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Weather & observations

Nature & biodiversity

Hong Kong packs forested hills, streams, mangroves, mudflats, seagrass, beaches, rocky shores and coral communities into a small territory at the mouth of the Pearl River. This page follows them from ridge to reef, with the figures, species and places that define each one.

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A schematic cross-section of Hong Kong habitats, from hill woodland to the estuary. Select a number to jump to that habitat.

  1. 1Woodlands
  2. 2Freshwater habitats
  3. 3Mangroves
  4. 4Mudflats
  5. 5Seagrass beds
  6. 6Sandy shores
  7. 7Rocky shores
  8. 8Seaweed beds
  9. 9Coral communities
  10. 10Estuarine waters

Hong Kong nature, in numbers

65.1%

Woodland, shrubland, grassland and wetland

Reference period ·

Land cover and legal protection are different measures. Published rounded shares are added.

How to read these data

Neihou · 29.8 + 16.4 + 18.3 + 0.6 = 65.1%

448.42km²

Country parks and special areas

Reference period ·

Special areas inside country parks are counted only once.

How to read these data

Neihou · (43,997 ha + 845 ha) ÷ 100 = 448.42 km²

85.17km²

Marine parks and reserve

Reference period ·

How to read these data

Neihou · 8,517 ha ÷ 100 = 85.17 km²

Source

Source · HKSAR Government · Planning Department · How to read these data

Source · HKSAR Government · Census and Statistics Department; underlying data AFCD · How to read these data

More numbers

Each figure has its own reference date and definition; figures from different sources are not added together.

Protected nature

Country parks
25 parks2024-03-011
Special areas
22 areas2026-06-242
Share of land in country parks and special areas
about 40 %2025-12-31 / 20263
Marine parks plus one marine reserve
9 protected areas2024-11-014
Share of Hong Kong waters in marine parks and reserve
about 5 %2025-12-313
Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site
over 1,500 ha1995-09-045

Life recorded

Vascular plant species
over 3,100 species2026-07-286
Bird species recorded
over 580 species2026-07-286
Marine species recorded in Hong Kong waters
about 6,000 species2026-07-286
Hard (stony) coral species
over 80 species2024-11-027
Marine mammal species recorded
20 species2020-12-228
Amphibian species
25 speciesdataset modified 2025-01-219

Habitats mapped

Woodland mapped from satellite imagery
270.42 km²2019 imagery; map revision 202110
Mangrove area (AFCD habitat map)
about 6.2 km²2019 imagery; map revision 202110
Seagrass bed area (AFCD habitat map)
about 0.38 km²2019 imagery; map revision 202110
Ecologically important streams
33 streamsdataset 2022-10-2611

Setting and climate

Length of coastline
about 1,200 km2024-11-027
Islands
263 islands2025-09-1712
Mean annual rainfall at the Observatory, 1991–2020
2,431.2 mm1991–202013
Mean annual temperature at the Observatory, 1991–2020
23.5 °C1991–202014

Habitats from ridge to reef

Woodlands

Woodland in Hong Kong is still expanding. In one 30 km² study area in the Tai Mo Shan and Shing Mun country parks, naturally regenerating forest spread from 0.2% of the landscape after the war to over 37% by 2014, while many planted forests still had few native species beneath them after six or seven decades. AFCD's habitat map shows about 270 km² of woodland, nearly a quarter of the area mapped, and the government reports that woodland and plantation cover has grown from about 17% around 2000 to about 30%. Woodland is protected mainly through country parks; the newest, Robin's Nest, contains secondary woodland, shrubland and upland grassland with over 500 recorded species.1910

Key facts

  • Woodland covered 270.42 km² (24.0% of the mapped area) in AFCD's Terrestrial Habitat Map 2021, built from satellite images taken September–December 2019; rural plantation added 57.06 km².10
  • The Planning Department's 2025 land-use statistics, using a different classification, put woodland at 333 km² (29.8% of Hong Kong).18
  • A July 2026 government speech said woodland and plantation cover has grown from 17% around 2000 to 30% today, after decades of afforestation and enrichment planting. This is a different measure from the habitat map's woodland class.6

Species to look for

  • Incense tree 土沉香 Aquilaria sinensis
  • Red azalea 紅杜鵑
  • Chinese grassbird 大草鶯 Graminicola striatus
  • Chinese pipistrelle 灰伏翼 Hypsugo pulveratus

