It was an early morning in May that the SCDC team rendezvoused at Sai Kung town public pier for the first time in living memory. Expedition leader Captain “Birds Eye” Rob had the team meet at the town pier to see if this is an easier location for parking and meeting up. The second challenge set by the Cap’n was for the team to meet at 08:30 on a Saturday morning, but met the challenge the hardy divers did, travelling by car, by taxi and even on foot.
The Cap’n and other members of the expedition boarded the junk, one participant known only as Mike had brought more equipment that all the other divers put together, not limited to one but two cameras, a drone, the largest and heaviest dive bag. All these were held in separate boxes and bags and needed a team of porters to deliver the equipment to the boat.
The morning was bright and sea the calmest for what seems like months allowing the expedition to venture out of Port Shelter. The target was the Dolos which make up the dam at High Island reservoir. The motley set of divers were mainly on single tanks except for two show-offs who had decided to dive with side mount.
The journey was smooth, over blue water and the expedition arrived in good time to moor on the South West end of the breakwater. The side mounters, were on the first wave, mainly due to the inordinately long time that side-mount divers take to get ready. After considerable faffing the first wave entered the water and were stunned by the visibility which in parts reached up to 20m and averaged around 15m on the Dolos. There were large shoals of small reef fish and small groups of the ever present yellow tail barracuda. Nudibranch’s, crabs, clownfish were also in abundance and there were no sea urchins to be seen (they seemed to be on vacation). The next waves doubting the the claims of stunning visibility from the first set of divers and claims of very warm water (25c) ventured out, a couple where still in their drysuits (LOL!), to experience the same.
Before surfacing from his dive the Cap’n was concerned about a steady buzzing noise that he assumed was a small boat. In fact it was the “drone” that was hovering a meter or so above them ready to take the divers photos and videos as the three divers, Alex, Phil and the Captain surfaced. The divers not knowing what to do, sheepishly waved at the drone, which can feel slightly odd.
Following more yet drone flying, the second dive was again on the dam and the surrounding cliffs as the conditions were the best that anyone could remember. At the end of the day a leisurely route was taken back to Sai Kung to end a fantastic expedition to the Dolos.
