal creature. Unlike some human I know :P

Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long.

Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water.

Pygmy seahorse is less than an inch!

Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They propel themselves by using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. Even smaller pectoral fins located near the back of the head are used for steering.

They anchor themselves with their prehensile tails to sea grasses and corals, using their elongated snouts to suck in plankton and small crustaceans that drift by. Voracious eaters, they graze continually and can consume 3,000 or more brine shrimp per day.

Population data for most of the world’s 35 seahorse species is sparse. However, worldwide coastal habitat depletion, pollution, and rampant harvesting, mainly for use in Asian traditional medicine, have made several species vulnerable to extinction.

Snorkeling Southwest Reef, New Providence, Bahamas

A fantasy underwater world. Beautiful clear water and various marine life. New Province is densely populated and frequently visited by divers but their water is still pristine. Our Tunku Abdul Rahman Park can look better than this if only we take better care of it.

I like!

How destructive is snorkeling or diving at a coral reef?

Yes we should worry!

The world's coral reefs are not in such great shape: According to a comprehensive 2008 report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, approximately 19 percent of the world's coral reefs are "effectively lost"—meaning that they're so degraded or polluted they can no longer support healthy ecosystems or provide other benefits—and another 15 percent are in serious danger of joining that category within the next 10 to 20 years. Reefs are more than just awe-inspiring and gorgeous; they're also brimming with wildlife. They provide local communities with food and money—both from fishing and from tourism—and help protect coastlines from storms and rough waves.

Ocean frolickers can damage corals intentionally—by touching them or breaking off branches as souvenirs—and unintentionally, by standing, walking, or dragging their gear over them. Snorkelers and divers can also kick up clouds of sediment with their fins. When that grit lands on a reef, it blocks the sunlight that is needed for photosynthesis. Vacationing snorkelers and scuba divers (tourism) is a major area of concern. The damaging effects may be even more pronounced in developing countries such as ours, where rapid expansion of the tourism industry isn't always coupled with well-managed conservation efforts. As is the case in Sabah..unfortunately :(

Do not step on fragile corals!!

When wading in shallow waters, make sure you're walking over sand or gravel, particularly if you're dragging a surfboard. Another way to protect the reefs is to practice swimming before you go—so you're nimble enough in the water to avoid touching the corals. (Klutzy landlubbers like the Lantern should wear a snorkel vest and make sure to get some training before heading in.) Photographers need to be extra cautious: Your extra gear and desire to get sweet close-up shots make you a special hazard.

Fish Attack!!

Sharks are not the only marine fish that attacks humans. Triggerfish is one of those marine animals that are also aggressive.

Titan triggerfish is extremely territorial, especially during the breeding season. They will protect their nest aggressively. During these months the male will guard the nest against all on-comers, including divers / snorkelers; the ‘Protection Zone' goes directly up from the nest in a cone shape (as they can see upwards).

Their bites can cause infection as they contain a natural poison called Ciguatoxin, which can have serious affects on humans; in extreme cases causing heart attacks or paralysis. They may also use ramming techniques to scare other creature's away (including us humans).

The first time I was attacked was in Mabul Island, Semporna. I was very young then and didn't have any experience with this kind of thing. I didn't see the triggerfish and only realized that it was attacking me when it was only a couple of meters in front of my face. It looked crazy with its vampire-like teeth!! I didn't know what to do so I swam quickly backwards and just push my fins at it. It finally swam back to its nest once I was at a proper distance from its nest. Boy! talk about being very garang!!

After that episode I am very coutious whenever I see triggerfish. I have a very healthy respect towards them :) Encountered a few more aggressive triggerfish in Indonesia.. just be aware of your surrounding and watch out for them.

Sal's tip: I just give them a wide berth. If you're diving, you could just purge your octopus at them. If you're snorkeling, kick your fin at it while swimming away. They are pretty ok during non-breeding season ;)

Is it a Shark or a Whale?

As fearsome as this guy looks, he actually wouldn't harm a hair on your head. They may have big mouths, but it isn't for swallowing people - they're plankton feeders. Plankton are microscopically tiny organisms that thrive in the oceans throughout the world.

Scientists have determined that it is a species of shark, because of its skeleton (composed entirely of cartilage), and its tough, leathery, scaleless skin. People called it a whale shark because of its enormous size (like a whale), not because it's a type of whale.

A whale is a mammal; a warm-blooded creature that has lungs and breathes air, gives birth to its young and nurses them with milk produced by mammary glands. A shark is a fish; it "breathes" its oxygen by passing water over its gills.

Whale sharks are rare, elusive creatures that scientists still know very little about. One interesting adaptation of the whale shark that scientists have discovered is that it has sensors that run the length of its body which are used for detecting pressure changes in the surrounding water. Whale sharks swim with their huge mouths wide open to chow down, making it hard for their proportionately small eyes to see where they're going. Being able to detect large objects with their pressure sensors gives the shark a "sixth sense" that acts like back-up vision.