Where to see it

Good to know Stay on designated trails, take your litter home, camp and light fires only at designated sites, and do not disturb or harm wild animals and plants (AFCD, 2026).21

Freshwater habitats

Freshwater habitats range from rocky hill streams to lowland marshes and fishponds. AFCD lists 33 ecologically important streams, among them Lai Chi Wo, the upper Lam Tsuen River, Pui O, Tai Ho and Sha Lo Tung, and its habitat map shows about 3.4 km² of marsh and reed bed. AFCD's open checklist records 25 amphibians, 193 freshwater fish and 129 dragonflies and damselflies. Long Valley Nature Park (about 37 ha, opened 2024) returns abandoned farmland to freshwater wetland for waterbirds, amphibians and reptiles.91011

Key facts

  • AFCD's open dataset lists 33 ecologically important streams with 37.6 km of mapped channel.11
  • The habitat map shows 1.67 km² of natural watercourse, 1.93 km² of channelised watercourse and 3.37 km² of marsh and reed bed (Neihou calculation).10
  • AFCD's checklist records 25 amphibians (24 frogs and toads and one salamander), 193 freshwater fish and 129 dragonflies.9

Species to look for

  • Hong Kong newt 香港瘰螈 Paramesotriton hongkongensis
  • Hong Kong cascade frog 香港湍蛙 Amolops hongkongensis
  • Hong Kong clubtail 香港纖春蜓 Leptogomphus hongkongensis
  • Giant spiny frog 棘胸蛙 Quasipaa spinosa
  • Stiphodon atropurpureus (a goby) 紫身枝牙鰕虎魚
  • Hong Kong paradise fish 香港鬥魚 Macropodus hongkongensis

Where to see it

Good to know Do not disturb or harm wild animals and plants, never release pets or other animals into streams and ponds, and remember that all wild turtles are protected.21

Mangroves

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees of sheltered, muddy shores. AFCD's habitat map shows about 6.2 km² of mangrove; the largest stands are around Deep Bay, where those inside the Mai Po Ramsar Site have grown from about 150 ha in the 1980s to more than 400 ha by natural regeneration. Eight true mangrove species occur in Hong Kong; at Mai Po the trees stay short, around 5 m, in a pioneer stage of Kandelia, Aegiceras and Avicennia. Mangroves have also been lost: about 42% of those along Tolo Harbour disappeared after the 1960s under roads, new towns and the racecourse.41019

Key facts

  • AFCD's open habitat map contains 962 mangrove polygons totalling about 6.20 km² (Neihou calculation); the Planning Department counts 6 km² of mangrove and swamp, about 4 km² of it below the high-water mark.10
  • Hong Kong has eight true mangrove species (1997 survey).28
  • Mangroves in the Mai Po Ramsar Site grew from about 150 ha in the 1980s to over 400 ha in 2026 through natural regeneration.6

Species to look for

  • Kandelia obovata
  • Black mangrove Avicennia marina
  • Aegiceras corniculatum
  • Coastal heritiera Heritiera littoralis
  • Mudskippers
  • Pteroptyx maipo (a firefly)

Where to see it

Good to know Do not disturb or harm plants and animals, take your litter home, and enter the Mai Po Restricted Area only with an AFCD permit or on an approved guided tour (fine up to HK$50,000).21

Mudflats

Mudflats form where waves are weakest, above all in Inner Deep Bay. Inner Deep Bay was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1995, and today more than 50,000 wintering and migratory waterbirds use the Mai Po wetlands each winter, with the black-faced spoonbill as the flagship species. The about 800-ha Mai Po Marshes and Inner Deep Bay Restricted Area covers the mudflats and shallow waters, and entry needs an AFCD permit or an approved guided tour. Mudflats are also nurseries for horseshoe crabs; already in the late 1990s Pak Nai was the last beach where both local species bred.91023

Key facts

  • Inner Deep Bay (about 1,500 ha including Mai Po) was designated a Ramsar wetland on 4 September 1995; over 50,000 wintering and migratory waterbirds use the site each winter (2026).28
  • The Mai Po Marshes and Inner Deep Bay Restricted Area covers about 800 ha including mangroves, intertidal mudflats and shallow water; entry needs an AFCD permit.29
  • AFCD's habitat map shows about 7.98 km² of soft shore (sand to mud) between the tides (Neihou calculation).10

