Date: Saturday, March 12, 2016
Venue: Tanjung Tuan Recreational Forest, Malacca
Marine SIG’s booth will be at Tanjung Tuan Recreational Forest (border of Malacca and Port Dickson) on March 12 from 0900-1700. Find out what is the #myfinmylife all about and register for the snorkeling trip at Tenggol.
Date: 10/3/07 – 11/3/07 (weekend)
Venue: PNB Ilham Resort, Tanjung Tuan (near Port Dickson)
Fee: Free of charge
In conjunction with the Raptor Watch Weekend 2007, there will be several talks and walks related to marine.
On 10/3/07 at 2.30pm, Zulkifli Othman will talk about Ma Da’erah Turtle Sanctuary. On Sunday 11/3/07 at 1pm, Dr Harinder Singh will talk about “Mangrove Ecology & the Mangroves of West Malaysia.” All are welcomed. For more information about these talks and the mangrove walks, please visit www.raptorwatch.org or contact Serina +6017-6729367.
By Serina Rahman
Photos by Effendy Rahaman
Raptor Watch Weekend (RWW) is internationally renowned as one of THE birding events to be at every year. Press reviews and RWW write-ups rave about the breathtaking sight of hundreds of
raptors circling and gliding overhead at times swooping in low to allow us a tantalising glimpse of the regal beauty of these powerful predators.
It is widely understood and accepted that the preservation of Tanjung Tuan is vital to the protection of these incredible winged species to continue to provide them with a stopover to rest and feed on their long journey home. But the value of Tanjung Tuan’s mangroves to many other creatures both terrestrial and marine is often quickly overlooked.
Every year the marine group organises mangrove walks in order to highlight this importance. Mohala Santharamohana (better known as Mo), a regular volunteer for the mangrove walks at RWW cannot help but rave about the importance of this unique ecosystem. Everyone knows that the mangroves offer protection from storms and tsunamis but it is also a source of food and traditional medicine, it prevents saltwater from coming inland and without it there will be no natural source of seafood (because the mangroves serve as nurseries to many species of fish).
Mo brings her passion onto her walks with the Kelab Pencinta Alam students, striving to show them the interesting adaptations the trees have taken to survive in this harsh environment. Most of the kids are really interested in what’s around them, she says, some are worn down by the heat, mud and dirt, but others already know what lives in the mangrove and how to catch them!
Unfortunately this year, one such excited young boy accidentally crushed one of his ‘specimens’ to death, but it was the single anomaly in a weekend of positive experiences.
Apart from tramping about in the mud, the children conduct water quality tests, learning about the pH level and phosphate and nitrate content of water. Mo reports that the phosphate and nitrate content was surprisingly low implying that the presence of nutrients (read: sewage) is negligible. Although the result is the same as last year’s, the guides are not sure if this is truly good news and that the water is clean or whether the receding tide had taken the sewage out with it.
To cap off their walk, the children have a sand activity. This year a little girl built an ‘unglamorous’ representation of a turtle. When asked why she did that however, she responded, “turtles are endangered and we need to protect them.” She won the grand prize.
And so another successful RWW has come and gone and the birds of prey should soon be safely home. With strong public support, an increased awareness of the overall importance of Tanjung Tuan’s mangroves and a little bit of luck, we hope that the area will continue to be preserved not just for the sake of the raptors, but for the millions of other creatures winged, finned, scaly, clawed and even two-legged and upright who depend on it.
Many thanks again to the tenacious marine walk guides who never fail to entertain and inspire others to appreciate the mangroves like they do!
By Serina Rahman
It was pulled together at the last minute, but Lim Tien Chee (TC), as usual, carried it off with style and aplomb. On the morning of February 13th, 2006 TC, the Marine Group coordinator (with Serina as quiet back up) appeared live on air on TRAXX FM’s Info 912 (this channel was formally Radio 4).
Granted this opportunity to reach a wider audience on topics close to our hearts, TC talked about MNS – its history, achievements and milestones before launching into marine issues. At the same time, he managed to advertise for Raptor Watch and plug the need for more people to sign up as MNS members.
Hosted by Jezza, a DJ well-used to exploring more serious content than the love life of 50 year old singers, conversation mulled around the benefits of being a member (there’s more to MNS than cheap trips!) and the need for more education and environmental awareness for people of all ages – from children to the general public to the big guns who make decisions at the top of state, federal and other agencies.
