2020 Naked Hermit Crabs Walk Schedule

2020 will be the 13th year of that we will continue to offer FREE nature walks at Chek Jawa Boardwalk and Pasir Ris Mangroves. 

These walks will help us to reach out to more people on the marine life our shores are home to and in return, we hope that this will safeguard our threatened natural shores such as Chek Jawa.

Here is our schedule for 2020. All walks are held at Chek Jawa Boardwalk (Pulau Ubin) unless stated otherwise.

22 Feb (Saturday) - Pasir Ris Mangroves Cancelled due to COVID-19
15 Mar (Sunday) - Chek Jawa Cancelled due to COVID-19

25 Apr (Saturday) - Pasir Ris Mangroves Cancelled due to COVID-19

16 May (Saturday) - Chek Jawa Cancelled due to COVID-19
13 Jun (Saturday) - Chek Jawa Familiarisation Training for new guides Cancelled due to COVID-19
27 Jun (Saturday) - Balik Chek Jawa. No registration required. Cancelled due to COVID-19

18 July (Saturday) - Chek Jawa Cancelled due to COVID-19
15 Aug (Saturday) - Chek Jawa Cancelled due to COVID-19
12 Sep (Saturday) - school holidays - Pasir Ris Mangroves Cancelled due to COVID-19
24 Oct (Saturday) - Pasir Ris Mangroves
28 Nov (Saturday) - Pasir Ris Mangroves
19 Dec (Saturday) - school holidays - Chek Jawa

It gives us much joy to share what we know about the plants and animals that live in the fragile coastal ecosystems of Chek Jawa and Pasir Ris Mangroves. Sign up for our walks and get to know Singapore's own biodiversity from volunteers who care about such things.

Registration for our walks are done online through Eventbrite. We open registration a week before each walk.

Click here to access our Facebook page and Eventbrite for updates on our trips.

If you have any questions, feel free to write to us at nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com.

Happy nature exploring!

14 Apr 2019 (Sun) - Chek Jawa, here we come!

Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 14 April, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.

Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Date: 14 April 2019 (Sunday)
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted
Sign up here.

10 Mar (Sun): Join us at Labrador Park to explore Berlayar Creek!

To celebrate World Wildlife Day (3 March), the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a special walk at Labrador Park on 10 March, Sunday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Berlayar Creek, Labrador Park.

Sign up here.

24 March (Sat) - Free guided walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves

This March, the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a very special nature walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves for young families on 24 March, Saturday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park.

Sign up now on our online registration form! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris Mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. We only do Pasir Ris Mangroves a couple of times in a year, so don't miss this opportunity!

There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, snails, herons and monitor lizards. The best part of the nature walk is at the end when we get to the small jetty over the river. There is a lot of animal activity in the evenings. We have seen young monitor lizards crawling into their nests as they settle in before nightfall. Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers, jellyfishes and water snakes! It really is quite exciting for the children to be able to see these animals in the wild.

18 March (Sun) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Join us our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 18 March, Sunday. Come explore this very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves with us. Just gather your family and friends, and have someone do the signup on behalf of the group. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Click on our Online Registration Form.


Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of an experienced volunteer guide, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Date: 18 March 2018 (Sunday)
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

For more information on what to expect at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk outings, and when preparing for your visit, please make sure you read our post specially written for you.

More photos in the next section.

11 Feb (Sun) - Free guided walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves

This February, the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a very special nature walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves for young families on 11 February, Sunday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park.

Sign up now on our online registration form! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris Mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. We only do Pasir Ris Mangroves a couple of times in a year, so don't miss this opportunity!

There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, snails, herons and monitor lizards. The best part of the nature walk is at the end when we get to the small jetty over the river. There is a lot of animal activity in the evenings. We have seen young monitor lizards crawling into their nests as they settle in before nightfall.  Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers, jellyfishes and water snakes! It really is quite exciting for the children to be able to see these animals in the wild.

Date: 11 February 2018 (Sunday)
Time: 5 pm (We should end around 6.30pm, just before sunset.)
Meeting point: Pasir Ris Park, Carpark C.

Sign up here.

Meet near the first toilets nearest the entrance to Carpark C. The meeting point is a short stroll from the Pasir Ris MRT station. Pasir Ris Park is a very long park with many carparks (from A to D). Do look at the map to be sure you are heading for the correct carpark.

Do read on for more information about our FAQs and what you can expect to see!