Species to look for

  • Black-faced spoonbill 黑臉琵鷺 Platalea minor
  • Chinese (tri-spine) horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus
  • Mangrove horseshoe crab 圓尾蠍鱟 Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda
  • Fiddler crabs Austruca lactea
  • Saunders's gull 黑嘴鷗 Chroicocephalus saundersi

Where to see it

  • Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay29
  • Pak Nai28
  • Shui Hau, Lantau32
  • Sha Tau Kok29
  • Pui O beach and lagoon, Lantau Historical record (late 1990s)28

Good to know Do not damage, disturb or collect crabs, shellfish or other shore life, and enter the Mai Po Restricted Area only with an AFCD permit or on an approved tour.32

Seagrass beds

Seagrasses are flowering plants that grow underwater on sheltered sandy and muddy shores. AFCD's habitat map holds only about 0.4 km² of seagrass bed across the whole territory. Lai Chi Wo's eelgrass bed was listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest as early as 1979, and in the late 1990s it was described as the only thriving bed, of dwarf eelgrass and a Halophila. Beds feed small grazing snails, and young prawns are often abundant in them.41019

Key facts

  • AFCD's open habitat map contains 24 seagrass-bed polygons totalling about 0.38 km² (Neihou calculation from the mapped polygons, 2019 imagery).10
  • The Lai Chi Wo shore became Site of Special Scientific Interest No. 19 on 16 February 1979 because of its eelgrass.28
  • Beccari's halophila is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (2010 assessment).19

Species to look for

  • Oval halophila Halophila ovalis
  • Beccari's halophila Halophila beccarii
  • Dwarf eel grass Zostera japonica
  • Clithon oualaniense (a nerite snail)

Where to see it

  • Lai Chi Wo (Yan Chau Tong Marine Park) Historical record (late 1990s)28
  • Tung Chung Bay, Lantau Historical record (late 1990s)28
  • San Tau Beach SSSI, Lantau36

Good to know Do not damage, disturb or collect marine life on the shore, including the snails and other animals on seagrass beds (AFCD, 2026).32

Sandy shores

Sandy shores sit at the coarse end of the soft-shore range; AFCD's habitat map shows about 8 km² of soft shore in all. Some are vital nurseries: Sham Wan on Lamma is the only place in Hong Kong where green turtles still nest from time to time, and its beach and bay are closed from 1 April to 31 October. Others, such as the Shui Hau sandflat on Lantau, are busy visitor spots where AFCD and partners now patrol and teach people how to protect horseshoe crabs.4910

Key facts

  • Sham Wan on Lamma Island is the only site in Hong Kong where green turtles nest from time to time; the restricted area (0.5 ha of beach and 98.2 ha of bay) is closed from 1 April to 31 October.37
  • AFCD's habitat map shows about 7.98 km² of soft shore between the tides (Neihou calculation).10
  • In summer 1998, twelve green turtle nestings were recorded at Sham Wan, each with 118–141 eggs.28

Species to look for

  • Green turtle 綠海龜 Chelonia mydas
  • Mysid shrimp Archaeomysis vulgaris

Where to see it

  • Shui Hau, Lantau32
  • Sham Wan, Lamma (do not visit in season)37
  • Hoi Ha Wan beach28
  • Tong Fuk, Lantau Historical record (late 1990s)28

Good to know Keep out of the Sham Wan Restricted Area from 1 April to 31 October, and on any sandflat do not damage, disturb or collect shore animals such as horseshoe crabs.37

Rocky shores

Hong Kong's natural rocky shores total about 9.7 km² between the tides on AFCD's habitat map, more than its sandy and muddy shores. Life is banded by height: on exposed shores black mussels form a metre-wide band near the neap high-tide line, while sheltered bays have a distinct rock-oyster zone. Summer heat can push rock surfaces to around 50 °C, causing seaweeds and some barnacles and limpets to die back, and temperate seaweeds such as Sargassum grow mainly in winter.41028

Key facts

  • AFCD's habitat map shows about 9.72 km² of natural rocky shoreline between the tides, more than the 7.98 km² of soft shore (Neihou calculation); the Planning Department's land-use statistics count 4 km² of rocky shore.10
  • Natural rocky shoreline: 4,111 polygons totalling 9.72 km² in AFCD's habitat map.10
  • In summer, rock surfaces can reach about 50 °C, bleaching microalgae and causing seaweed die-back and die-offs of barnacles and limpets.28

Species to look for

  • Rock oyster Saccostrea cuccullata
  • Barnacles
  • Purple sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina
  • Black mussel Septifer virgatus (now often Mytilisepta virgata)
  • False limpets Siphonaria spp.

