Hong Kong · Hong Kong · Reef
Ninepin Islands
Hexagonal geopark columns and a chance of a weedy scorpionfish
Photo: Chingleung · Public domain
The Ninepin Islands are a group of oddly shaped islands in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, known for their hexagonal rock columns. Dives here run from 7 to 17 m depending on the spot, with schools of fish in the shallows, clownfish in the anemones and a chance of the rare weedy scorpionfish.
Also known as Ninepin Group, East Ninepin Island, South Ninepin Island.
Where it is and how deep
22.2670° N, 114.3477° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Depth depends on which spot the boat picks, from 7 to 17 m, and East Ninepin Island alone has several spots reaching past 20 m. Schools of fish hang at a relatively shallow depth, and clownfish hide in the anemones at around 7 m.
Deeper down the islands hold octopuses, eels, sea apples and an unusually colourful sea cucumber. The weedy scorpionfish lives here too, but it is rare and hard to find.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Hong Kong: May and June are the best months; algae bloom and wind cut visibility from July to September.
Dive videos
Coral Garden in Ninepin Islands Hong Kong 香港果洲群島的珊瑚花園 · Rigel Chiu on YouTube
Sources
- Where to go scuba diving in Hong Kong — Time Out Hong Kong
- East Ninepin Island - ScubaGo — ScubaGo
- Diving and snorkelling in Hong Kong — Tatler Asia
Photo credits
- Two small boats in a calm cove between rocky, grass-topped headlands with a narrow sea arch at the back. by Chingleung, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Hong Kong
Numerous sea caves cut into a geopark island
Marine-park coral reached by road on the Sai Kung Peninsula
Wreck
Nudibranch-covered barge hull a short way from Hoi Ha jetty
Wreck
A 1960s cement carrier in strong current
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