25 Nov and 16 Dec, 2017 (Saturdays) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

The year-end school holidays are here.... YIPPEE! If you are looking for outdoorsy nature activities to do with the family during the holidays, why not join our nature walks at Chek Jawa Boardwalk, Pulau Ubin? Come explore this very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves with us. Best of all, our nature walks are free!

We are running two public walks, and both dates are open for registration now! Just appoint someone to signup on behalf of the group. We welcome small groups of families or friends. Unfortunately we are not able to accept registration from large groups of people due to our limited resources. Click on our Online Registration Form.

Date: 25 November 2017 (Saturday) and 16 December 2017 (Saturday)
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of an experienced volunteer guide, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

For more information on what to expect at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk outings, and when preparing for your visit, please make sure you read our post specially written for you. The post will also give you lots of details like how to get to Chek Jawa, where to meet, what to bring.

Meeting place: Information Kiosk at Chek Jawa Wetlands

Group photo before the walk begins

Click to see more photos of our past events at Chek Jawa.

15 Oct (Sun) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Join us our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 15 October, Sunday. Come explore this very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves with us. Just gather your family and friends, and have someone do the signup on behalf of the group. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Click on our Online Registration Form.

Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of an experienced volunteer guide, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Date: 15 October 2017 (Sunday)
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

For more information on what to expect at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk outings, and when preparing for your visit, please make sure you read our post specially written for you.

More photos in the next section.

3 Sep (Sun) - Free guided walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves

The one-week school break in September is coming up, and the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a very special nature walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves for young families on 3 September, Sunday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park.

Sign up now on our online registration form! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris Mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. We only do Pasir Ris Mangroves a couple of times in a year, so don't miss this opportunity!

There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, snails, herons and monitor lizards. The best part of the nature walk is at the end when we get to the small jetty over the river. There is a lot of animal activity in the evenings. We have seen young monitor lizards crawling into their nests as they settle in before nightfall.  Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers, jellyfishes and water snakes! It really is quite exciting for the children to be able to see these animals in the wild.

Date: 3 September, 2017 (Sunday)
Time: 5 pm (We should end around 6.30pm, just before sunset.)
Meeting point: Pasir Ris Park, Carpark C.

Sign up here.

Meet near the first toilets nearest the entrance to Carpark C. The meeting point is a short stroll from the Pasir Ris MRT station. Pasir Ris Park is a very long park with many carparks (from A to D). Do look at the map to be sure you are heading for the correct carpark.

Do read on for more information about our FAQs and what you can expect to see!

19-Aug-17 (Sat) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Hi everyone! We are back with our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 19 August, Saturday. Come explore this very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves with us. Just gather your family and friends, and have someone do the signup on behalf of the group. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Click on our Online Registration Form.

Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of an experienced volunteer guide, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Date: 19 August 2017 (Saturday)
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

For more information on what to expect at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk outings, and when preparing for your visit, please make sure you read our post specially written for you.

More photos in the next section.

1 July (Sat) - Free guided walk at the Pasir Ris Mangroves

Specially for kids and families, come and explore the Pasir Ris mangroves with volunteer nature guides! This youth day, the Naked Hermit Crabs will be collaborating with Nature Adventures SG and The Wild Side to bring you on this FREE guided tour of the boardwalk!

Sign up now on our online registration form! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. Bring your children down to enjoy nature during the weekend!

3 Jun, 2017 (Sat): Balik Chek Jawa with the Chek Jawa community

FREE, no registration required, just come to Chek Jawa! Volunteer guides will be stationed all over the boardwalk to share about Chek Jawa's amazing wildlife. From monkeys to wild boar, birds to butterflies, crabs to mudskippers, and fascinating plants of the mangroves and shores, some of which are rare elsewhere. If we are lucky we may encounter otters or even a dugong.

A spectacular view from Jejawi Tower

Date: 3 Jun, 2017 (Sat)
Time: 10am - 3pm
Meeting point: Chek Jawa Info Kiosk, 3.3km away from Ubin Jetty (map). About 1.5-2 hour walk or a 15-min van ride. More on how to get to Chek Jawa.

No charge, the activity is free!
No registration required, simply come to Chek Jawa.

21 May (Sun)- Want to learn how to be a nature guide? Come join the Chek Jawa Familiarisation Tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs!

