Hong Kong may be one of the world’s most crowded urban areas, but it is blessed with a variety of ecotourism options. Not only has over 40% of its land area been designated as Country parks, it also has a wetland park, a reserve for migratory birds, 4 marine parks and one marine reserve. Effective November 2009, the Hong Kong government established eight geoparks to recognize some of the unique geological formations found locally.
Tung Ping Chau is one of two places in Hong Kong (Yan Chau Tong in Plover Cove is the other) that doubles as both a Marine Park and a Geo Park. Of the two, tiny 1.1 sq. km. Tung Ping Chau probably delivers the most “bang for the buck”. Not only are nearly 80% of Hong Kong’s 84 hard corals found nestled here in its two small bays with large algae beds occupying the other side of the shoreline, the relatively young (in geological terms) sedimentary outcrops created 55 million years ago have formed some very unique and interesting landscape formations around the island. You can visit Tung Ping Chau’s major ecological features in a short 3 km walking tour on relatively level terrain.
On November 29 2009, Living Seas Hong Kong founding members Dod O’Dwyer and Jeffrey Lee joined by new member Janet Chan guided 35 of Englishtown’s teachers and students to explore this relatively remote island located in Mirs Bay (大鵬灣) in the extreme NE corner of the territory. After the 1.5 hour ferry ride from Ma Liu Shui near the University MTR stop, participants toured the shoreline littered with dead coral fragments adjoining the coral communities in A Ma Bay (亞媽灣) and Tai Tong Bay (大塘灣), as well as explored the rock formations of Kang Lau Shek, Lan Kuo Shui, Lung Lok Shui and Cham Keng Chau. Tung Ping Chau’s sedimentary outcrops also contain many plant and animal fossils from the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods.
Participants learned that although Tung Ping Chau was designated as a Marine Park in 1996, recreational fishing is still allowed without a permit. At the same time they also witnessed a number of fishing boats casting nets in the coral protection zones where fishing is officially banned, with not a single marine patrol in sight.
After lunch in one of the villages on the island, participants learned how to use the Seafood Consumption guide in making their seafood choices, and we then played some quiz games to test their new knowledge about Hong Kong’s Marine Environment and Conservation situation with prizes for correct answers. Participants boarded the late afternoon ferry back to Ma Liu Shui just as the sun began to slide across the low hills on the island punctuating the skyline.
Please check our webpage or facebook page for more photos from the event. To learn about the Tung Ping Chau Marine Park, please check the AFCD website at AFCD information page. (Chinese:
Information about all of Hong Kong’s Geoparks can be found at Geopark info page
Living Seas Hong Kong is already planning some more ecotours to the marine and geoparks for 2010. If your group wants to organize a trip for themselves, or if you want to join one open to the general public, please send us a note to our webpage or to our facebook page and we will send you information on how to arrange one for you.
Englishtown 東坪洲之旅 — 2009年11月
雖說香港地少人多，極為擁擠，但它仍有許多生態旅遊的熱點。香港不僅有超過四成面積屬郊野公園，更有一個濕地公園、一個為移徙鳥類而設的自然保護區、四個海岸公園和一個海岸保護區。在2009年11開始，政府更設立八個地質公園，讓公眾飽覽本地特有的地理形態。
東坪洲並有海岸公園和地質公園（香港另一有此殊榮的地方為船灣的印堂洲），兩個公園雖合共僅有1.1平方公里，但其生態內容之豐富卻是無出其右︰香港有84種石珊瑚，近八成都可在東坪洲的兩個小灣中找到；海岸線的另一端充斥著水藻；沉澱物露頭岩石（5500萬年前形成，在地質學上而言十分年輕）則為此島帶來獨特有趣的地貌。東坪洲地形相對平坦，三公里的路程中足可欣賞島上的主要生態情況。
去年11月29日，勃勃香港創會成員 Dod O’Dwyer 和 Jeffrey Lee 聯同新成員 Janet Chan，帶領35位Englishtown 師生到東坪洲旅行。他們從大學鐵路站附近的馬料水出發，經過90分鐘船程，到達這個位於香港最東北的大鵬灣偏遠小島。參加者走過亞媽灣與大塘灣之間的珊瑚區，海岸線上布滿死珊瑚殘骸；沿途又欣賞了更樓石、難過水、龍落水和斬頸洲等地的岩石。東坪洲的沉澱物露頭岩石上，更有許多動植物化石，其歷史可遠溯至白堊紀末期及第三紀之久。
參加者得知，雖然東坪洲自1996年起已被列為海岸公園，但一般消閑式釣魚仍可進行而毋須另行申請牌照。同時，他們也看到數艘漁船在珊瑚保護區附近拋網捕魚。儘管該處嚴禁漁獵，但當時並無任何海事巡邏隊人員在場。
在島上一條村落午膳後，參加者先是學習使用食用海鮮指南來選擇海鮮食物，然後在問答遊戲方式比併新掌握的香港海洋環境及保育知識，答對者均獲發禮物以示鼓勵。當夕陽西向，餘暉勾勒出小島山丘與天空的線條時，也就是參加者登船折返馬料水的時候了。
我們網頁和 facebook 上有更多這次活動的照片。如欲取得東坪洲海岸公園的資料，可瀏覽以下漁護署的網頁︰
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/tc_chi/country/cou_vis/cou_vis_mar/cou_vis_mar_des/cou_vis_mar_des_tun.html
(英文網頁︰） 關於地質公園的資訊，則可瀏覽以下網頁︰http://www.geopark.gov.hk/
勃勃海洋正籌備在2010年舉辦更多造訪海岸及地質公園的生態旅行。如果你的團隊希望自組隊伍參加，又或是希望跟其他公眾一起參與，歡迎你在我們的網頁或 facebook 留言，我們樂意提供相關資料，助你作出安排。