On our most recent dive we spot a couple of protective Clownfish and also a young juvenile.
Hermit
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Dance of the Clowns!
Clownfish are abundant throughout Hong Kong! They naturally defend their nest when they have eggs and often come charging up to divers to warn them off!
On our most recent dive we spot a couple of protective Clownfish and also a young juvenile.
On our most recent dive we spot a couple of protective Clownfish and also a young juvenile.
Lionfish crazy in Hong Kong
We had such a great day of diving with the water visibility an unprecedented 15m+!!!
Before spotting the Green Sea Turtle we encountered lots of Lionfish including a very rare Black Peacock Lionfish!
Although beautiful these fish are very poisonous so care must be taken. They are also a very invasive species and have caused havoc in other reef systems around the world simply due to their large appetite for small fish and the lack of natural predators! Should we be worried about our waters?
Before spotting the Green Sea Turtle we encountered lots of Lionfish including a very rare Black Peacock Lionfish!
Although beautiful these fish are very poisonous so care must be taken. They are also a very invasive species and have caused havoc in other reef systems around the world simply due to their large appetite for small fish and the lack of natural predators! Should we be worried about our waters?
Green Sea Turtle...........in Hong Kong!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title says it all! We have never seen or heard about spotting Turtles in Hong Kong waters but here it is! On our last dive and on our ascend to the surface this Green Sea Turtle comes swimming past us! He was not scared of us and seemed to want to see what we were doing!
What a Day for scuba Diving! The Water visibility was amazing too! Never before such good visibility!
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Stingray the very rare sight of Hong Kong
Stingrays may be abundant in other parts of the world but in Hong Kong they are as rare as the Blue Ringed Octopus in terms of my diving experience.
I have 3 encounters to date and one where I have actually managed to see it sitting there and still. This happened at a dive site call Long Ke Wan which is one of the best dive sites in Hong Kong! From Sai Kung this dive site is about an hour by boat. The waters here are seldom very murky and you can expect a minimum of around 5-6m visibility which is extremely good for Hong Kong.
It was here that I first saw a Stingray however on that training dive I did not have any camera equipment. On a later Fun Dive at this same site I managed to take some stills of a black coloured Stingray. A couple of Lionfish however stole the frame.
On a recent dive in Pak Lap we did encounter our 3rd Stingray. However during the dive we did not manage to see it. It had camouflaged itself in the sand and as we approached it sensed us and made a very sharp escape. We noticed the sand around us had flared up big and knew there must have been a big Stingray. On examination of the footage we managed to capture a glimpse. Please see the following video and fast forward to 6:13. Enjoy!
I have 3 encounters to date and one where I have actually managed to see it sitting there and still. This happened at a dive site call Long Ke Wan which is one of the best dive sites in Hong Kong! From Sai Kung this dive site is about an hour by boat. The waters here are seldom very murky and you can expect a minimum of around 5-6m visibility which is extremely good for Hong Kong.
It was here that I first saw a Stingray however on that training dive I did not have any camera equipment. On a later Fun Dive at this same site I managed to take some stills of a black coloured Stingray. A couple of Lionfish however stole the frame.
On a recent dive in Pak Lap we did encounter our 3rd Stingray. However during the dive we did not manage to see it. It had camouflaged itself in the sand and as we approached it sensed us and made a very sharp escape. We noticed the sand around us had flared up big and knew there must have been a big Stingray. On examination of the footage we managed to capture a glimpse. Please see the following video and fast forward to 6:13. Enjoy!
Lobster Lobster Lobster
Lobsters used to live in abundance in Hong Kong. Due to over fishing and environment destruction these beautiful creatures have suffered a massive decline in and around Hong Kong waters. However they can still be found and are seemingly making a little comeback.
They are hide to find not because they are well camouflaged but because their numbers are so small. The tell tale sign of lobsters are their very long antennas that span a couple of metres.
Here is a lobster we found at Nine Pin Islands. Notice the long antennas on approach. Lobsters in my experience do not shy away from being found and are great for providing good photos.
One of the best dive site to find lobsters is the East Dam in the East of Sai Kung Country Park. The environment with the huge rocks is a great habitat for these animals. Here are some shots of Lobsters during a dive in the East Dam.
On a very recent dive at Pak Lap we also spotted a Lobster. You can see it in the following video,
They are hide to find not because they are well camouflaged but because their numbers are so small. The tell tale sign of lobsters are their very long antennas that span a couple of metres.
Here is a lobster we found at Nine Pin Islands. Notice the long antennas on approach. Lobsters in my experience do not shy away from being found and are great for providing good photos.
One of the best dive site to find lobsters is the East Dam in the East of Sai Kung Country Park. The environment with the huge rocks is a great habitat for these animals. Here are some shots of Lobsters during a dive in the East Dam.
On a very recent dive at Pak Lap we also spotted a Lobster. You can see it in the following video,
Octopus Ultimate Camouflage
Finding an Octopus is hard enough but finding one in the murky waters of Hong Kong is even harder. Octopus' are beautiful animals and are actually very common in and around Hong Kong.
