The last dive (in July) at High Island Reservoir's Dollos Dam was so well-received by the members of the HKUC that we decided to try it again! With clear blue skies and the "hot weather warning" in force, what better place to be than a junk floating off the Sai Kung coast.

For their first dive, nearly everyone chose to explore the interlocking dollos. These bizarre looking concrete blocks break up any waves blowing in from the east, disipating their energy and keeping them from undermining the dam itself. They provide excellent shelter for juvenile fish amongst their interlocking limbs and are impregnable to the ravages of the local trawlers. No doubt this explains why thousands of young yellowtail barracuda are to be found weaving amongst them at the moment, never straying too far from safety until one day soon they will have to make the dash for open water and bigger prey.

The wall of the bay to the south of the dam offers an excellent rocky reef with a scattering of hard and soft coral and the occasional misplaced dollo. While the barracuda had very much taken over the dollos, the other local residents seem content to reside on this reef which made for an enjoyable and varied 2nd dive.

Besides the thousands of yellowtail barracudas, we encountered: pufferfish, trumpetfish (a school of them), octopus, hawkfish, rabbitfish, butterflyfish, cigar wrasse, damselfish, "Spanish Dancer"/flat worm, nudibranchs, moray eels, lionfish, a gorgeous juvenile ribbon sweetlips, filefish, goatfish, soapfish, (some sort of) jacks, groupers and even a school of mullet.

Who ever said there's nothing to see in HK?!

Denvy Lo & Bruce Stephens, all photos by Denvy
9th September 2009