Sal's tip: Whale sharks swim to the coastal water of KK every year between February - April. So plan your next snorkeling adventure for early next year .... you might be lucky enough to swim with this creature ;)

Learn to snorkel from Jessica Alba

Just watching Jessica Alba snorkeling is already fun!! hahaha. She looks like she's having fun here but I have a feeling Paul Walker is having more fun ;)

There was a scandal with this a few yrs ago when people said Alba was not wearing her bikini bottom in this snorkeling excursion... look closely and let me know what you think.

Now i feel like jumping into the blue too

Snorkeling Safety - Things you should know when going on your snorkeling adventure

The most important safety tip while snorkeling is to never do it alone. An overwhelming number of accidents happen to divers who go it alone, so having a buddy with you is a valuable asset in case of mishap. Choose a buddy who you are comfortable with and stay close together while you are out.

Stay close to shore. Beginning snorkelers often misjudge their own capabilities and endurance and find themselves worn out or exhausted. Be sure to stay close to shore or reserve enough energy to get yourself back safely. Move onto your back and tread water for a few minutes to regain energy before coming back in if you are already tired or must return through rough surf or strong currents.

Be aware of your surroundings. Know the area that you are snorkeling in and if there are any areas to avoid. Be very careful around rocky shores or pounding surf, which can pick up a snorkeler and cause injury. If you are snorkeling in open water, know the tides and be careful of getting sucked out or trapped by an outgoing tide.

Always snorkel with a buddy...its more fun

Retain your energy. To avoid exhaustion consider snorkeling with a flotation device of some sort. A simple waist belt or snorkeling vest can make your excursion significantly more enjoyable by allowing you to focus on what you are watching and not on any fatigue you may be experiencing. You’ll enjoy yourself more and be more capable of avoiding injury if you are not over tired. Cold water can also drain a diver’s heat and sap their strength.

Do not touch marine life: Although most underwater animals will avoid contact with humans, many creatures have some method of defense if they feel in danger. To protect yourself, maintain a safe distance from all sea creatures and try not to make any sudden moves to startle the ocean inhabitants.

Be aware of the seabed. In shallow waters, coral and other rough surfaces can severely injure a snorkeler who is not careful. Do not let yourself get into too shallow waters, and be wary of outgoing tides, which may bring you closer to the seabed or suck you out farther to sea.

Learn first aid and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If a person takes water into their lungs or stops breathing, the most effective response is artificial respiration performed quickly. Learn how to properly perform basic mouth-to-mouth and practice performing it both on land and in the water. Take a first aid course and practice before you go out.

Remember.. safety first!

Frogfish: Ugly but adorable fish, master of camouflage, uses fins to walk!

Frogfish imitating red sponge (look at the fins, like hands!). Photo by Lan

I like frogfish because they are weird looking creature. Their bodies are small and stocky. They have loose prickly skin, limb-like pectoral fins with an elbow-like joint (which looks like hands!!), small round gill openings behind the fins, very large upward directed mouth.

Look how it uses its fins to grab hold of the sponge. Photo by Lan.

The frogfish is a master of camouflage. His body is often covered with spots, stripes, warts, skin flaps and filaments. The frogfish mimics substrate and structures like algae covered rocks or rubble, plants like sargassum weed or algae, and animals like tunicates, corals and sponges. Some species can be of many different colors , from black to red, orange, yellow, browns, white, purple, green, some even have patches of blue. The colors usually help them blend into their environment such as sponges, corals or algae.

Frogfish don't swim very often; most of them lack a swim bladder (except the Sargassum frogfish (Histrio histrio ). To cross small distances the frogfish may walk or actually gallop (I’ve seen this before and its really cute). Check out this video of frogfish walking.

It can also move very quickly by sucking in large quantities of water through the mouth and forcing it out through the tiny gill openings. This results in a jet-like very fast forward propulsion a few centimeters above the ground.

They are kinda like a fisherman. They fish for their food. First dorsal spine is modified into a moveable fishing rod or luring apparatus (illicium) tipped with a lure or bait (esca). The rod or stalk comes in different lengths and is sometimes striped. The shape of the lure is one of the main distinguishing marks. The lure often but not always mimics a small animal. The lures can be in a shape of a worm, a shrimp or even like a small fish with eye-spot and appendages resembling fins. While using the lure the frogfish even imitates the way which that particular animal would move. This strategy to catch prey is called aggressive mimicry.

Frogfishes mainly eat fishes and crustaceans (shrimps and crabs). They can swallow items of prey that are twice as large as them.

Of course not all prey is attracted by the lure. A more passive approach is the excellent camouflage of the frogfishes. Many animals just mistake a frogfish for a sponge, come too close and are swallowed. I have actually seen on various occasions, how small gobies flittered over the body of a frogfish sitting in a sponge, without being aware of the danger of getting swallowed.

How Young is Too Young to Snorkel??

Most kids get very excited when they see water. They are unafraid to jump into the water despite not being able to swim. So I think its better that parents teach them proper way to snorkel for their own safety. But how young is too young to teach them snorkeling?

Well it all depends on the child. I have seen a father taking his 4 yrs old daughter snorkeling and they look absolutely cute. The child had lots of fun and learns about the underwater world at the same time. Priceless lesson and quality time with dad.

