Been to Cyrene: "Magic in my own backyard"

"Cyrene seemed like a fantasy at first. But when I set foot on Cyrene, the fantasy disappeared and the magic began!"

Wunson is captivated by Cyrene!

Wunson Khoo shares more about his first trip to Cyrene!

I have heard much about Cyrene Reef. It seemed like a fantasy place at first, a bit of sea grass and a bit of coral, trying to eke a living in the middle of the busiest port on this planet. So when I set foot on Cyrene at 6.12am on Labour Day 2010, the fantasy disappeared and the magic began.

It was hard to imagine that a place like Cyrene could exist in the Singapore we are so familiar with. I have been to other tidal flats, dived all over the world but to be able to admire the proliferation of sea grass and coral and to marvel at the diversity of aquatic fauna in my own backyard left me spellbound.

The encounters with the octopus, harlequin shrimp, sea cucumbers, anemones, crabs, a myriad of reef fishes and the hordes of knobby sea stars pointed out clearly that all is not lost in our concrete jungle.

I hope that Cyrene Reef will continue to prosper, thrive and serve as a healthy reminder of our natural heritage.

Wunson, 34, works in a bank and is a Nparks volunteer at the Central Nature Reserve. He is also an avid photographer and intrepid diver.

Thanks Wunson, for sharing about Cyrene!