Wantonmien
Contributor
Having had such magnificent awe inspiring dives with schooling Hammerheads in Green Island during the CNY holidays at the start of the month, I just couldn't resist the chance to head back there last weekend 26~28 Feb to hopefully to repeat the experience.
Trip this time took me a little more time - I returned from the UK to land Taiwan 20:30 Friday night, and dawn next morning the long drive to Fugang (Taidung ferry port).
On arrival at the island it was check in the hotel, get to the dive shop and within an hour be heading by scooter for a 'get wet' dive off the shore at "Shihlang" to once again seek the apparent 10m tall "oldest known" living structure in the world living coral formation - which seemed once again to be hiding, albeit the life in the water was abundant, with small Tuna niping around and a mass of colour and life amongst the carpet of soft and hard corals.
Sunday morning, with the small group of 5 other expats plus buddy and I - we were on the dive boat and on our way to shark point, complete with around a dozen Taiwanese divers - including one girl who busily sorted her make up out whilst heading to the first dive site
.
Unknown in advance to us, the shark boat Captain decided that instead of a drop off at shark point into the currents, due to unsurity of others on the boat he wanted all on board to make a first dive with negative entry into an area with a little less current - seemed a daft idea to me, but as buddy and I descended we passed by the 'make up' girl hovering around 5 m depth in the water and seemingly not able to descend ?
Down we went, we lost the pack off the boat and found ourselves in a very strong current and actually a nice drift dive, taking us over some great corals, some beautiful blue spotted rays, a few some baracuda, tuna, fish I don't know the name of and almost to the shark point where I'd seen the Hammerheads a couple of weeks back. On ascent - quite surprised to see we were probably 750m from the dive boat, and after after 10 mins or so was quite relieved to see it finally heading to us ! Nice dive.
Then, 1.5 hours later it was to Shark Point --
We were about last off the boat, which was getting a little too close to the rocks for comfort - but with buddy it was in, directly down (passing the make up girl again !) and a strong swim down into the fierce current - which took us opposite side of rock formations that most others went around, took us directly towards a beautiful Eagle ray that took off with the speed of a Porsche, took us drifting over a huge wreck of a ship, with the broken side of the ship maybe 25 metres across and at least 100 metres long, with it's gears and parts strewn around. Seeing that wreck kind of makes you realise how powerful the currents and dangerous the rocky point of the island must be at times, but eventually we reached an outcrop of rock that looked just right to hook on and wait and look for the schooling hammerheads. We hooked on - and waited, and waited, and waited --- and :depressed: just blue blue water stretched out before us - and alas no sighting of the hammerheads. Leaving it as long as we could, we gave up and ascended. The feeling of awe that I'd had just a few weeks back just didn't materialise :depressed:.
Back on board, we learned that Miss "make up" + one other had managed to get themselves washed up (safely) onto the rocks and was amused with herself
for doing so - we also learned that four of the other divers on their ascent had seen at a distance 7 or 8 hammerheads - but alas, this time we had not.
Plans were made for 2 shark dives, on the Monday, but alas big disappointment, the dive boat had developed a problem, and was cancelled.
Needless to say beer o'clock arrived pretty early Sunday night with our newly met bunch of great dive expat friends, into the early morning.
Monday - one more shore dive at "Dabaisha" - nice lazy dive, before the return trip back to the mainland.
I just hope that the Hammerheads I saw at the start of the month make a safe migration and all arrive back next year, as the season of their passing by Green Island is now just about finished for the year
Cheers
Trip this time took me a little more time - I returned from the UK to land Taiwan 20:30 Friday night, and dawn next morning the long drive to Fugang (Taidung ferry port).
On arrival at the island it was check in the hotel, get to the dive shop and within an hour be heading by scooter for a 'get wet' dive off the shore at "Shihlang" to once again seek the apparent 10m tall "oldest known" living structure in the world living coral formation - which seemed once again to be hiding, albeit the life in the water was abundant, with small Tuna niping around and a mass of colour and life amongst the carpet of soft and hard corals.
Sunday morning, with the small group of 5 other expats plus buddy and I - we were on the dive boat and on our way to shark point, complete with around a dozen Taiwanese divers - including one girl who busily sorted her make up out whilst heading to the first dive site
.Unknown in advance to us, the shark boat Captain decided that instead of a drop off at shark point into the currents, due to unsurity of others on the boat he wanted all on board to make a first dive with negative entry into an area with a little less current - seemed a daft idea to me, but as buddy and I descended we passed by the 'make up' girl hovering around 5 m depth in the water and seemingly not able to descend ?
Down we went, we lost the pack off the boat and found ourselves in a very strong current and actually a nice drift dive, taking us over some great corals, some beautiful blue spotted rays, a few some baracuda, tuna, fish I don't know the name of and almost to the shark point where I'd seen the Hammerheads a couple of weeks back. On ascent - quite surprised to see we were probably 750m from the dive boat, and after after 10 mins or so was quite relieved to see it finally heading to us ! Nice dive.
Then, 1.5 hours later it was to Shark Point --
We were about last off the boat, which was getting a little too close to the rocks for comfort - but with buddy it was in, directly down (passing the make up girl again !) and a strong swim down into the fierce current - which took us opposite side of rock formations that most others went around, took us directly towards a beautiful Eagle ray that took off with the speed of a Porsche, took us drifting over a huge wreck of a ship, with the broken side of the ship maybe 25 metres across and at least 100 metres long, with it's gears and parts strewn around. Seeing that wreck kind of makes you realise how powerful the currents and dangerous the rocky point of the island must be at times, but eventually we reached an outcrop of rock that looked just right to hook on and wait and look for the schooling hammerheads. We hooked on - and waited, and waited, and waited --- and :depressed: just blue blue water stretched out before us - and alas no sighting of the hammerheads. Leaving it as long as we could, we gave up and ascended. The feeling of awe that I'd had just a few weeks back just didn't materialise :depressed:.
Back on board, we learned that Miss "make up" + one other had managed to get themselves washed up (safely) onto the rocks and was amused with herself
for doing so - we also learned that four of the other divers on their ascent had seen at a distance 7 or 8 hammerheads - but alas, this time we had not.Plans were made for 2 shark dives, on the Monday, but alas big disappointment, the dive boat had developed a problem, and was cancelled.
Needless to say beer o'clock arrived pretty early Sunday night with our newly met bunch of great dive expat friends, into the early morning.
Monday - one more shore dive at "Dabaisha" - nice lazy dive, before the return trip back to the mainland.
I just hope that the Hammerheads I saw at the start of the month make a safe migration and all arrive back next year, as the season of their passing by Green Island is now just about finished for the year
Cheers