Taking the little one to the pool first and introducing them to snorkeling is the first step. Make sure they have all the proper fitting snorkel gear, mask, fins, snorkel & snorkeling vest. Here are some tips when buying snorkeling mask, fins, snorkel that is just right for you and your child.

Next, you want to make sure the kid’s snorkeling vest fits. You have to make sure that it is partially inflated at all times while the child is in the water. Most of the snorkeling vests have locking rings so the kids cannot deflate the vest too easily. Here is a video to show you how to wear the snorkeling vest properly.

Because the ocean is so big, be prepared and understand that if your child chicken out when he or she sees the ocean. This is very common so don’t force the child, take it slow and give lots of encouragements. When you do get the child in the ocean they he/she may be a little intimidated by what can seen underwater as some of the fish maybe “ugly” or “big”. Before you go in the water, review with them the underwater creatures they might see. There are waterproof fish identification slates and books that you can show the child in advance or while you are in the water. But most of the time, the child will be very excited and fearless in the water :)

Make sure the child does not get too cold. Even when the sun is hot, the water can be cold. Wear wetsuit or rash guard to protect your child from sunburns, cold and jellyfish. Check your watch and don’t stay in the water too long.

It goes without saying, that adult supervision is always required when children are in or near water. Teach your kids good habits and reef etiquette, how we never touch anything underwater and the beauty will be there when your kids have kids.

Snorkel Manukan - not what it used to be

Photo: Jetty Manukan Island, By Sal

Upon arriving to Manukan Island, I was a very excited to jump into the water. It has been awhile since I swim here and this time I brought a camera with me to snap all the beautiful underwater creatures. The first thing I noticed was that the fishes under the jetty are less abundant and diverse. There used to me many different types of species there and even the number of fish was notably less.

I went to the public washroom/changing room and was happy (and surprised) to see that it was clean compared to the previous year (Hooray!).

Photo: Debris from mainland?, by Lan

It was a good day for swimming as the sun was scorching hot. After having a light breakfast and slathering on heavy sun-block, we hit the water. Well first thing I have to say is that visibility was not so great, only about 5 meters. This is probably due to rain the day before.

Photo: Solitary 8-banded Butterflyfish among dead corals, by Lan

Because of the fish feeding activity that people do here, the fishes were aggressive and not shy at all. We were attacked by a group of sergeantfish looking for free food. I love butterflyfish but only saw three. One was Beaked Coralfish and two were the Eight Banded Butterflyfish. We saw a lot of herbivorous fishes in large school feeding on algae. On the sandy area, there were rabbitfish and goatfish. Lots of colorful damsels that hide in between branching corals if you get too close for comfort.

Photo: Rabbitfish, by Lan

The corals are a bit disappointing. We saw a lot of dead corals and rubbles. There were patches of reef overrun with algae. We did note that some algae patches were tended by territorial damsels… hehe they were kinda cute. There was a large patch of branching corals that are gone now… so sad.

This trip to Manukan Island for me is to explore the island and compare it to how it was 10 years ago. I used to snorkel Manukan reefs a lot when I was a kid. So I suppose I do have high expectation.

Overall I have to say that it Manukan reefs is still fun but I gotta say that it is now only a glimmer of its former beauty. I suggest Sabah Parks put a stop to the fish feeding activity. I don’t know of any Marine Parks around the world that encourage fish feeding??

How to ID Reef Fish

Fish can be easy to identify if you know what to look for. Just like any plant or animal, we need to understand what features some fish have in common, and what the differences are.

When identifying a fish, there are several things that you should be looking for. Here are some tips when observing a fish. You can check your fish online on FishBase or use the many Fish ID books that you can buy in bookstores.

Things to look at are:

1. Anatomy

a. Tails – Sometimes called caudal fin helps fish to propel forward through water. Fast swimming fish have forked fins. Rounded rails are usually found on slow moving fish but they are capable to provide short burst of speed.

b. Mouth – Location of the mouth on a fish can tell you how and what it eats. Mouth located on the upper front means the fish is a surface-feeder. Mouth located on the middle front means the fish finds food in front of them. Some fish (goatfish) have barbells to help them find prey in the sand. Butterflyfish have small pointed mouth that specializes in getting into small crevices to find food.

c. Shape – General shape of the body will help you identifying a fish.

2. Colors and markings

Most reef fishes are colorful, making it easy to use colors to identify them. But relying on colors alone is not enough to make identification. It is important to also note the markings on the fish. Look at the diagram below to familiarize yourself with the terms used in fish ID books.

3. Habitat

Sometimes the location of the fish will give you clue as to what kind of fish it is. Grouper likes to perch on the bottom of the reef waiting for preys. A groupers mouth is located in the upper front, meaning they will catch prey swimming above them. Goatfish usually swims in sandy area where they can use their barbells to find preys.

Most of the time, i will bring a slateboard with me when I go snorkeling to draw fishes or any other marine organisms that I want to identify later. So next time you head out for a snorkeling adventure, be sure to bring your slateboard, pencil and an ID book to identify your fish.

Sal’s tip: Be sure your hands are dry before you touch your ID books :) Don’t want to ruin it.