Where to see it

Good to know Look but do not collect: do not damage, disturb, feed or take shore animals, including sea urchins from rock pools.32

Seaweed beds

Seaweeds are marine algae (brown, red and green) that grow on the lower rocky shore and in shallow water. They are strongly seasonal: temperate species such as Sargassum grow in the cooler months, and summer heat causes die-back. On an exposed south-eastern shore in 1998, coralline red algae covered most of the low shore, with Sargassum covering about 70% and the red turf alga Gelidium about 22%. Seaweeds feed grazers such as the horned turban snail and some shore crabs.428

Key facts

  • Temperate seaweeds such as Sargassum grow only in winter; summer heat bleaches microalgae and causes seaweed die-back.28
  • At Shek Mei Tau in 1998, coralline red algae covered 80–100% of the low shore, Sargassum hemiphyllum about 70% and Gelidium about 22%.28
  • The horned turban snail, a common subtidal seaweed grazer, eats about ten times more of the red turf alga Gelidium than of Sargassum.28

Species to look for

  • Sargassum hemiphyllum Sargassum hemiphyllum var. chinense
  • Gelidium (red turf alga) Gelidium pusillum
  • Horned turban snail Turbo cornutus

Where to see it

Good to know Leave seaweed and the animals living on it in place: do not damage, disturb or collect marine life.32

Coral communities

Hong Kong's corals grow as communities on boulders and bedrock rather than building limestone reefs, and they cope with water from about 13 °C in winter to about 30 °C in summer. The government describes Hong Kong's overall coral diversity as greater than that of the Caribbean, with the best-known communities in Hoi Ha Wan and Tung Ping Chau marine parks in the eastern waters. Reef Check divers recorded coral cover of up to 75% in 2024, but large-scale bleaching struck in 2022 and again in 2024, and massive corals grow less than a centimetre a year, so damage is slow to repair.41928

Key facts

  • Reef Check 2024 recorded coral cover from 12.8% to 75.1% across 33 sites, the highest at Coral Beach, Hoi Ha Wan; 11 sites exceeded 50%.40
  • Hong Kong has over 80 species of stony corals, more than the whole Caribbean Sea (government statements, November 2024 and June 2026); Hoi Ha Wan and Tung Ping Chau marine parks are best known for their coral communities.7
  • Large-scale coral bleaching occurred in 2022 and again in 2024; in July 2024 water at a Tung Ping Chau coral community was about 2 °C warmer than a year earlier.42

Species to look for

  • Brain coral Platygyra carnosa
  • Pavona decussata
  • Butterflyfishes Chaetodon spp.
  • Hard corals (stony corals) 石珊瑚

Where to see it

Good to know Do not damage, disturb, feed or collect marine life, keep off the corals when entering and leaving the water, and use coral-friendly routes where they are marked (AFCD, 2026).32

Estuarine waters

Hong Kong lies at the eastern edge of the Pearl River Estuary, so its western waters are turbid and brackish while the southern and eastern waters are more marine. Twenty marine mammal species have been recorded, but only two live here year-round: the Chinese white dolphin in the west and the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise in the south and east. Since 1996 a chain of western marine parks has been designated for the dolphins; North Lantau, Sha Chau & Lung Kwu Chau and The Brothers now form about 4,570 ha of linked protected water next to a Guangdong dolphin reserve. Sightings are never guaranteed.4819

Key facts

  • Hong Kong lies at the eastern edge of the Pearl River Estuary; its western waters are turbid and influenced by the river, while southern and eastern waters are more marine.8
  • North Lantau, Sha Chau & Lung Kwu Chau and The Brothers marine parks form a connected protected network of about 4,570 ha next to a Guangdong dolphin nature reserve.51
  • The Chinese white dolphin is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (2017) and is a Grade 1 National Key Protected Species in China.19

Species to look for

  • Chinese white dolphin 中華白海豚 Sousa chinensis
  • Indo-Pacific finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides

Where to see it

Good to know Do not disturb whales, dolphins or porpoises; on a dolphin-watching trip, follow AFCD's Code of Conduct for Dolphin Watching (which the government proposes to put on a legal footing).57

Species to know

A few of the species that make Hong Kong distinctive, with their global conservation status.