Have you ever wanted to experience what it’s like to be a nature guide? Looking for an interesting activity for your family to take part in during the holidays? The Chek Jawa Familiarisation Tour is here for you! No prior experience is needed. Sign up now at our online form! After you have completed the Familiarisation Tour on 21 May, you will be able to participate as a volunteer at the Balik Chek Jawa Day on 3 June. Come join us and make a difference for nature!

Join us to help make a difference for nature!

What is this Familiarisation Tour about? 

To help prepare you to contribute to Balik Chek Jawa, this tour introduces you Chek Jawa and hopes to build your confidence to share at one station of your choice along the boardwalk. 

It is also a chance to interact with like-minded people and more experienced nature guides while coming up with new and exciting ways to share about our shores. The tour will take you around the Chek Jawa coastal and mangrove boardwalk.

Why should I join this familiarisation tour?

By joining this FREE tour, you will not only learn about the wildlife at Chek Jawa, but also have a chance to contribute to Balik Chek Jawa by learning how to be a nature guide! 

Date: 21 May (Sun)

Time: 8.00 am-12 noon

(More details will be provided to those who register)

Click here to sign up!
Registration closes on 17 May 2017

Continue reading for more information on what you can learn, and who is eligible to join the tour!

15 April (Sat) - Free guided walk at the Pasir Ris Mangroves

Specially for kids and families, explore Pasir Ris mangroves with volunteer nature guides from the Naked Hermit Crabs on this FREE guided tour of the boardwalk!

Sign up now on our online registration form! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. Bring your children down to enjoy nature during the weekend!

Giant mudskippers are a common sight in our mangroves!

There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, herons and monitor lizards. Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers and water snakes! It will certainly be an unforgettable experience with your friends and family!

Date: 15 April, 2017 (Saturday)
Time: 5 pm (We should end around 6.30pm, just before sunset.)
Meeting point: Pasir Ris Park, Carpark C.

Sign up here.

Meet near the first toilets nearest the entrance to Carpark C. The meeting point is a short stroll from the Pasir Ris MRT station. Pasir Ris Park is a very long park with many carparks (from A to D). Do look at the map to be sure you are heading for the correct carpark.

Please sign up for the walk at our Online Registration Form. We look forward to seeing you there!

Do read on for more information about our FAQs and what you can expect to see!

18-Mar-17 (Sat) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Hi there! It is the March school holidays and we have a free Chek Jawa nature outing on the boardwalk this coming Saturday, 18 March. We still have about 20 places available for sign-ups. To sign up, do so at our Online Registration Form

Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of an experienced volunteer guide, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Date: 18 March 2017 (Saturday)

Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin

Meeting time: 9:30 am

Duration of walk: 2 hours

Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

More information can be found in this link.

What to expect during a Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing with the Crabs

Here's some useful information about our Chek Jawa Boardwalk nature outings.

Naked Hermit Crabs is a small and informal group of volunteers who have been conducting free nature walks at Chek Jawa and Pasir Ris Mangroves since Sep 2007. We want to raise public awareness of the rich biodiversity and fragile coastal ecosystems found in these nature places.

Even though we are not going down to the shore (yes, the nature walk is conducted on the boardwalk), there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

During these walks, we will meet and greet you at the Chek Jawa Information Kiosk. Our visitors are split into groups of around 10 to 20 people, led by a volunteer guide. Each group will proceed to explore the mangroves followed by the coastal area, before ending the walk at the English Cottage. We usually end the walk with a short drawing session to allow the kids (and grown-ups too) to express their thoughts about the trip.

2017 schedule - Naked Hermit Crabs turn 10!

We are turning 10 this year! 10 years of bringing you the fun and FREE nature walks at Chek Jawa Boardwalk and Pasir Ris Mangroves. We couldn't have done this without the constant support and encouragement of our visitors. Sometimes we felt like giving up, and sometimes we went slow to give ourselves some rest. But we're still here, and we hope we have done a little for the ground-up conservation efforts of our nature places in Singapore, especially for threatened natural shores such as Chek Jawa.

It gives us much joy to share what we know about the plants and animals that live in the fragile coastal ecosystems of Chek Jawa and Pasir Ris Mangroves. Sign up for our walks and get to know Singapore's own biodiversity from volunteers who care about such things.

Here is our schedule for 2017. All walks are held at Chek Jawa Boardwalk (Pulau Ubin) unless stated otherwise.

