Last year, the BlueTrend editorial team planted a coral at Suogang Hangwan Bay in Penghu (Beautifying the Waters of Penghu with Coral — You Too Can Be a "Coral Florist": A Coral Restoration Experience), and left with hearts full of memories and gratitude. From that moment on, our impression of Penghu was completely transformed. This year, returning to Penghu with a few friends, we planted coral beads in a different way — hoping that through this kind of eco-tour, more people might slow down and discover the alternative beauty Penghu has to offer.
Come On, Let's Go to Penghu!
With summer vacation underway and international travel from Taiwan still not fully reopened due to the pandemic, the urge to board a plane was real. So — let's go to Penghu!
Departing from Songshan Airport, you grab your boarding pass, check your luggage, browse the duty-free shops, and after a roughly forty-minute flight, you arrive in Penghu with ease. Former news anchor Wang You-Ran headed to Penghu with her daughter Xiao Kui and her husband for a three-day, two-night eco-experience. Xiao Kui, a third-grader who loves trying new things, had a full itinerary specially arranged by her mom — including a snorkeling experience at Qimei, a nighttime squid fishing outing, and a standout activity unique to Penghu: the Coral Florist coral planting and restoration course. Through snorkeling, Xiao Kui got to take part in a hands-on coral restoration experience and come to understand the core spirit of ecological sustainability.
Listening carefully to the instructor's briefing before entering the water — to protect yourself and the coral
The coral transplanting experience is offered in either a half-day or full-day format. For the half-day option, participants check in directly with the operator, who will go over activity guidelines, how to put on a wetsuit, and the harm that sunscreen can cause to the ocean. Everyone is then given a waterproof postcard to write before heading into the water — to be dropped into an underwater postbox. Afterward, the operator drives participants to Suogang Hangwan Bay, where they collect their coral seedlings from a small seaside stand at the hatchery. Participants give their seedling a name and take a certification photo before gearing up to enter the water. Non-swimmers need not worry — the instructor provides equipment training at the surface so everyone can get comfortable breathing with the gear before going in.
Don't forget to write a waterproof postcard before heading in — you'll get to drop it in the underwater postbox shortly after
The experience is available in two modes: snorkeling or scuba diving. The snorkeling option has fewer age restrictions and is more suitable for older participants or children accompanied by a parent. The scuba diving option, due to equipment size limitations, is better suited for adults; while it comes at a higher price, it allows participants to get much closer to the coral on the seafloor and personally plant their own coral bead.
With scuba diving, you can descend directly to plant the coral yourself
Ready to Dive In and Plant Coral
This time, Xiao Kui's mom signed up for the full-day snorkeling experience to plant coral. The instructor tows a life ring, and Xiao Kui simply rests her hands on it and dips her head below the surface to listen as the instructor explains the ecology of the surrounding waters. On the way to the underwater coral garden, don't be alarmed if you spot plenty of black sea cucumbers and Holothuria leucospilota — sea cucumbers in Penghu are a protected species and cannot be caught! Those green algae rolling around in the water column in clumps are Sargassum, tossed by the waves into ball shapes that are endlessly charming. Look closely and you might even spot cuttlefish or frogfish hiding among them.
Even snorkelers can get up close with the coral for a photo (always follow the instructor's guidance)
Penghu's Rich Coral Resources
The underwater coral garden is divided into different sections featuring a wide variety of coral species — staghorn coral, massive Porites coral, foliose Montipora coral, and an entire section of stunning purple Acropora coral that looks as romantic as a field of lavender. wrasse and damselfish drift around the coral, and if you look carefully, you might even spot the exceptionally rare fluted giant clam. After viewing the garden planted by previous visitors, the instructor leads participants to the second stop: the new growth garden, where bare triangular reef blocks are dotted with freshly planted coral seedlings. In the snorkeling experience, the instructor plants the coral on behalf of participants while they observe from the surface.
The third stop is the underwater postbox — because it sits at a greater depth, the instructor dives down to deliver the postcards on participants' behalf. On the return journey, keep an eye out for Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) and sea urchins. The full-day experience includes an additional guided tour inside the Penghu Aquatic Seedling Breeding Center (the "hatchery"). Participants can take part in coral planting prep work, mold coral bricks, trim coral bead branches, and try a touch pool, along with a few interactive games on-site — all of which help children feel far more connected to the experience when they actually go out to plant coral by the sea.
The Penghu Aquatic Seedling Breeding Center offers a comfortable environmental education space — with refreshing air conditioning to boot
Beyond the tourist itinerary, you can also choose sustainable eco-tourism
If you're planning a self-guided trip to Penghu next time, consider setting aside one day beyond the usual tourist circuit to visit the Penghu Aquatic Seedling Breeding Center in southern Penghu. Through a sustainable tourism experience with genuine ecological significance, you'll rediscover the ocean — and rediscover coral ecosystems. The Coral Florist activity at the hatchery runs special sessions on a fixed schedule each year. Keep a close eye on the Penghu Coral Florist official website, or contact the operators who partner with the hatchery directly for more information!
The Coral Florist activity is a limited-capacity event each year — stay tuned for next year's details!
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