Mai Po Nature Reserve
Bordering Deep Bay in the northwestern New Territories, Mai Po is a wetland of international importance protected under the international Ramsar Convention on wetland conservation, which has been signed by 13 countries since 1975. The Mai Po Marshes, together with the mudflats at Inner Deep Bay, have been listed as a Ramsar wetland since September 1995 and have a total area of about 1,500 hectares.
The Mai Po Nature Reserve is located in the centre of the wetland and has achieved international significance as a stopping and feeding place for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. The birdwatching season runs from October to May and as many as 430 species of bird have been recorded in the area, many of them rarely seen anywhere outside the region. The migrating birds forage in the vicinity of Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay Wetlands, rebuilding their strength on the fish, shrimps and crabs among the mangroves.
During
the winter months, the wetland is also home to some 50,000 migratory water
birds, including the rare and endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. The area also
houses such other wildlife as otters, butterflies, leopard cats and other
mammals.
In view of its significance, Mai Po was declared a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" in 1976 by the Hong Kong Government. To ensure that the area is managed properly, the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong (WWFHK) was entrusted with the responsibility of developing and managing it in 1984 and currently manages more than 380 hectares of the Mai Po Marshes.
The
WWFHK organises guided tours into the wetlands for the public. The tours include
a visit to the three-storey tower hide, from where visitors have an excellent
view over the reserve. Conducted in either English or Cantonese, the tour is
held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from October to April, lasting
approximately five hours. For reservations, please call 2316 2151 from 9:30am to
6pm on weekdays.
The WWFHK also issues permits (HK$100) for overseas visitors on a first-come-first-served basis. For enquiries, call 2526 4473 or fax 2526 2667.
Take bus No. 76K from Yuen Long, alighting at Mai Po. Then walk for about 10 minutes to Tam Kon Chau. Alternatively, take red minibus No. 17 to Mai Po Village, from where it is about a 20-minute walk to the WWFHK carpark.