Hoi Ha Wan
Encyclopedia
Hoi Ha Wan or Jone's Cove is a bay at the north of Sai Kung Peninsula
. It is a marine park
in Hong Kong.
The location has a high biological value, as it shows a high degree of biodiversity
. That is because the Park is a sheltered bay with pristine water quality, so that it provides a good marine environment for housing a great variety of marine organisms. Numerous kinds of coral
s can be ascertained under the sea, and it is a hot spot for diving
. So as to keep the local ecosystem
s away from human intervention, fishing
, particularly bottom trawling
and uses of dynamite
s or poison
s like cyanide
s, collecting sea products and corals are prohibited by law.
(Ngan Chau) and Moon Island
(Mo Chau). The landward boundary follows the high water mark along the coastline.
community occupying about 5,300 square metres. Along with a buffer zone
between the tidal waters and the land, the mangrove woods are commonly act an ecologically sustainable habitat for juvenile fishes and other intertidal and subtidal invertebrates.
Reef Check
through AFCD http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/con_mar/con_mar_cor/con_mar_cor_hkrc/con_mar_cor_hkrc.html performed by local British Sub-Aqua Club diving enthusiasts 'Ydive' http://www.ydive.org.hk, and Li Po Chun United World College's Coral Monitoring Team has annually monitored coral & marine life variety & density since 1992.
s. There are total 4 limekilns in Hoi Ha Wan but only 2 remain comparatively intact. They are located on the eastern shore of inner Hoi Ha Wan. Limekiln industry was one of the oldest industries (1800–1939) in Hong Kong, which refined lime from either oyster shells or coral skeletons for construction and agricultural uses. In the processes, limestone
, i.e. calcium carbonate
, in the shells and corals would be transformed into calcium oxide
by means of heating.
of New Territories at Sai Kung Town Centre. The minibus provides service at daytime everyday, and the fare is HK$
10 .
Sai Kung Peninsula
Sai Kung Peninsula is a peninsula in the easternmost part of the New Territories in Hong Kong. Its name comes from Sai Kung Town in the central southern area of the peninsula...
. It is a marine park
Marine parks in Hong Kong
The Marine Parks Ordinance protects and conserves the marine environment and a rich collection of aquatic animals and plants, such as corals, sea grasses and dolphins. The ordinance also provides the legal framework for the designation, control and management of marine parks and marine reserves...
in Hong Kong.
The location has a high biological value, as it shows a high degree of biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. That is because the Park is a sheltered bay with pristine water quality, so that it provides a good marine environment for housing a great variety of marine organisms. Numerous kinds of coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s can be ascertained under the sea, and it is a hot spot for diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
. So as to keep the local ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s away from human intervention, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, particularly bottom trawling
Bottom trawling
Bottom trawling is trawling along the sea floor. It is also often referred to as "dragging".The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling...
and uses of dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
s or poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
s like cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
s, collecting sea products and corals are prohibited by law.
Geography
Covering an area of around 2.6 square kilometres, the seaward boundary of the Park is demarcated by linking the tips of Heung Lo Kok and Kwun Tsoi Kok through the northern end of Flat IslandFlat Island
Flat Island or Ngan Chau is an island of between Heung Leung Kok and Ocean Point in the north shore of Sai Kung Peninsula of Hong Kong.It is at the mouth of in Hoi Ha Wan and the boundary of Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park ....
(Ngan Chau) and Moon Island
Moon Island (Hong Kong)
Mo Chau , or Moon Island is an island in Tolo Channel, in the Tai Po District of Hong Kong.-External links:*...
(Mo Chau). The landward boundary follows the high water mark along the coastline.
Mangrove communities
Like the nursery grounds in Mai Po, Ho Ha Wan also offers a mangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
community occupying about 5,300 square metres. Along with a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
between the tidal waters and the land, the mangrove woods are commonly act an ecologically sustainable habitat for juvenile fishes and other intertidal and subtidal invertebrates.
Marine communities
Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park has lush coral communities. Most of the stony coral species recorded in Hong Kong can be found in this marine park. 100-odd species of reef-associated fishes have been recorded in Hoi Ha Wan. In addition, records of wide variety of marine animals, like starfish and jellyfish, in the Park further demonstrates its ecological significance.Reef Check
Reef Check
Reef Check is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of two reef ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and Californian rocky reefs. The Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States, but uses data from volunteer scuba diver teams in over 80...
through AFCD http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/con_mar/con_mar_cor/con_mar_cor_hkrc/con_mar_cor_hkrc.html performed by local British Sub-Aqua Club diving enthusiasts 'Ydive' http://www.ydive.org.hk, and Li Po Chun United World College's Coral Monitoring Team has annually monitored coral & marine life variety & density since 1992.
History
There are also the remnants of limekilnLimekiln
A lime kiln is used to produce quicklime through the calcination of limestone . The chemical equation for this reaction is...
s. There are total 4 limekilns in Hoi Ha Wan but only 2 remain comparatively intact. They are located on the eastern shore of inner Hoi Ha Wan. Limekiln industry was one of the oldest industries (1800–1939) in Hong Kong, which refined lime from either oyster shells or coral skeletons for construction and agricultural uses. In the processes, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, i.e. calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
, in the shells and corals would be transformed into calcium oxide
Calcium oxide
Calcium oxide , commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature....
by means of heating.
Transport
It can be reached by taking Route 7 of Green MinibusPublic light bus
A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....
of New Territories at Sai Kung Town Centre. The minibus provides service at daytime everyday, and the fare is HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
10 .