Kayaking in a Marine Park in Hong Kong

On the tranquil water in Hoi Ha Wan in Sai Kung

A good friend of mine took me to her happy place the other day and I can see why. 

We met up at Tiu King Leng MTR station and took a taxi to Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park (海下) in Sai Kung. It's about a half hour trip past Sai Kung city centre and into a geo-park area. 

My friend had arranged to rent kayaks -- my first time doing it -- and after packing all our items in waterproof bags we went down to the beach with life vest and paddle in hand. There were kayaks there waiting for us and we strapped our bags in, had water bottles on hand and then paddled out into a bay area. 

Fresh green algae that is soft and fuzzy

The water was so still -- and even better there was no one there on a weekday late morning. We were also socially distanced, with each of us in our own kayaks.

After a quick lesson of how to hold the paddle we were off. As an absolute beginner I was surprised how fast my friend was paddling, but she has been doing this for over a year and looked very comfortable being in the water.

While I like swimming, for me it took a bit of time to accept the fact that I was going to be wet all day as I dipped the paddle into the water on one side, then in the other which led to water falling onto my legs and lap.

But it was so nice to be on the water, just hearing the sound of the water as we paddled. 

Our first stop was to an area where she saw a beautiful blue and yellow fish about one foot long -- I was too far away to see but saw the pictures later. There also lots of small sea urchins and sea cucumbers! As it is a protected marine park people are not supposed to take these creatures out to consume, nor should they take the coral with them.

Very low tide here with lime green vegetation

We dragged the kayaks onto the mini beach nearby and began exploring the area. I even took a quick dip in the water which was a bit cold but nice to do a bit of breast stroke after not being able to swim in a pool since December. 

My friend got her snorkel kit out and saw lots of sea creatures in the water. I was just happy to be in a place I had never been before and exploring the area around me.

We also paddled out to where the World Wildlife Fund has a marine life centre, but it is currently closed. The centre also has glass bottom boats (currently raised), that are used for visitors to admire the sea life below.

Unfortunately the temperature of the water in that area was much colder so we didn't take a dip and instead headed across the bay to another mini beach.

Sea cucumbers don't mind being touched...

When we arrived there was very low tide -- my friend had never seen it that low before, revealing lots of rocks, coral, tiny fish and speckled shells. Again we wandered around and I ever dared to touch a sea cucumber! I was surprised it just stayed there as I gently touched it -- it wasn't slimy, but soft, much like the texture when eaten! Haha.

By now it was around 3pm and we slowly made our way back to where we started. Not only did I get a chance to learn how to kayak, but also get to discover my friend's favourite place that brings her joy and tranquility to help deal with all the stress in her life.

We had good conversation, and having so much to see around us took our focus away from the pandemic that has weighed all of us down mentally and physically for over two years.

Luckily the weather was overcast so it was a nice 23 degrees or so, but when I returned home I discovered my arms were bright red from the sun! Even my back was also a bit red too despite me putting on my T-shirt and life vest every time we returned to the kayak to paddle. Strangely my right arm is redder than the left! 

A giant piece of coral on land

But also when I came back home, I could still hear the water sounds in my head and it took a while to get acclimatised back to hearing manmade urban life. Amazing.

Caught Red-Handed

Consumption of shark fin soup has plunged 70 percent in Hong Kong

While a number of restaurants and hotels claim they are not serving shark fin in Hong Kong, a few of them still do discreetly.

It's not printed on the menu, but if you order in advance, the dish prized for its price could be arranged.

But now Maxim's, one of the city's largest restaurant chains has been caught selling shark fin in its under-the-counter menus called "The Premium" when it had removed it from its menus last year.

The trade in shark fin is still going strong in the city

Wildlife groups exposed what Maxim's was doing, which the media reported, and now the restaurant group has announced that it will stop serving shark fin from January 1, 2020.

In a statement it said: "Until that point, shark fin dishes will only be provided upon request and to fulfill advance booking commitments," the statement said.

They have bookings for shark fin up until December 31, 2019?

Will there even be enough shark fin until then?

The company's statement said Maxim's had taken steps to reduce the availability of shark fin since 2010 and that there had been a 70 percent fall in consumption of shark fin in its outlets over the past seven years.

It added: "We are committed to balancing our ever-evolving customers' needs and reducing the impact of our business on the environment."

Wildlife groups want to end shark fin consumption

If there has been a 70 percent drop in consumption then why not just drop shark fin altogether then? And why wait until 2020? why not now, which is what the wildlife groups are asking.

They are also hoping other  restaurant groups like Paramount Catering Group, Lei Garden Restaurant Group, and Fulum Group Limited will follow Maxim's lead and stop serving shark fin too.

Tracy Tsang, manager of WWF-Hong Kong's Footprint program says Hong Kong accounts for 40 percent of the global shark fin trade, though there have been no prosecutions for illegally sourced or traded shark fin products between 2014 and 2017 despite 23 seizures of fins. 

If consumption has completely plunged in Hong Kong, how come the city makes up 40 percent of the world shark fin trade? Sounds like it's still a booming trade to send shark fin up north...

