- Hoi Ha Wan
Hoi Ha Wan (Chinese: 海下灣) or Jones Cove is a bay at the north of
Sai Kung Peninsula . It is amarine park inHong 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 ofcoral s can be ascertained under the sea, and it is a hot spot fordiving . So as to keep the localecosystem s away from human intervention,fishing , particularlybottom trawling and uses ofdynamite s orpoison s likecyanide 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 andKwun Tsoi Kok through the northern end ofFlat Island (Ngan Chau ) and Moon Island (Mo Chau ). The landward boundary follows the high water mark along the coastline.Ecology
Mangrove communities
Like the nursery grounds in
Mai Po , Ho Ha Wan also offers amangrove community occupying about 5,300 square metres. Along with abuffer zone between the tidal waters and the land, the mangrove woods are commonly act an ecologically sustainable habitat for juvenile fishes and otherintertidal andsubtidal 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, likestarfish andjellyfish , in the Park further demonstrates its ecological significance.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 localBritish Sub-Aqua Club diving enthusiasts 'Ydive' [http://www.ydive.org.hk] has annually monitored coral & marine life variety & density since 1997.History
There are also the remnants of
limekiln 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 eitheroyster 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 intocalcium oxide by means of heating.Transport
It can be reached by taking Route 7 of Green Minibus of New Territories at
Sai Kung Town Centre. The minibus provides service at daytime everyday, and the fare is HK$10as of 2007 .External links
* [http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/con_mar/con_mar_cor/con_mar_cor_hkrc/con_mar_cor_hkrc.html]
* [http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_vis/cou_vis_cou/cou_vis_cou.html]
* [http://www.wwf.org.hk/eng/hoihawan/ WWF Hong Kong - Hoi Ha Wan]
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