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Sharp Island is one of the most popular dive sites for scuba divers and snorkellers. Sharp Island North has the third highest coral coverage (77.5%) amongst 36 Hong Kong Reef Check survey sites in 2025. Inner port shelter, where the Sharp Island is located, has a diverse marine life – Over 280 marine fish species can be found here!
This rocky habitat is frequented by recreational and commercial fishers, with cage trapping a common fishing method. Nighttime squid jigging also poses concerns. Sharp Island is a hotspot for recreational activities and receives hikers, beachgoers, snorkelers, divers and licensed spearfishers. Despite no anchoring areas at the main coral sites, with the terrestrial areas designated as a country park and geopark, the marine life at Port Shelter still faces threats, including breakage of coral by careless divers, water pollution and marine litter (including ghost nets), introduction of non-local species by mercy release and fishing activities (both commercial and recreational).
Conducted in 2021 and 2024, more than 60 experienced divers were trained and contributed to the citizen science surveys through over 100 survey dives, documenting ocean health, diver behaviour and signs of disturbance. These data help track long-term pressures on major coral areas.
Over 120 diving instructors, instructor trainers and course directors worked with WWF to co-develop a set of scuba diving cue cards incorporating key conservation messages for training use. An underwater mapping exercise at Sharp Island, carried out with dive instructors and experienced divers, has also informed recommended training locations to help safeguard sensitive coral habitats. In 2026, WWF compiled a Water Activities Guide Map for Sharp Island and a Snorkelling Coach Guidelines. Industry meetings were held to solicit opinions from the snorkelling and kayaking sectors and promote communication among practitioners.
A targeted communication campaign, “Mind your Fins,” was launched to strengthen diver awareness of minimising physical contact with marine life and seabed habitats. During the project period, over 2,000 dive trainees received conservation-integrated training using co-developed cue cards delivered by the instructors. The campaign demonstrated how conservation messaging can be effectively embedded within scuba education, supported by strong collaboration with industry leaders.
From May through the peak summer months of 2026, WWF-Hong Kong is collaborating with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to implement a series of exemplary coastal management and public education actions at Sharp Island. These include promoting “coral-safe routes”, providing on-site guidance for snorkelling and kayaking activities, strengthening marine conservation public education, and working closely with industry stakeholders to encourage voluntary compliance and responsible ocean-use behaviours.
● Strengthen protection of coral-rich areas and manage visitor and vessel activities to reduce direct disturbance to coral habitats.
● Introduce an industry-wide "Ocean-Friendly Code of Conduct" to encourage relevant operators to follow best practices.
● Install mooring buoys to prevent anchor damage to corals, and use floating devices to guide snorkelling or kayaking routes in reducing physical impacts on corals by visitors.
● Leverage smart technology for visitor management, such as monitoring real-time visitor flow and adjusting entry numbers timely to avoid exceeding ecological carrying capacity.