25 Feb (Saturday)
18 Mar (Saturday) - school holidays
22 Apr (Saturday) changed to 15 Apr (Saturday) - Pasir Ris Mangroves
20 May (Saturday) we plan to train new guides in May for the Jun Balik Chek Jawa
3 Jun (Saturday) - Balik Chek Jawa. No registration needed. Simply show up at Chek Jawa and we will have guides to show you around.
1 Jul (Saturday) changed to Pasir Ris Mangroves instead of Chek Jawa
19 Aug (Saturday) new date
3 Sep (Sunday) - school holidays - Pasir Ris Mangroves
15 Oct (Sunday)
25 Nov (Saturday) - school holidays
16 Dec (Saturday) - school holidays

Registration for our walks are done online through Google Forms. We open registration one month at a time, as soon as we finish the previous one.

Click here to access the Online Registration Form for Chek Jawa Boardwalk.

This is the normal schedule at each Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip:

Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Meeting time: 9:30 am
Duration of walk: 2 hours
Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted

If you have any questions, feel free to write to us at nakedhermitcrabs at gmail dot com.

Happy nature exploring!

FREE Nature Walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk - November and December

Gold-spotted mudskipper seen at high tide at Chek Jawa (October 2016)

It's the year-end school holidays! We are opening registration for our FREE nature walks at Chek Jawa for the months of November and December. Register at this link!

The Naked Hermit Crabs have been running these nature outing for small family and friend groups since 2007. Run by a small group of nature volunteers, we want to raise awareness of rich and fragile coastal ecosystems such as Chek Jawa. It is common to hear people dismiss mangroves as "useless swamp land", or talk about "draining the swamp" as a metaphor for getting rid of something useless or harmful. We want to dispel that kind of thinking that mangroves and inter-tidal coastlines are useless land.

When you visit Chek Jawa, you will see just how rich it is with plant and animal biodiversity, and why we should protect it for future generations. Chek Jawa is a gem among the nature places in Singapore.  Even though we are not going down to the shore (yes, the nature walk is conducted on the boardwalk), there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Let the volunteer guides show you the amazing biodiversity that is in our own "backyard"! Sign up here.

Date: 19 November and 17 December (Saturday)

Meeting time: 9.30am

Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin

Duration of walk: Around 2 hours

Cost: Free (small donations are accepted)

a typical scene during our walks

Read on for more information...

FREE Nature Walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk - November and December

Gold-spotted mudskipper seen at high tide at Chek Jawa (October 2016)

It's the year-end school holidays! We are opening registration for our FREE nature walks at Chek Jawa for the months of November and December. Register at this link!

The Naked Hermit Crabs have been running these nature outing for small family and friend groups since 2007. Run by a small group of nature volunteers, we want to raise awareness of rich and fragile coastal ecosystems such as Chek Jawa. It is common to hear people dismiss mangroves as "useless swamp land", or talk about "draining the swamp" as a metaphor for getting rid of something useless or harmful. We want to dispel that kind of thinking that mangroves and inter-tidal coastlines are useless land.

When you visit Chek Jawa, you will see just how rich it is with plant and animal biodiversity, and why we should protect it for future generations. Chek Jawa is a gem among the nature places in Singapore.  Even though we are not going down to the shore (yes, the nature walk is conducted on the boardwalk), there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Let the volunteer guides show you the amazing biodiversity that is in our own "backyard"!

Date: 19 November and 17 December (Saturday)

Meeting time: 9.30am

Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin

Duration of walk: Around 2 hours

Cost: Free (small donations are accepted)

a typical scene during our walks

Read on for more information...

15 Oct (Sat) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk

Registration for the Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 15 October, Saturday, is now open! You may sign at our Google online form.

Bring your family and friends to Ubin, and enjoy the great outdoors and learn about the wonderful biodiversity that can be found in Chek Jawa, located in the eastern tip of the island. You won't be disappointed. We have experienced guides (all volunteers) who are eager to share their love for mangroves and marine life with you. Chek Jawa is indeed one of the richest coastal ecosystems in Singapore. Some of the 'die-die-sure-can-see' animals are fiddler crabs, mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, spiders, wild boars and monitor lizards. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle, White-rumped shama and the giant Atlas Moth.

So what are you waiting for? Gather your family and friends, and sign up!

Date: 15 October, 2016 (Saturday)

Meeting time: 9.30am

Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin

Duration of walk: Around 2 hours

Cost: Free (small donations are accepted)

Read on for more information...