  • Chinese white dolphin (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin)

    中華白海豚 · Sousa chinensis

    Vulnerable IUCN Red List · 2017

    One of only two marine mammals resident in Hong Kong, out of 20 species recorded, the Chinese white dolphin lives in the turbid western waters at the eastern edge of the Pearl River Estuary. The first marine park for it, Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau, was designated in November 1996 for a resident population then estimated at about 110; North Lantau, Sha Chau & Lung Kwu Chau and The Brothers now form about 4,570 ha of linked parks next to a Guangdong dolphin reserve, and the two governments signed a joint conservation platform in 2025. AFCD's vessel surveys in the main Lantau habitats gave yearly averages of 32 to 52 dolphins in 2016–2021, and 106 individuals were photo-identified in 2021.8

  • Indo-Pacific finless porpoise

    Neophocaena phocaenoides

    Vulnerable IUCN Red List · 2017

    Hong Kong's other resident cetacean lives year-round in the southern and eastern waters, with numbers rising in the cooler dry season; about 176 were estimated in Hong Kong waters in the 2019 dry season. Surveys from 1996 to 2019 found no significant long-term trend, but strandings have increased; the densest area is South Lantau, especially between the Soko Islands and Shek Kwu Chau.8

  • Black-faced spoonbill

    黑臉琵鷺 · Platalea minor

    Vulnerable IUCN Red List · 2025

    The black-faced spoonbill is the flagship species of the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, where over 50,000 wintering and migratory waterbirds gather each winter. The IUCN reassessed it as Vulnerable in 2025 (BirdLife International).6

  • Hong Kong newt

    香港瘰螈 · Paramesotriton hongkongensis

    Near Threatened IUCN Red List · 2021

    The only salamander on AFCD's checklist of Hong Kong amphibians, alongside 24 frogs and toads, and named after Hong Kong. IUCN Near Threatened (2021).9

  • Three-banded box turtle (golden coin turtle)

    三線閉殼龜 · Cuora trifasciata

    Critically Endangered IUCN Red List · 2020

    Known in Hong Kong as the golden coin turtle, this box turtle still has a wild population here and is protected by law; the government prosecutes illegal possession of local wild turtles. IUCN Critically Endangered (2020).26

  • Big-headed turtle

    平胸龜 · Platysternon megacephalum

    Critically Endangered IUCN Red List · 2021

    Hong Kong has a wild population of big-headed turtles; in a 2025 court case, scientific testing confirmed that 14 seized animals had been taken from the wild in Hong Kong. IUCN Critically Endangered (2021).27

  • Chinese (tri-spine) horseshoe crab

    Tachypleus tridentatus

    Endangered IUCN Red List · 2019

    Horseshoe crab young grow up on intertidal flats for up to about ten years. In the late 1990s Pak Nai in Deep Bay was the last beach used by both local species, and this species, once common on local beaches, had largely disappeared since the late 1980s. AFCD and partners now run horseshoe crab education at the Shui Hau sandflat. IUCN Endangered (2019).28

  • Incense tree

    土沉香 · Aquilaria sinensis

    Vulnerable IUCN Red List · 2018

    A native tree listed among the species of high conservation value in Robin's Nest Country Park. Its wood is smuggled out of Hong Kong, and offenders have been jailed under the endangered species law. IUCN Vulnerable (2018).16

  • Chinese pangolin

    穿山甲 · Manis pentadactyla

    Critically Endangered IUCN Red List · 2019

    The only pangolin on AFCD's checklist of Hong Kong mammals. Smuggling of pangolin scales is prosecuted under the endangered species law: in 2024 a man was jailed for 48 months. IUCN Critically Endangered (2019).9

  • Brain coral

    Platygyra carnosa

    Least Concern IUCN Red List · 2024

    Brain and star corals form the backbone of every established Hong Kong coral community. Massive species such as Platygyra grow only about 8–9 mm a year, so a large colony is old and slow to replace. IUCN Least Concern (2024) for Platygyra carnosa.28

  • Green turtle

    綠海龜 · Chelonia mydas

    Least Concern IUCN Red List · 2025

    One of five sea turtle species recorded in Hong Kong waters, and the only one known to nest here, at Sham Wan on Lamma Island. The beach (0.5 ha) and 98.2 ha of adjoining bay are a restricted area from 1 April to 31 October, with fines up to HK$50,000. In summer 1998, twelve nestings were recorded there, each of 118–141 eggs. Globally the IUCN reassessed the species as Least Concern in 2025, while AFCD still describes it as endangered.39

Animal groups in the official checklist

From the bookshelf

Monographs that informed this page. Facts from them are cited with page numbers; no text or figures are reproduced.

  • Morton, B. (ed.) (2000). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Hong Kong and Southern China V. Proceedings of the Tenth International Marine Biological Workshop, Hong Kong, 6–26 April 1998. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 962-209-525-9Hong Kong University Press ↗
  • Carroll, J.M. (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press (Asia soft-cover edition; copyright 2007 Rowman & Littlefield; reprinted 2009, 2011, 2013). ISBN 978-962-209-878-7Hong Kong University Press / Rowman & Littlefield ↗
  • Wong, M.-K. & Kwong, C.-M. (eds.) (2022). Hong Kong History: Themes in Global Perspective. Hong Kong Studies Reader Series. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan (Springer Nature Singapore). ISBN 978-981-16-2805-4; eBook 978-981-16-2806-1Palgrave Macmillan / Springer Nature Singapore ↗

Sources

Every figure and fact on this page comes from an open government dataset, an archived government press release, an openly licensed scientific paper or a cited monograph.