With Marine Group volunteers sitting in the studio, however, talk inevitably went back to our Marine Parks and the issues facing them at the moment. TC emphasised that we are at “a point of inflexion – if we don’t do more today to conserve our natural heritage, there will be nothing left for our future generations”. And while development is at times a necessary evil, it need not be detrimental to the environment. “People need to understand the natural dynamics of an island before proposing any projects,” he said, “then the delicate balance of that island ecosystem will be able to survive.”
Serina emphasised the importance of individual action, “It’s like people power – the average person can use the power of their wallet to go back to places, resorts and businesses that make an effort to protect their environment. That way there’s public control over how things are done, but first people need to be more aware and understand the reasons behind the rules and regulations that are imposed in a Marine Park.”
For us it was a very brief encounter with celebrity-types (there are many famous-looking faces wandering around the RTM compound!), but hopefully the conservation message got out to lots of normal people listening in to the radio.
Story by Serina Rahman
Photos by H.Y. Leong
Every year when the winds change and the season comes, people flock from far and wide to witness the migration of the raptors over Tanjong Tuan at Port Dickson. This year was no different. Malaysians, Singaporeans and foreigners from even further afield turned up bristling with their binoculars and telescopic camera equipment to catch that perfect look and shot of a raptor.
From L to R: TC, Anthony, Dr Kana and Saras having an impromptu discussion
And as always the Marine Group was there too (March 5-6, 2005). It might not seem to be a match – birds and fish – but the area is perfect for guided marine walks. Kana and Joanna led other MNS volunteers, members and students out along the beach – under the sweltering sun to see what lay beneath the inter-tidal range.
L to R: Angie and Joanna
The raptors didn’t make their appearance until late in the day – just as Saras was giving her lecture on marine life in the air-conditioned comfort of Tanjong Ilham Resort. A couple of rascals skipped out on poor Saras to catch the birds in flight but those who stayed faithful to the talk ‘til the end still had plenty of action to catch – there were hundreds of raptors and swallows to watch.
Our merchandise moved pretty quickly over the weekend too in spite of heated competition from the Bird Group. We raised quite a bit of money and spread some marine words of wisdom to those usually more inclined to birding. Many thanks to all the volunteers for their time, sweat and sunburn!
Story and photo by Saras Kumar
There may have been fewer raptors flying overhead this year but Raptor Watch 2004 (March 6-7) was bigger and better in every other way. There were a great many activities this year thanks to the hard work of MNS staff and volunteers and of course our generous sponsors, including HSBC, this year’s main sponsor.
From the marine side we actually found more marine animals compared to previous years. Not to say that the habitat is improving but the school kids got even more adventurous and managed to find more than the usual soldier crabs, hermit crabs, mudskippers and marine snails. This year they found a baby moray eel, sea slugs, baby squids, a cowrie (usually collected for their beautiful shells) and a decorator crab (see photo) which may be a new record for the area.
During the public marine walk we managed to spot turtles while at the lighthouse and did manage to see some live coral and coral reef fishes. It is a shame to note that siltation is badly affecting the corals; before the development of Port Dickson the coral reef at Tanjung Tuan may have once looked similar to those of the East Coast of Malaysia. A visit to take photographs for the exhibition posters earlier in the year revealed many coral reef fishes and invertebrates but most of the photos were unusable due to the high sediment content of the water.
Aside from the usual beach walks, the Marine Special Interest Group was able to buy equipment and run a competition for the school groups, run a children’s colouring competition and draw up new exhibition material thanks to a grant from PADI Project AWARE. Thanks to all those who made Raptor Watch a success and see you all next year!
What is a Decorator Crab?
This crab species selects pieces of seaweed and small animals like anemones, sponges and bryozoans. from its habitat and fastens them to hooked setae (Velcro-like material) on the back of its shell. As long as the crab stays in the same area, it blends in and looks at home. Crabs that have grown large enough to defend themselves don’t decorate their backs; however, plants and animals settle there without help, take hold and grow.
By mnsmarine
The Marine Group participated in this year’s annual Raptor Watch (March 1-2, 2003) at Tanjung Tuan in Port Dickson by giving guided marine walks to the mangrove ecosystem and coral reefs. In between raptor watching, the Marine Group volunteers comprising Saras, Siew Yeen, Jarina, mnsmarine and MNS headquarters staff Wahab, were assisted by the MNS Education Department in guiding several busloads of primary and secondary schoolchildren. The school children from local schools were indeed an inquisitive lot. Despite the heat, they had a great time netting living organisms along the shoreline and studying their characteristics and roles they each play in the marine ecosystem. On Sunday, the Marine Group provided guided walks to the public.
Marine Group, Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch 