Hong Kong has an elongated coastline with over 250 islands. Our rich marine biodiversity such as corals and fishes are even comparable to the Caribbean's! If you do not have time to dive abroad, here are three dive spots you should not miss in Hong Kong!
The Maldives in Hong Kong
According to the Hong Kong Coral Reef Survey, the coral coverage in Sharp Island is extensive, so it is named as Hong Kong’s Maldives. Diving activities are mainly concentrated on the West side of the island, with depths ranging from 1 to 9 meters, and mud bottoms below 9 meters.
Divers can easily discover leaf corals, crabs, cuttlefish, porgies fish and goby fish. Also, due to its convenient and sheltered location adjacent to Sai Kung Pier, it is one of the major dive sites for new divers in Hong Kong.
The Northeastern paradise
Tung Ping Chau is the farthest northeastern island in Hong Kong and is renowned for its sedimentary rocks. Tung Ping Chau is also one of the Hong Kong Coastal Parks with its waters protected by the government. That is because it has two valuable habitats, coral reefs and kelps forests with rich marine biodiversity. Besides, it is a rare site for Hong Kong divers to shore dive. Underwater, there are staghorn corals, porgies fish, stonefish and even lobsters. However, as it is rather remote, we suggest you check with the boat schedule when you plan your visit.
Garden for the advanced divers
Basalt Island is one of the UNESCO World Geoparks with many spectacular sea caves along the shore. The underwater world is equally wonderful. With good visibility, you can dive deeper than 20 meters, which makes it a common site for advanced diving and free diving enthusiasts. Other than spotting clownfishes, the popular movie star, Basalt Island has more than one hundred kinds of fishes! At the same time, you can find colorful soft corals such as black corals, gorgonian, or other various creatures like sea apple and nudibranch. Considering your safety, we highly recommended you to use surface marker buoy to notify boats around that there are divers below.
There are a few cautions when you dive in Hong Kong. Make sure you have sufficient thermal protection, plan your dive route and always employ a surface marker buoy to notify boats around that there are divers. Now that you found out more about Hong Kong dive spots, do not hesitate to call on your fellow divers and discover the amazing underwater world of Hong Kong!