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Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve

Hong Kong's only marine reserve | Southeast Hong Kong Island | Designated 1996 | ~20 hectares

Cape D'Aguilar is different from Hong Kong's other marine parks. It is Hong Kong's first and only marine reserve. Encompassing the rocky peninsula where the Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) is located, Cape D'Aguilar protects wave-exposed rocky shores, sea caves, and subtidal reefs. Barnacles, limpets, sea stars, corals, and intertidal fishes cling to the wave-pounded rocks, creating a living laboratory just steps from the SWIMS lab.

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Why it matters

Marine reserves are stricter than marine parks. Extractive activities such as fishing, collecting, dredging are strictly prohibited. That makes Cape D'Aguilar a reference site: a place where scientists can study what a healthy rocky shore looks like when nature is given space to recover from human disturbance. For SWIMS, it is both a research site and a public gateway, showing visitors that even a city coastline can hold remarkable biodiversity.

What you'll find there

  • Rocky intertidal communities (barnacles, limpets, molluscs)

  • Subtidal reefs with corals and fishes

  • Sea caves and wave-cut platforms

  • Rich intertidal biodiversity

Threats & management

Being close to a city brings pressure: litter, trampling, and curiosity-seeking visitors. The reserve's strict protection prohibits collecting and removal of any marine life. Signage, barriers, and SWIMS outreach help educate the public on why this small reserve matters.

References

  • AFCD. (n.d.). Designated Marine Parks and Marine Reserve. https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_vis/cou_vis_mar/cou_vis_mar_des/cou_vis_mar_des_cap.html

  • EPD. (n.d.). Natural Resources Capital Stock: Marine parks and reserve. https://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/eia_planning/sea/baseline_3_2.html

  • SWIMS. (n.d.). https://swims.hku.hk

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