Cliffs tower. They tell silent stories of Ung Kong Wan. This bay is part of the Ung Kong group of islands. These islands lie off the southeast tip of the Sai Kung Peninsula.
Ung Kong Wan is the most sheltered place in the Ung Kong Group. The Ung Kong group includes Wang Chau, Basalt Island, and Bluff Island. These islands share a common origin. They developed in the Sai Kung Caldera.
These islands feature the same tuff that stretches from the southeastern peninsula to the Ninepin Group. A key feature is hexagonal jointing. This jointing creates spectacular sea cliffs and arches.
Basalt Island’s name is misleading. There is no basalt here. Its Chinese name Fo Shek Tsai translates to Child of Fire Rocks. That is more fitting.
Waves have shaped imposing cliffs along exposed coastlines. Bluff Island boasts Hong Kong’s highest cliff. It is a precipitous 140-metre rock wall. It rises on eastern Bluff Island known as Sha Tong Hau Shan. Western Bluff Island has gentler slopes. A pleasant cove graces the northwest coast. It features a beach and a coral community. This community lies close inshore.
Sea arches mark Wang Chau and Basalt Island. Hong Kong’s highest sea arches are here. Wang Chau features a 50-metre high arch. Basalt Island has the 45-metre Lam Wan Kok arch.
These arches formed through erosion along lines of weakness. Caves formed on either side of headlands. Waves cut through creating tunnels or arches. Wave refraction might have focused wave energy.
North Wang Chau has a blowhole. This blowhole is the mouth of a small sea cave. When conditions are right waves surge through the cave. Spray blasts through the hole.
The Ung Kong islands are rugged and remote. They lack settlements. A noteworthy incident occurred here. On December 21 1948 a plane crashed into Basalt Island. All 33 or 35 people died. Quentin Roosevelt was among them. He was the grandson of US President Theodore Roosevelt.
Fog shrouded the area during the crash. The plane descended over Mirs Bay en route to Kai Tak Airport. Some suspect sabotage. The pilot may have seen lights from Nanyang Studio. He may have mistaken them for airport lights. This led to a fatal approach. The plane slammed into Basalt Island. Today a cairn marks the crash site on northern Basalt Island.
Ung Kong Wan at Bluff Island holds a curio. A jeep rests on the seabed. Smugglers may have dropped or abandoned it. They may have been taking it to mainland China.
The surrounding waters teem with diverse marine life. Ung Kong Wan hosts one of Hong Kong’s best hard coral communities. Pleasure boats frequent this bay. Boat anchors once damaged the coral. Buoys now mark a no anchoring area. This measure has proven successful. Recent Reef Check surveys show increased coral coverage.
Hard corals become scarcer away from Ung Kong Wan. Soft corals thrive. A variety of fish and other animals also live here. Ung Kong Wan offers a glimpse into nature’s resilience. It is a testament to conservation efforts.