forbidding name, Pulau Hantu is a favourite haunt for fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts because of its sheltered beaches, swimming lagoons and inviting waters. The islands are also popular with campers and day-trippers who prefer a unique outdoor experience. Pulau Hantu has rich reefs despite its proximity to Pulau Bukom's refineries. A wide variety of corals can be found on Pulau Hantu, and mushroom corals are particularly abundant in the waters surrounding the islands. Common sea life that can also be found include the clown fish or anemonefish, damselfishes, wrasses and angelfish. The rare giant clam and the seahorse can sometimes be seen. There is a small patch of mangroves between Pulau Hantu Kecil and Pulau Hantu Besar, where native seashore plants also line their beaches. Visibility, like most of Singapore's waters, is chronic, ranging from as low as 0.1 m to more than 3m. It was reported in the 3 June 2006 edition of The Straits Times that a plan to create a "marine sanctuary" has been dropped due to opposition from conservationists. The plan, known as Project Noah, was to install mechanical filters at the two ends of the lagoon separating Pulau Hantu Kecil and Pulau Hantu Besar, to clear the waters of excess silt and pave the way for coral growth within the lagoon. Coral Reef Surveys The National Parks Board, National Biodiversity Centre, Blue Water Volunteers and volunteers from the public started a coral reef surveying programme in 2005 to monitor the status of hard corals, mobile invertebrates and reef fish at several locations around 5 southern islands, including Pulau Hantu. Internationally recognised techniques developed by Reef Check and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network were adopted for this programme. References External links Pulau Hantu - A celebration of marine life A non-profit, environmental awareness initiative for Pulau Hantu, an island recognised by most divers as Singapore’s most popular Southern Island, known for its sheltered and biologically diverse reefs. Hantu Blogger's photostream Hantu Bloggers Info for visitors on wildsingapore Photos of Hantu's marine life on the intertidal from wildsingapore Blog posts about Hantu's marine life from various blogs compiled on the wildsingapore google reader Pulau Hantu Coral Reef Survey Data on Coral Reefs of Singapore Project NOAH sunk Satellite image of Pulau Hantu - Google Maps Hantu Western Islands Planning Area