2020-2021 The Marine Life Stranding Response team attended to 52 stranding cases involving:
36 Indo-pacific finless porpoises
1 shark
7 Chinese white dolphins
8 other cetaceans
Run for Survival 2021
Over 2,000 Conservation Heroes took part in the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK)’s charity run themed Protect Our Ocean for a Better Future and raised over HK$1.2 million of funds to support its Asian wildlife conservation efforts. During the award presentation ceremony, officiating guests shared practical tips on how to embrace a plastic-free lifestyle.
Ocean Park Conservation Day
19,267 visitors participated in the 26th Ocean Park Conservation Day organised by OPC with OPCFHK. The initiative enriched the public’s understanding of Hong Kong’s rich biodiversity and promoted humannature connection.
Ocean Park Conservation Chill Club
Launched in September 2020, the Ocean Park Conservation Chill Club (the CCC) mobilised young people from across Hong Kong to be part of the city’s nature conservation efforts. Billed as the biggestever conservation programme in local schools, the initiative focused on three threatened local species: Acropora corals, green turtle and golden birdwing butterfly. It brought together some 50,000 students from 81 schools for concerted efforts.
New signees of the CCC took part in ideation, training, community engagement and hands-on conservation activities. They studied the impact of water pollution on Acropora coral growth, the dangers of marine debris, ship propellers and other artificial obstacles such as plastics on green turtles, and how poaching is decimating the golden birdwing butterfly population. The CCC also offered an avenue for secondary students to assist in the ongoing conservation projects conducted by OPC in partnership with local universities.
Wildlife and conservation research
OPC has always been a key contributor to scientific research. We see it as a bridge to connect the four main pillars of modern collection management, namely scientific advancement, animal welfare, conservation and education.
Since 1994, we have supported a wide array of in-house, local and international research studies as well as in-situ and ex-situ conservation programmes. As at 30 June 2021 we produced or co-authored 312 scientific research publications in international, peer-reviewed journals or presented them at relevant industry conferences. Below are some major studies conducted during the 2020–2021 fiscal year.
One of our main highlights in the 2020–2021 fiscal year was the extensive preparation we took to launch Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong amid health restrictions and operational disruptions brought by the pandemic.
Being Asia’s first and only year-round, all-weather seaside water park, Water World is the most significant milestone to date of the Park’s transformation journey.
When members of the public see how we seamlessly merged a state-of-the-art water park with its hillside surroundings through a series of terraced platforms, wave pools and thrill rides overlooking the stunning sea views and southern coastlines of Hong Kong Island, we hope they will appreciate the enormous efforts made by my Ocean Park colleagues and the various organisations and partners involved.
As local and overseas visitors splash into fun and adventure at this awe-inspiring new landmark, Water World will increase the Park’s attractiveness of Hong Kong as a world-class premier tourist destination.
Since 2018, OPC has participated in HK Electric’s Feed-in Tariff Scheme by installing solar panel systems at various in-park facilities. The solar power system development started with Polar Adventure, which commenced solar energy generation in the first quarter of 2019, producing over 270,000 kWh in 2020–2021.
The second phase was completed at the end of June 2021 with solar panel installations at ten rooftops, including the rooftops of The Grand Aquarium, Shark Mystique, The Waterfront Cable Car Building, The Summit Cable Car Building, The Waterfront Ocean Express Terminal and The Summit Funicular Building that are expected to produce over 740,000 kWh of energy per year
OPC has always taken pride in our successful approach to minimise the environmental impact of our operations. We steadfastly deployed industry-leading best practices to decrease carbon footprint, reduce and recycle waste, minimise pollution and eliminate environmental hazards.
Education of water pollution and its impacts to the youths, to understand of the detrimental effects of marine pollution and identifying diseases in animals, like dementia in dolphins.
