2024/03/22
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FAQ

 1.

Are permits required for visiting marine parks?
  - Visitors are free to access all the six marine parks and take part in certain recreational activities such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing and other boating activities (with speed limit below 10 knots and anchor within the designated anchoring areas) without a permit.
     
2. What are the opening hours of marine parks?
  - Marine parks are open all year round.
     
3. Can I drive to Hoi Ha Wan marine park?
  - Permission to drive through the Pak Tam Chung Barrier Gate to Hoi Ha Village is required. For details of permit application please contact Sai Kung Country Park Visitor Centre by calling: 3129 3056 / 2792 7365.

Visiting Hoi Ha Wan by public transport is highly recommended. (For information on transportation, please click Information on transportation to different marine parks.)
     
4. Can I conduct water sports activities in Cape D' Aguilar Marine Reserve?
  - NO. Under the Marine Parks and Marine Reserves Regulation, water-skiing, which includes the operation of a jet ski or water scooter, is prohibited within Marine Parks and Marine Reserves; in addition, swimming, diving and carrying out any boating are also prohibited in Marine Reserves.
     
5. What should I prepare before visiting Marine Parks?
  - Marine Parks are mostly located at the remote areas, visitors should bring enough drinking water and food for the outing. Besides, visitors are recommended to wear light-coloured long-sleeved shirts, trousers, hat and also put on sun cream and insect repellent to prevent both sunburn and mosquito bites.
     
6. The following activities are prohibited inside marine parks:
  - Fishing, hunting, collecting or possessing any wild animals or plants, or their parts
  - Disturbing the eggs, juvenile or the nesting sites of any protected marine species
  - Possession of trawl net, spear gun, explosives, chemicals or devices using electric charge which may be used for fishing
  - Water skiing, jet skiing or water scootering
  - Operating vessels exceeding the speed of 10 knots
  - Damaging any shoreline features at the beach, mudflat, cliff or seabed
  - Damaging notices, markers or other installations
  - Obstruct waterways, pollute water body or littering
  - Unauthorized commercial activities, group activities, mooring and anchoring
  - Conducting any mariculture operation
     
7. Why can’t we dig the sand and rubbles, overturn boulders, or pick up marine organisms or their body parts in the marine parks?
  - The marine parks are designated to protect the natural coastal environment. The diversity and the biomass of organisms in different habitats of marine parks are much higher than the same habitats in many other areas outside the marine parks. The sand, stones, boulders and rubbles that protect marine organisms from desiccation (dried-up by the sunlight exposure) or their predator. Therefore, sand digging and overturn of boulders or rubbles are not allowed in marine parks area.

On the other hand, each organism has their own role in the ecosystem even though it is a remnant of a dead organism. For example, the different size of sea shell remnants provide shelters for hermit crabs to grow and hide from their predator. Therefore, please do not disturb any coastal organisms and dead remnant while you are visiting marine parks. The best way to keep your memory is by taking photos or by drawings.
     
8.  Can I visit Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre?
  - Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre is managed by WWFHK. For details, please contact WWF Hong Kong.
     
9. Are there any boat trips organized by AFCD for coral watching (e.g. the glass bottomed boat trip)?
  - AFCD does not provide any on-boat coral watching service.
     
10. I am planning to join the guided tours organized by Marine Parks Division this Sunday, can I make a booking now?
  - AFCD provides the public guided ecotour at Hoi Ha Wan. Only on-site booking is available at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park Warden Post. For details, please check out the information at Hoi Ha Wan Ecotour Service.
     
11. Student Project Enquiries
  - Answers of student project enquiries could be found in our web site. Please click the following link to find your answers: Introduction of Marine Parks, Facilities, Regulations, Education Services, Eco information, and Marine Parks Visitor Codes.
  - If you need further information, please email to us. It would be helpful to include the research proposal, a list of literature studied and definitions of terms used.
  - As photos of country parks and eco life are copyrighted, requests for such photos would be rejected.
     
12. For other information about Marine Parks, please call 1823.
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