Sources & data
  1. Open dataset Country Parks (dataset afcd_rcd_1635129924112_81508) AFCD via CSDI Portal (also listed on DATA.GOV.HK as hk-afcd-afcdlist-countrypark)
  2. Government release LCQ4: Management of country parks and campsites in Sai Kung HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  3. Open dataset Table 950-92041: Area of country parks, special areas and marine parks/reserve (figures at 31 December, 2009–2025) Census and Statistics Department (data from AFCD); DATA.GOV.HK hk-censtatd-tablechart-950-92041
  4. Open dataset Marine Parks and Marine Reserve (dataset afcd_rcd_1635130855075_76661) AFCD via CSDI Portal (DATA.GOV.HK hk-afcd-afcdlist-marineparksreserve)
  5. Government release LCQ13: Wetland conservation HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  6. Government release Speech by SEE at 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Shenzhen (English only) (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  7. Government release SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  8. Open-access paper Jefferson, T.A. & Moore, J.E. (2020). Abundance and trends of Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) in Hong Kong waters, 1996–2019. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:574381 Frontiers Media
  9. Open dataset Checklist of Biodiversity in Hong Kong (CSV) AFCD via DATA.GOV.HK (hk-afcd-afcdlist-checklist-of-biodiversity)
  10. Open dataset Territory-wide Terrestrial Habitat Map of Hong Kong (dataset afcd_rcd_1639382960762_55768) AFCD via CSDI Portal (DATA.GOV.HK hk-afcd-afcdlist-habitatmap)
  11. Open dataset Ecologically Important Stream (dataset afcd_rcd_1635130519341_89370) AFCD via CSDI Portal (DATA.GOV.HK hk-afcd-afcdlist-ecological)
  12. Government release CE's speech in delivering "The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address" to LegCo (9) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  13. Open dataset Daily total rainfall: Hong Kong Observatory headquarters (CSV, 1884–) Hong Kong Observatory via DATA.GOV.HK (hk-hko-rss-daily-total-rainfall)
  14. Open dataset Daily maximum, mean and minimum temperatures: Hong Kong Observatory (CSV) Hong Kong Observatory via DATA.GOV.HK (hk-hko-rss-daily-temperature-info-hko)
  15. Government release Traveller jailed for smuggling incense tree wood chips (with photo) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  16. Government release Robin's Nest Country Park established (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  17. Open-access paper Nichol, J.E. & Abbas, S. (2021). Evaluating plantation forest vs. natural forest regeneration for biodiversity enhancement in Hong Kong. Forests 12(5):593 MDPI (copy in PolyU Institutional Research Archive)
  18. Open dataset Land Utilization in Hong Kong 2025 (CSV) Planning Department via DATA.GOV.HK (hk-pland-pland1-land-utilization-in-hong-kong-statistics)
  19. Open dataset The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (checklist dataset 19491596-35ae-4a91-9a98-85cf505f1bd3) IUCN via GBIF
  20. Government release LCQ22: Ancillary facilities of the Robin's Nest Country Park HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  21. Government release AFCD reminds visitors to pay attention to hiking safety during holidays HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  22. Government release Opening ceremony of Long Valley Nature Park held today (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  23. Open dataset Priority Sites for Enhanced Conservation (dataset afcd_rcd_1635130991400_98533) AFCD via CSDI Portal (DATA.GOV.HK hk-afcd-afcdlist-prioritysitesconservation)
  24. Government release Restoration of Pui O wetland ecology through effective interdepartmental collaboration (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  25. Government release Non-in-situ land exchange agreed to promote long-term conservation of Sha Lo Tung (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  26. Government release Man sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for illegal possession of regulated turtles HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  27. Government release Man sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for illegal possession of local wild and endangered turtles HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  28. Monograph Morton, B. (ed.) (2000). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Hong Kong and Southern China V. Proceedings of the Tenth International Marine Biological Workshop, Hong Kong, 6–26 April 1998. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 962-209-525-9 Hong Kong University Press
  29. Government release LCQ2: Ecological environment of Mai Po and adjacent marshes HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  30. Government release Public engagement exercise for feasibility study on proposed Coastal Protection Park at Tsim Bei Tsui, Lau Fau Shan and Pak Nai launched (with photo) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  31. Government release Permit still required to enter Mai Po marshes following partial removal of Mai Po Frontier Closed Area HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  32. Government release AFCD announces arrangements at ecotourism hotspots for Mainland's Labour Day Golden Week (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  33. Government release LCQ5: The Northern Metropolis Development Strategy HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  34. Government release Mirs Bay in Hong Kong selected as Outstanding Example in fourth batch of national Beautiful Bays (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  35. Government release 香港大鵬灣成功獲選為第四批全國「美麗海灣優秀案例」（附圖） HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  36. Government release Draft Sha Lo Wan and San Tau Outline Zoning Plan gazetted HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  37. Government release AFCD reminds public not to enter Sham Wan Restricted Area during restricted period HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  38. Government release Rescued green turtle returns to sea (with photo) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  39. Government release Turtles returned to sea (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  40. Government release Results of Reef Check 2024 announced (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  41. Government release Marine parks 30th anniversary "Together We Treasure, Together We Explore" series celebration events (with photos/video) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  42. Government release AFCD strengthens co-operation with experts to conserve corals in Hong Kong HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  43. Government release AFCD keeps monitoring coral bleaching in Hong Kong (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  44. Government release Hong Kong Reef Check marks its 20th anniversary (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  45. Government release Reef Check 2017 finds corals in healthy and stable condition (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  46. Government release Reef Check 2018 finds corals to be diverse and in healthy condition (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  47. Government release Reef Check 2019 finds corals in healthy and stable condition (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  48. Government release Reef Check 2020 finds corals in healthy and stable condition (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  49. Government release Reef Check 2021 finds corals in healthy and stable condition (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  50. Government release Results of Reef Check 2022 announced (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  51. Government release North Lantau Marine Park established (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  52. Government release LCQ15: Conservation of Chinese white dolphins HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  53. Government release LCQ22: Conservation of marine ecosystem HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  54. Government release 15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG mascots celebrate Chinese New Year with public (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  55. Government release Designation of North Lantau Marine Park gazetted HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  56. Government release AFCD investigates suspected illegal trawling by local vessel (with photo) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)
  57. Government release Marine Wildlife Appreciation Festival launched (with photos) HKSAR Government press release (Information Services Department)

Records describe what has been documented, not what you will see on a given day. Protected areas have their own rules; follow posted notices and the Country and Marine Parks Authority’s guidance.

Explore the connections Outdoor rules: permits, fines, drones and dogs

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