2 - Look for pieces of dead crab scattered in around any rocks or holes.
3 - Look for congregations or pieces of shells.
4 - Look for the suckers. Yes its hard but often times these are the only tell tale signs for spotting an Octopus.
Here are some photos of an Octopus we found during a dive. Note the environment and tools it uses to camouflage itself.
Here are some tips for finding Octopus during a dive in Hong Kong based on my personal diving experiences;
1 - Look for unusual debris or rubbish that appears to be neatly or securely held in place.
2 - Look for pieces of dead crab scattered in around any rocks or holes.
3 - Look for congregations or pieces of shells.
4 - Look for the suckers. Yes its hard but often times these are the only tell tale signs for spotting an Octopus.
Here are some photos of an Octopus we found during a dive. Note the environment and tools it uses to camouflage itself.
Note the broken bowl that it has used to hide itself in. We only stumbled on this due to spotting its eye.
Once she knew her camouflage had been compromised she overturned her hideout and started to release little tiny Octopus' that you can see in this picture.
In Hong Kong it is rare but the Blue Ringed Octopus does reside here. I have only managed to see one of these creatures but it was amazing seeing the blue rings flare up when we got close.
And another shot of this tiny Octopus;
And finally here is a recent video of a colour changing species of Octopus that I found. Enjoy!
Dance of the Clownfish
Clownfish can be found in abundance throughout the year in Hong Kong. During the summer months these feisty little fish become very aggressive to divers since they are protecting their nest. Often times they will swim upwards to nibble at divers and dance around creating aggressive defensive displays. See the following video we took recently on a dive at Port Island in August 2014.
When they are not protecting nests they usually stay within the soft corals that they live in. Here is a photo of some Clowns we found during a dive at Port Shelter in October 2013.
And again these Clowns are just enjoying their environment and not particular fussed by oncoming scuba divers.
When they are not protecting nests they usually stay within the soft corals that they live in. Here is a photo of some Clowns we found during a dive at Port Shelter in October 2013.
Here we can see how shy and unaggressive these beautiful fish are during non-protective months.
And again these Clowns are just enjoying their environment and not particular fussed by oncoming scuba divers.
Fun Dive Report - Port Island 31.08.2014
Date - 31.08.2014
Dive site - Port Island
Water Depth - 5-8m
Water visibility - 2-3m Clear
Current - Minor
We went to North Sai Kung Country park to go on a Fun Dive day at Port Island. The visibility was very poor and so there was not much to see as one can expect. The poor visibility made it essential to keep an eye on your buddy and also on your bearings. Like many dive sites in Hong Kong, Port Island is a shallow coral dive site. There is aquatic life to be found but conditions dictate how much you can find and see. On this Dive we found a baby Moray Eel and some large Hermit crabs. The following Videos are what I captured of some of the dive highlights.
Dive site - Port Island
Water Depth - 5-8m
Water visibility - 2-3m Clear
Current - Minor
We went to North Sai Kung Country park to go on a Fun Dive day at Port Island. The visibility was very poor and so there was not much to see as one can expect. The poor visibility made it essential to keep an eye on your buddy and also on your bearings. Like many dive sites in Hong Kong, Port Island is a shallow coral dive site. There is aquatic life to be found but conditions dictate how much you can find and see. On this Dive we found a baby Moray Eel and some large Hermit crabs. The following Videos are what I captured of some of the dive highlights.
Water Visibility in Hong Kong
The number 1 issue with any dive in Hong Kong is Water visibility!!! Don't expect crystal clear water that you may expect in other Asian diving countries such as the Philippines or Thailand. In Hong Kong the water is very GREEN and is never more than 10m clear visibility.
On a very good day expect - 6-8m of visibility.
What this means is you will be able to adequately see your buddy and can easily spot and signal to them but keeping to around three fin strokes away from your buddy is still essential.
On a very bad day expect - 1-2m of visibility.
Here is a video of mine showing how bad the water visibility can get during a recent scuba dive in Hong Kong -
The actual poor quality of water visibility actually makes Hong Kong a very good place to start and learn the basics of Scuba Diving. The skills you learn in such murky water will be harder and as a result when diving in more clear water you will be much more confident.
On a very good day expect - 6-8m of visibility.
What this means is you will be able to adequately see your buddy and can easily spot and signal to them but keeping to around three fin strokes away from your buddy is still essential.
On a very bad day expect - 1-2m of visibility.
Here is a video of mine showing how bad the water visibility can get during a recent scuba dive in Hong Kong -
The actual poor quality of water visibility actually makes Hong Kong a very good place to start and learn the basics of Scuba Diving. The skills you learn in such murky water will be harder and as a result when diving in more clear water you will be much more confident.
Scuba Diving in Hong Kong - Basic Information
Hey there, if you have landed here then you're probably looking to find some information on Scuba Diving in Hong Kong. I have years of local Scuba Diving experience in and around Hong Kong which I will be sharing in subsequent posts. So stay tuned.
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