A bonus is you get a close-up look at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, a 24-mile-long link connecting the financial and gambling hubs with the mainland. It was still in the final stages of construction during our trip, and opened in October 2018.

We travelled with an outfit called Dolphinwatch on a chilly, overcast day in March. We were asked to meet at a hotel in Tsim Sha Sui, and were taken by road to the boat departure point near the airport on Lantau island. Boat trips are also offered at Tai O Fishing Village on Lantau, though these tend to be shorter so the chances of seeing dolphins is reduced.

It was fun going out on the boat, despite the cold and the rather choppy water. We were accompanied by 10 other passengers, mostly tourists from a number of countries, and as we headed out a guide gave us a bit of background about the dolphins.

The species – known variously as the Chinese white dolphin, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and sousa chinensis – is rated as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s  Red List of threatened species.

Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which monitors population numbers, says possible threats include habitat loss and disturbance, pollution and entanglement in fishing gear. However, the AFCD says there are 2,500 dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary, which includes Hong Kong, and contrary to popular local belief there’s no immediate threat of extinction.

We headed past the Hong Kong section of the structure, massive and monumental, and saw where the roadway dipped down and into an undersea tunnel that led towards Macau.

Most people took refuge from the cold in the cabin as we headed for an area where the dolphins are often seen – they frequent these waters because there’s a plentiful supply of fish. A number of books about the animals helped us pass the time.

And suddenly there they were, out to our left – two pink dolphins gambolling through the grey water. Their pink bodies were an unlikely, unnatural sight; it was  a bit like setting eyes on a unicorn.

We watched the pair arc up through the surface of the water to breath before flipping their tailfins and descending again. Dolphins are of course charming and delightful at any time, but pink ones are at a whole new level of cuteness.

The guide explained that the skipper was reluctant to leave for another site in case we could not find dolphins anywhere else, so we remained where we were for a while, mesmerised by the beautiful creatures, before making our way back to Lantau.

Verdict: It was wonderful to see the dolphins even though the conditions weren’t ideal – on a bright, sunny day with blue sea and sky it would have been magical.

Top tip: It’s best to book your trip by phone the evening before you want to go out rather than a  week or two in advance – that way you can put it off if the weather forecast doesn’t look so good.

June 2019