The NParks website indicates that there are five entrances to the mangrove swamp and that it is best to start the walk at the Carpark B entrance 'for a more fruitful tour'. So I arranged to meet my friend at Carpark B. But it was so difficult to find!
From the main road (Pasir Ris Drive 3), you can't see any sign indicating 'carpark B' at all! There is only a huge sign saying 'Pasir Ris Park Carpark C', which is at Pasir Ris Green.
If you are heading from Downtown East toward Elias Road, the carparks start from A to F (not sure whether there are any more carparks after F, which is the furthest I have been to). So you should pass Carpark B before you see Carpark C. Carpark B's entrance is almost directly opposite the McDonalds drive-thru. You can see the carpark from the main road, just no sign.
[By the way, what I did was alight from cab at Carpark C, then walked through the mangrove to Carpark B.]
Have to walk a bit before you reach the mangrove entrance, but there are signboards along the way, so it isn't too hard to find.
It was indeed quite true that there were more things to see from the Carpark B entrance.. because a large of the mangrove swamp was quite dry! No water = didn't seem much like a mangrove swamp! Not sure whether it was because of the time of the day (we started walking just before 5pm) or weather or what.. (But I think it's seawater right? So I don't think it's the recent heat that dried up the mangrove swamp?) Anyway there was more water near this entrance.
There is a birdwatching tower too. I passed it while cutting through the mangrove to get to my friend, but we couldn't find it (or rather, forgot to try to find our way there) afterwards so we did not go up. Met a group of bird enthusiasts (with pro pro cameras!) and one of them pointed out a kingfisher and a few big bird's nests a distance away. The boys were too busy playing to bother about the nests, and I doubt Jiale would be able to see them even if I pointed them out to him.
We (meaning the mummies) also saw a few small crabs and two big dunno-the-name lizards. Hmm, didn't see much living things actually.
If you are interested to visit the Pasir Ris Mangrove Swamps, the Naked Hermit Crabs do conduct tours but I emailed them recently and they said they would not be conducting any tour at Pasir Ris till Nov earliest.
They also suggested I check out Mangrove Action Squad. I just left a comment at their blog asking about the next tour.
NParks also conducts guided tours, every 3rd Saturday of the month, but there is a minimum of 15 persons to start the group and you have to register with them at least 2 days in advance. See here for more info. It's not free, but I think $4 a person is worth it.
I am seriously tempted to bring the boys again in August, but I wonder how Jiale will react when he sees it's the mangrove swamp again! But I will only go with guides cos otherwise, I really don't know what to look out for. I should also have planned a simple unit study on mangrove swamps as an introduction to Jiale before going, so that he knows what he's supposed to be looking out for.
Sungei Buloh is tooooooo far.. and I don't dare to bring the 2 boys on a boat by myself to go to Chek Jawa!
Hi ZZ! There's actually loads to see at the mangroves in Pasir Ris! Try reading this: http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/mangrove/mangroves.htm
ReplyDeleteJiale might have fun spotting various types of mangrove tree roots.
And if you walk along Sungei Tampines from carpark B, along the park connector past the country club and downtown east, you'll hit a sandy spot near the sea that is swarming with fiddler crabs. More details here: http://makingmum.blogspot.com/2010/06/wild-wednesdays-pottering-around-pasir.html
Make sure you check the tide tables at NEA first, they'll only be out at low tide! Also, plan to go during the evening if possible, the mangroves can be extremely hot in the afternoons!
hey, thanks! your blog is way more interesting to read than the wildsingapore :P I am SURE there are loads to see at the mangroves.. just that mummy here doesn't know what to look out for.. how to point out to my boys :p
DeleteThe sandy spot u mentioned, so it's not part of the mangrove boardwalk?
Lol, thanks! You can start simple, by spotting different mangrove trees with different roots, and get them to quietly watch the fiddler crabs and see what the crabs are doing? They are quite funny, will get excited & wave at female crabs walking by.
DeleteYup its not part of the boardwalk, the boardwalk is higher up while the area I wrote about is near the sea. Will mail you a map!
If its the boardwalk, yes, water recedes all the way down so that area is dry & exposed... There are mudskippers there! Have fun if you go!
DeleteOh and I forgot to mention, low water = low tide, you actually get to see more animals out during low tide as they will be out of their burrows and looking for food...
ReplyDeletehmm.. the dry part i was referring to.. wasn't low water.. it was really NO water! But your NEA link very useful, i shall surely refer to it b4 my next trip. thanks! : )
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