Jet skis are causing ocean warming  Kenting introduces authentic "underwater activities"

Reported and photographed by You t
ru / Kenting

"There used to be sea turtles laying eggs near Little Bay, but as the number of tourists increased, the turtles gradually stopped coming here to lay eggs. I guess they might have passed by Little Bay from the sea, seen too many people, and decided to find another place." Sitting on a canoe and looking out at Little Bay in Kenting, a few umbrellas are set up, and a jet ski carries tourists as it freely circles the sea, splashing water around. This is a common sight in Kenting during summer and one of the activities that harms the ecosystem.


▲The view of Little Bay in Kenting from a canoe.
As spring and summer arrive, Kenting’s water activities enter their peak season, which is also the time when tourists cause significant ecological damage. Travelers who love Kenting and want to experience something different might want to try this lesser-known "underwater activity" here. It is said that this activity not only allows you to witness the beauty of hidden beaches and experience the thrill of Pi’s sea adventure from Life of Pi, but also offers a glimpse into the purity of Kenting’s underwater world. However, having such an adventure is not easy—you must first give up using "water activity tools" like jet skis and banana boats, and paddle a canoe manually for over half an hour before you can reach the secret beach through the ocean waves and dive in to observe the fish.

Xiao Jiang, a local travel expert in Kenting, mentioned that the reason for using canoes in this activity is that most water activities tend to accelerate environmental damage. "For example, the most popular water activity among tourists, jet skis, can raise the surrounding seawater temperature as they move through the sea, disturbing the corals and fish in the water." Paddling out to sea from Little Bay in Kenting, although spring in Kenting has already reached a high temperature of 30 degrees, sitting in the canoe and gripping the paddle tightly while looking down at the underwater scenery, the shapes of the corals become clearer as the boat moves away from Little Bay Beach.


▲It takes more than half an hour of manual canoe paddling to reach the secret beach through the ocean waves and dive in to observe the fish.


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"There’s a wave ahead, try paddling to the right to avoid it." In spring, the wind in Kenting is strong, and when canoeing, you first need to learn how to avoid the waves to prevent the boat from capsizing; when passing by coral reef rocky shores, to avoid the boat bottom being cut, you must either get off the boat or stop paddling and wait quietly for the boat to pass; additionally, the most important thing throughout is to try not to let the paddle touch the surrounding corals or marine life. Xiao Jiang said, "The corals on the seabed are very fragile. If a tourist steps on them or the paddle touches them, the coral may break or die, and you will never see it again in the future."

The presence of corals provides the nutrients and environment that fish need to live. When canoeing and drifting on the sea in Kenting, you can faintly sense this. Around large brain corals, you can see schools of fish swimming around, which is proof that the coral is still "alive." After sailing on the sea for about half an hour, you enter the coral reef rocky shore, which is also the location of the "hidden beach." At this point, you need to get off the boat, steer the boat away from the sharp coral reefs, and pull it onto the beach. "The trees and beach here really resemble the ones in Life of Pi." Indeed, after "drifting" hard on the sea by boat, staying on the beach truly feels like stepping into the last scene of the movie, where Pi lies on the beach.


▲When canoeing, you first need to learn how to avoid the waves to prevent the boat from capsizing.


▲The "hidden beach" has arrived, and you now need to get off the boat, steer the boat away from the sharp coral reefs, and pull it onto the beach.


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The coral reef areas in Kenting form natural pools of various sizes, each inhabited by schools of fish. "During high tide, the water will flood over the reefs, and larger fish will lay their eggs in the caves, so you can see schools of fish here." Xiao Jiang jumps into the sea, holding a swim ring and rope, and all the tourists need to do is hold onto the swim ring to enter the sea together and observe Kenting’s underwater ecosystem. "The snorkeling method using swim ring ropes is specially designed to prevent tourists from stepping on the corals and reduce harm to the ocean," Xiao Jiang explained. Tourists do not need to know how to swim to experience snorkeling.


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▲This group of clownfish lives here permanently, and any diver who comes here has a chance to see them.

Being pulled by the rope and entering the sea with Xiao Jiang is a brand-new experience. The sea in Kenting is not crystal clear, and the marine life is not as abundant and complete as in overseas island countries, but as Taiwanese, seeing the fish swimming around the corals still brings an indescribable feeling of emotion. "There are actually still many creatures in Kenting’s waters, but with the damage, there are fewer and fewer of them." In the gloomy seabed, a few clownfish live inside the corals. Xiao Jiang explained that this kind of eco-tour is not just simple snorkeling, but to prove that Kenting’s sea still has a world worth cherishing.

"I love this land in southern Taiwan, so I want to do more for it," said Xiao Jiang. The beautiful marine environment in southern Taiwan is slowly disappearing. If more tourists can see what Kenting’s seabed looks like, perhaps some will protect the remaining beauty of Kenting as carefully as he does. "I hope that one day, we can see the turtles come back home."

[Canoe Snorkeling Eco Tour in Kenting]
Reservation method: Contact Kenting Caesar Leisure Center. This tour is open to all travelers, but priority is given to hotel guests.
Time: The tour lasts 2 to 4 hours in total and is available from early April until late summer.
Price: Starting from NT$500