Pitch in for Cleaner Seas

Lots of garbage gets washed up  -- imagine how much is in the sea!

One of my friends, YTSL regularly joins a group to do beach clean-ups around Hong Kong. She is dismayed to find each time there is the same amount of garbage or even more sometimes. But she hopes that each time she pitches in she is doing her small but significant part in improving the environment.

Part of the problem is old school thinking by people who don't seem interested in trying to make the environment better for the next generation and beyond.

Case in point are the styrofoam boxes used by fishermen to transport their catches to wholesale markets.

WWF-Hong Kong's corrugated plastic boxes

"We see many of these boxes floating along the coastline and in places like Aberdeen typhoon shelter, which may have been dumped or blown into the water," says WWF-Hong Kong's project manager for marine affairs, Patrick Yeung Chung-wing.

"This has a huge impact on the environment as foam is very brittle and light, making it very hard to clean up once it's in the sea."

Not only do they pollute the water, but also the fish mistake the small white bits as food. These non-digestible things make the fish think it's full, but really it's not.

About a year ago, some scientists did biopsies of local fish and found lots of plastic and styrofoam in their stomachs. How gross is that!

According to a 2015 report compiled by the Environmental Protection Department, foam plastic makes up for one-fifth of marine refuse.

Marine life may mistaken floating plastic as food

WWF-Hong Kong is now launching a trial scheme with local fisheries representatives to use sturdy crates made from cheap, lightweight corrugated plastic.

What was the reaction? One would have thought the fishing industry would welcome the chance to improve the environment.

Instead Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium chairman Cheung Siu-keung says they would only consider the corrugated plastic crates if they were cheap, functional and durable.

"The most important consideration will be the ability to maintain the temperature of its contents," he said. "Reliable supply will also be important."

Yeung also hopes the fishermen will consider deploying special trawler nets to scoop up floating refuse more efficiently, and even bring back refuse in their nets back to shore instead of dumping them into the sea.

"Rubbish should be cleaned up in the sea and sorted onshore and given a new product life. In Hong Kong, there are no groups or companies doing this," he says.

We all need to pitch in to make the harbour cleaner. And it seems just trying to get the right attitude from stakeholders is the biggest challenge of all...

Picture of the Day: Fake Pandas

How do these pandas in Shanghai...

Last year it was the Rubber Duck that captivated Hong Kong last summer and then China had to do one (or many) better by creating its own versions. The one in Beijing for instance had to be bigger than the one in Hong Kong...

And then this year it's the pandas. There were 1,600 pandas that invaded the city last month, a project presented by WWF to bring to attention there are only 1,600 pandas left in the wild.

... compare to these ones that visited Hong Kong recently?

Now that the cute black and white creatures have left (presumably on the Cathay Pacific flight that they arrived on), Shanghai has decided to copy Hong Kong again.

One thousand toy pandas with various facial expressions were placed the steps of the Shanghai World Financial Centre for a promotional event.

While they attracted onlookers with cameras, these pandas are hardly as cute as those created by French artist Paulo Grangeon.

Just another sad commentary of how the mainland strives to be cool, and yet it can only think of copying what's already been done before...

Picture of the Day: Panda-monium

The panda invasion begins today in Hong Kong until July 17

They're here! Today 1,600 papier mache pandas arrived at Hong Kong International Airport, then visit 10 sites like the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Ma Wan, Victoria Park and Statue Square until June 21, before occupying PMQ in Sheung Wan from June 24 to July 17.

The pandas have already visited places like France, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands since 2008.

French artist Paulo Grangeon created the critters, each one representing a real one, captive or in the wild, which is not a lot.

Sculptor Paulo Grangeron at the airport with his 1,600 pandas

The traveling exhibition called 1600 Pandas is part of a fundraising campaign by the WWF to raise awareness about the plight of the cuddly black and white animal.

"If all humans die, all animals will survive with the earth," said Grangeon. "But if all animals die, the earth and humans will disappear."

He said that back in 2008, Serge Orru, then director of WWF in France asked him to create the panda sculptures.

"As a sculptor, I made art and showed it to only 100 people at a gallery. But now, these pandas have inspired many to help the environment," Grangeron said.

They are made from recycled paper in Thailand and environmentally-friendly paint, and over 10,000 have been made, as some are "adopted" for fundraising for a modest fee.

In Hong Kong there are three sizes and two shapes to choose from with "adoption" prices ranging from HK$200 to HK$450.

The panda flash mob has already visited Paris...

Alternatively the public can make their own pandas for HK$188 which will be exhibited and once the show is over, they can take home their pandas.

This panda project is a great follow-up to the Rubber Duck that came last year at this time, except here there is a strong environmental message and encouraging people to interact and take part.

Sixteen hundred papier mache pandas may look like a lot, but in reality that's not a lot of pandas on the planet. We hope more will be born in the wild and not be raised in captivity because the less they depend on us the better.

By the same token we should not be encroaching too much on their habitat and let them be.

Only through greater awareness can we create change.

Now how can I "adopt" a panda...