Tropical Asia - Corals and Rocks, Malaysia by Eya P

We don't actually experience summer during the summer solstice, here on the Equator. Instead the Monsoon blows in from the South West, giving the north-east coast of Peninsular Malaysia some respite from strong winds, high seas and floods that hit from Nov-Feb. This allows us to take driving family vacations along the beaches, which was where we found ourselves during this Gigablitz.

In the heat of noon and at low tide, this part of the coastline was deceptively deplete of animal life. However, looking closely, there is a profusion of invertebrate sea-life here - including molluscs (gastropods, bivalves) and crustaceans (barnacles, crabs).

How many species and specimens can you identify? Hint: Look on or at the base of rocks, particularly the grey (dead) corals on the right of the panorama.

PS. A beachfront hotel's seasport's facilities can be seen in the background - reassuringly, it is possible to combine habitat conservation with human recreation (ecotourism).

by Eya Pesach

MY20 Cherating Beach, Pahang