The back story
Wild Hong Kong: Pink Dolphins, Wetlands and Country Parks
Pink Chinese white dolphins off Lantau, migratory birds at Mai Po and the Wetland Park, and the country parks that cover almost 40 per cent of the land: Hong Kong’s wild side.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Leonard Reback · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsHong Kong’s wild side, from the Chinese white dolphins of the western waters to the wetlands of Deep Bay and Tin Shui Wai, the country parks and the volcanic coast of the UNESCO Global Geopark, with a directory of the parks and trails in our guide. Facts from the Hong Kong government (AFCD, Wetland Park, Geopark) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Beyond the towers, Hong Kong is surprisingly wild. Almost 40 per cent of its land is protected as country parks, a world of ridges, reservoirs and quiet beaches; in the western waters off Lantau swim pink Chinese white dolphins; and every winter the wetlands of Deep Bay fill with migrating birds from the north.
Most of it is an MTR, bus or ferry ride from the centre. Go on a weekday if you can, carry water, and treat every reserve as a home rather than a backdrop.
Almost 40 per cent of Hong Kong is country park, and pink dolphins swim within sight of the airport.
The pink dolphins of Lantau
The Chinese white dolphin, often called the pink dolphin, lives in the waters west of Lantau, where the fresh water of the Pearl River meets the sea. The government’s Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, north of the airport, protects part of its range. If you take a dolphin-watching trip, choose an operator that keeps its distance, limits its speed and never chases the animals.
Country parks and the Geopark
The country parks are Hong Kong’s great surprise. On Hong Kong Island, the Dragon’s Back follows a ridge in Shek O Country Park with views over the sea; across the water, the Lamma Family Trail joins the island’s two ferry piers. In the north-east, the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark covers volcanic and sedimentary landscapes in Sai Kung and the north-eastern New Territories, with hexagonal rock columns rising from the sea.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © ChInG_* · CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsIn the middle of Central, the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the oldest park in the territory, has aviaries and a greenhouse in 5.6 hectares.
Feature: the wetlands of Deep Bay
On the north-west coast, facing Shenzhen across Deep Bay, the mudflats, mangroves and fishponds of Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay are a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. In winter they draw migratory waterbirds from the north, among them the rare black-faced spoonbill. The easiest way in for visitors is Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai, the government’s wetland reserve, with boardwalks, hides and a visitor centre.
Did you know? Chinese white dolphins are not born pink: calves are dark grey, and they grow paler and pinker as they age.
Our advice
Our advice: walk the country parks in the cooler months, from October to March, start early, and carry water; summer heat and typhoons can close trails. Visit the Wetland Park in winter for the migratory birds, and choose dolphin trips that keep their distance. Never feed wild monkeys or other wildlife, and take your rubbish home.
Why it's on our list
- The pink dolphins of Lantau
- Country parks and the Geopark
- Feature: the wetlands of Deep Bay
- Our advice
Location
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