Mainland Chinese tourists may have come for the tombolo but left with a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s coral reefs and marine life after the government stepped up promotion and protection efforts on Sharp Island in Sai Kung.

That was the view of visitors touring the island on Friday morning, Labour Day – a Hong Kong public holiday and the start of the mainland’s five-day “golden week” break.

As of noon, around 300 tourists had arrived on the island, but only a few had entered the water.

The tombolo, a narrow sandbar connecting the island’s two landmasses, was packed with tourists.

“We never knew there were corals near the coast,” said Gloria Fu, 30, an equity trader from the mainland who works in Hong Kong, adding that the global conservation body WWF’s booth was the only coral-related promotion she saw on her way from Hap Mun Bay to the island.

Fu said she found WWF’s introduction useful for learning more about the island’s marine life.