Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

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Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is one of the first batch of Marine Parks established in Hong Kong.

It was designated in July 1996. Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is a sheltered bay located north of the Sai Kung West Country Park. It covers an area of about 260 hectares. The seaward boundary is demarcated by linking the tips of Heung Lo Kok and Kwun Tsoi Kok through the northern end of Flat Island (Ngan Chau) and Moon Island (Mo Chau). The landward boundary generally follows the high water mark along the coastline.

Hoi Ha Wan is one of the best sea areas in Hong Kong with good water quality and diverse marine lives. Coral communities in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is most famous, in terms of species diversity and richness. Mangroves and various marine organisms are also recorded in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park.

Mangroves

Of 8 species of true mangroves recorded in Hong Kong, 6 species can be found in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. The best mangrove community is located at the main estuarine of Hoi Ha Wan of about 0.53 hectares of area. Five true mangrove species including Kandelia obovata, Aegicera corniculatum, Excoecaria agallocha, Avicennia marinaand Bruguiera gymnorrhiza are recorded in this area. While another species of true mangrove, Lumnitzera racemosa was also recorded in other coastal site within Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. Mangrove areas commonly act as nursery grounds for juvenile fishes and other intertidal and subtidal invertebrates.

Coral communities

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park has lush coral communities and it is one of the best coral sites in Hong Kong. 64 out of 84 stony coral species recorded in Hong Kong can be found in this marine park. Some species of stony corals common here include Favites flexuosa, Goniopora columna, Leptastrea purpurea, Lithophyllon undulatum, Pavona decussata. and Platygyra acuta. Some of the best coral sites in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park even recorded with over 50 species of stony corals.

Other marine lives

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park has rich diversity of marine lives. Some research studies showed that this Marine Park has more than 120 species of coral associated fishes. Additional marine fish species is expected to be recorded in this marine parks in future surveys. Moreover, diverse marine invertebrates such as Mastigias papua (jellyfish), Sigmadocia symbiotica(sponges), Antipatharian sp. (black coral), Cypraea arabica (cowries), Protula magnifica (tubeworm), Atergatis reticulatus(crab), Salmacis sphaeroides (sea urchin), Colochirus quadrangularis (sea cucumber), etc are recorded in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park.