Reef animals of Raffles Lighthouse

Raffles Lighthouse not only houses a wide variety of dense corals on its reef, there are also many other reef animals thriving.


From the high shore, flatworms can already be spotted. This particular one is usually seen at the high shore or coastal rocks.


This flatworm is more marine and can be found in the intertidal area as well.


Noticing lots of tiny movements on top of the rocks and rubble,


a closer look reveal many shrimps!


Of course, a healthy reef is house to octopus.


A day after spotting the carpet eel blenny in Changi, it was sighted in Raffles Lighthouse as well. This animal is usually often mistaken for a snake.


There are also plenty of fishes trapped in the tidal pools including these two small ones. If you look closely, they have a false eye at the back, like the copperbanded butterflyfishes.


And yes, the copperbanded butterflyfish is also sighted. It is very pretty in colour in orange and white bands.


Clinging onto the mermaid's fan seaweed is a filefish that has the same colour as the seaweed.


Finding gigantea carpet anemones means potentials to find the nemos or false clownfishes. Look closely! There are two of them trapped in the tide pool just next to the anemone.


How adorable these nemos!


There was yet still another smaller nemo staying put beside the anemone.


While exploring another area of the shore I found this beautiful grapsid crab.


Raffles Lighthouse has many featherstars!


Not only one was found.


But a total of three and more!


Last but not the least, the burrowing giant clam is commonly sighted as well.

The trip of Raffles Lighthouse or Pulau Satumu also tempted me to visit its surrounding islands with untouched pristine reefs. Unfortunately, they are protected and to get there is not easy.


That includes the live firing island: Pulau Senang. “Senang” means easy or comfortable but it is quite ironical for Pulau Senang because the island also used to be a prison for hardcore prisoners.


And this is Pulau Biola. “Biola” means violin thus it is “Violin Island”, because of its shape like a violin.