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A
Visit to Chek Jawa
Text by Caroline DURVILLE
Photos by John POTTER and CHUA Sek Chuan
 We
first heard about Chek Jawa not so long ago when its imminent
reclamation became a news item. We had no idea that an area existed
in Singapore where you could find such a variety of coastal habitats
in close proximity. Where you could still see a great diversity
of marine life, including creatures not so easily found in other
parts of Singapore. This we had to see.
So
off we went on a journey of discovery in the very knowledgeable
company of Sek Chuan from the Nature Society. Just getting to
Chek Jawa was already an adventure. We took a ferry from Changi
jetty over to Pulau Ubin in the early morning when everything
is still quiet and peaceful. Then we rented bicycles to ride to
Ubin's eastern shore where we found the biological treasure trove
of Chek Jawa laid out before us at low tide. It was a lovely view;
the sand and mangroves in front of us, the dark rocks to our right,
and a large lonely mangrove tree with mud and sand flats spreading
out behind it.
 We
changed into our water shoes, left all our excess baggage on the
rocks and started exploring around the rocky headland. Small crabs
scurried away into cracks. Big barnacles and delicate ribbons
of drill-snail eggs clung to rocks. In the shallow tidal pools
we found little anemones and snails. The tide was not quite low
enough to check it for ourselves, but according to Sek Chuan a
little further out by the beacon is where sponges hang out and
octopi and seahorses can be found.
 We
turned around and headed for the sand and mud flats. The tide
was already starting to come in as we waded out between the many
different species of sea plants and algae. Here we saw flower
crabs, sea stars and sea cucumbers. We had to be careful not to
step on the carpet anemones that were everywhere. If the water
hadn't been rising so quickly we would have been able to see sea
grasses, tube anemones, fan worms and even sand dollars further
out. We were, however, very lucky to come across a rare (in Singapore)
prehistoric- looking Horseshoe crab.
By
no means were we the only ones enjoying a Sunday morning with
nature. About 50 people, young and old, were exploring and excitedly
showing others the sea creatures they had found. We were joined
by several people who had travelled there with their own boats
from the marina. No wonder the Nature Society thinks Chek Jawa
has great potential as a living outdoor classroom where students
could learn so much about the fragile natural environment hands-on.
 We
left the tide to reclaim the flats and headed back for a delightful
seafood lunch in the village. We had a lovely day at Chek Jawa,
a place of natural beauty in such contrast to the busy concrete
buzz of the city just a few kilometres away. It seems a great
shame such a precious area, so rich in biodiversity, is going
to be reclaimed. If you'd like to see it for yourself, you'd better
hurry! Remember, you will need to arrive at the lowest tide possible.
Check the tide tables in this magazine for suitable times.
For
more information about Chek Jawa and scores of great pictures
of the various habitats and the creatures found there, surf to
the following sites:
http://habitatnew.nus.edu.sg/news/chekjawa/
http://reforest.org/chekjawa
About
the Author
There was a time when Caroline Durville roamed the seven seas
in a 46 foot sailing yacht called "Redwings". For the
last 6 years, however, she has been ashore in Singapore doing web
design, translation (Dutch - English), divemastering and occasionally
writing articles concerning marine environment and diving.
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