How coasteering around ‘incredible’ Lantau Island in Hong Kong reveals its biodiversity and natural beauty, and evidence of smuggling
- When two Hong Kong residents decided to go coasteering – climbing and swimming – around Lantau Island’s coast, its biodiversity and geology fascinated them
- The pair saw wildlife including butterflies, jellyfish, and crabs, stunning rock formations – and evidence of nefarious human activity
White-throated kingfishers, fireworms and lion’s mane jellyfish are creatures that might seem exotic to Hong Kong city dwellers.
Yet all three, and many more wondrous animals and plants, can be found in the city’s backyard, on Lantau Island – called by some the “green jewel” of Hong Kong.
For Charmian Woodhouse and Cathy Cole, two long-term Lantau residents, the island and its biodiversity have always been a source of adventure and curiosity.
So, as friends who were already experienced open-water swimmers and trail runners, Woodhouse and Cole in 2021 challenged themselves to circumnavigate Lantau Island, travelling along its shoreline.
“We just said, hey, what if we tried to swim and run – we really had no concept of what it would entail,” says Cole, an independent strategy consultant who was born in Hong Kong to American parents and grew up in Taiwan.
“We were curious about exploring parts of Lantau that were very remote and inaccessible by trail,” adds Woodhouse, a private music teacher originally from South Africa. “Hong Kong is just an incredible place for adventure sports.
Surf’s up: 5 outdoor activities to do in Hong Kong before winter is here
“It’s an incredible archipelago.”
After some extensive research about ocean currents, tides and safety measures, the pair set off in spring 2021 on their adventure.
Over the course of around 10 weeks, mostly on weekends, the pair travelled along the Lantau coast in 13 sections, starting and ending at the town of Mui Wo in the east of the island.
The initial plan was to complete the circumnavigation as fast as possible, but Woodhouse and Cole decided to change course very quickly into their journey.
“When we started seeing how beautiful it was, and the nature and the rocks, we just felt, ‘Oh, let’s just slow down and really try and enjoy, and explore and document what we saw along the way’,” Woodhouse says.
Since completing the challenge, she has penned a book called Lantau Coast (2022), which details the duo’s sightings and observations.
You can see the history of the geology in Hong Kong so clearly on the coast
“They were so beautiful, and quite graceful,” Woodhouse says.
But they must be seen from afar if people aren’t protected and wearing gloves, she warns. “They’re called fireworms because their crystal tentacles [leave] a very, very painful rash.”
After reporting the sighting, the friends came across a cave full of rousette bats, one of the few types of megabat that are capable of echolocation, which enables them to determine the location of objects through echoes.
During their journey, the pair also discovered that Lantau Island is home to an abundant array of butterflies.
Of some 260 species present in Hong Kong, some 80 per cent have been found on the island.
“We often would see butterflies that come on to the beach to get salt,” Woodhouse says.
Biodiversity isn’t the only notable thing to be found on Lantau’s coastline.
“You read about the pirate battles and the smugglers from the 1900s and 1800s, and then you see [what we saw, and] you think it still exists,” Cole says.
Snakes, wild boars and more in Hong Kong wildlife guide for ‘average hikers’
“It was full of Vietnamese refugees,” Cole explains. “The people that sold them passage on the trip caught wind that the marine police were on the way, so they got off on a boat, took off, left everyone on the boat and told the people to [go that way] to Lantau. So it came ashore on the beach.”
Another little-known historical fact about Lantau Island is its volcanic history. “Hong Kong has actually had four main volcanic episodes, and on Lantau there was a volcano millions of years ago,” Woodhouse says – more precisely, 146-148 million years ago, according to the Hong Kong Civil Engineering and Development Department.
As a result, the rocks on Lantau are incredibly diverse. There is grey granite, purplish-pink rhyolite, pink coarse-grained sandstone outlined with red limonite, and weathered sedimentary rock that features red and orange cracks because of oxidised iron that has seeped in.
“You can see the history of the geology in Hong Kong so clearly on the coast,” Woodhouse says.
While Woodhouse and Cole both came out of their adventure in one piece, save for a few slips and jellyfish stings, they do caution that amateurs should be well prepared with safety gear and appropriate clothing before heading out to the coastline.
Some easier coasteering paths on Lantau include Mui Wo to Shap Long, and Shek Pik to Tai Long Wan.
On the other hand the area around the Tsing Ma Bridge, which connects Lantau and Kowloon by road and rail, had the most dangerous currents, while the path between Shap Long and Mong Tung Wan was arguably the most remote.
“A lot of times if we were hurt, or if we were just tired, we could find a trail and go catch a bus,” Cole says.
“[But] we were remote out there. Maybe there was one or two fishermen going by that would wave at us, but otherwise, [we were alone] at the rocks.”
That said, the coasteering challenge was well worth it for the pair, and they encourage others to explore more of Hong Kong, even if they use paved trails and family-friendly locations.
“The biodiversity of Hong Kong is phenomenal for such a small area,” Woodhouse says. “Some people will have [a specific] experience of Lantau, or even Hong Kong, and they might go to the same areas or experience it the same way.
“But there’s actually so much more to discover if you just head out of it.”
