Remembering the haunting echoes of Typhoon Wanda, let me tell you about Tolo Harbour. Tolo Harbour is a sheltered bay in Hong Kong’s northeastern New Territories. Its history hides stories of natural beauty and devastating storms.
In days gone by, Tolo Harbour was famous for its pearls. Pearl hunting was a major industry from the Han Dynasty. A Southern Han king even renamed Tai Po to Mei Chuen To. He ordered aggressive pearl cultivation. Many pearl hunters died during this time. Pearl hunting continued until the Ming Dynasty. By then, the pearl oysters were almost gone.
Tolo Harbour has several islands. Ma Shi Chau is one of them. Centre Island and Yeung Chau are others. Yim Tin Tsai is another island within Tolo Harbour. Yuen Chau Tsai was once an island. Now, it is connected to the mainland by a causeway.
The Kowloon–Canton Railway was built in the 1910s along Tolo Harbour’s western shore. The Tolo Highway followed in the 1980s. You can take a ferry across Tolo Harbour. Ferries run from Tai Shui Hang to Ma Liu Shui or Tai Mei Tuk. Other ferries go from Ma Liu Shui to Lai Chi Wo. You can also reach Kat O, Ap Chau, Tap Mun, and Tung Ping Chau from Ma Liu Shui.
Tolo Harbour suffered greatly during Typhoon Wanda in 1962. The typhoon brought winds up to 260 km/hr. It also brought 263mm of rain. The winds combined with a 5-meter storm surge. Many ships were grounded. One-third of the Tai Po fishing fleet was destroyed. The storm’s center passed 16km south of the Observatory. Wind speeds reached 250 km/hr.
Tolo Harbour is usually a safe place for ships. But Wanda created extreme tides. Mountains surround the harbor. This causes rapid run-off and flash floods during heavy rains. The harbor’s sea level rises quickly due to rainfall. Wanda dropped 100mm of rain. This raised the harbor’s sea level by almost 200mm. The typhoon’s low pressure created a dome of seawater. This raised the sea level even more. Strong winds broke ship moorings. Vessels were thrown against the shore.
Several ships were impacted in Tolo Harbour by the storm. The ‘Crescent’ was wrecked on the south shore. The ‘Hai Jye’ grounded on the east end of Harbour Island. The ‘Vinkon’ was driven aground near Tai Po Kau. The ‘Ocean Venture’ was driven ashore on the north tip of Harbour Island. The ‘Norelg’ was driven ashore on the east side of Ma Shi Chau. The ‘Fortune Lory’ was grounded against the south side of Plover Cove. But it was later refloated. The ‘Bogota’ was grounded on the north side of Harbour Island. It was also later refloated.
Aerial photos from 1963 still showed the wrecked ships. These were lasting reminders of Typhoon Wanda. After the construction of the Plover Cove reservoir, all of these sites were submerged.
Today, Tolo Harbour faces new challenges. Reclamation has devastated marine ecosystems. Coral coverage has fallen to less than 2%. But there is hope. Efforts are underway to revive coral communities. These efforts aim to restore Tolo Harbour’s benthic biodiversity.
Tolo Bay has a high diversity of species. Port Island and Hoi Ha Wan have many hard coral species. Over 153 fish species live here. This includes the endangered Hong Kong grouper. Tolo Harbour has the largest mangrove coverage in eastern waters. Ting Kok supports over 300 marine species. This includes a newly-discovered micro-crab. The vulnerable spotted seahorse is also found here. Five species of starfish also call this place home.
WWF is working to protect Tolo Harbour. They suggest designating it as a marine protected area. They also want to set up a code of conduct for recreational activities. They propose regulated clam digging in designated zones. They aim to implement a log book system to collect fishing information. They encourage to prohibit non-selective fishing practices. They want to work with local communities to adopt a co-management approach.
Tolo Harbour is a place of history and natural beauty. It reminds us of both the power of nature and the importance of conservation.