Today, I went to the first event of the Marine Department Youth Group for 2024, visiting the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal, the Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC) and the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center (MRCC).

First, we visited the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal, which is primarily used for ferry services between Hong Kong and Macao. We met Mr. Lai, the Marine Officer, who introduced us to the background and operations of the terminal. The Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal not only provides services to Macao, but also has a number of routes to different cities in the Chinese Mainland. He explained that since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in 2018, many shipping companies have started to transform by offering high-end ferry services to cope with the market changes.

Next, Marine Officer, Mr. Tsang took us on a tour of the VTC and the MRCC. The VTC is responsible for monitoring marine traffic in the Hong Kong waters, providing maritime safety information to vessels to ensure smooth and safe sailing. They currently use a 3rd generation of the Vessel Traffic Services System, which can track over 10,000 vessels simultaneously and provide real-time information on their status and movements.

To wrap up this eventful excursion, Marine Officer Mr. Chow enlightened us on the daily duties of maritime rescue. The MRCC is primarily responsible for coordinating maritime search and rescue operations, covering an area of up to 700 nautical miles, which is equivalent to 1,400 Hong Kong's in size! Mr. Chow also shared with us an interesting video of a real-life rescue, in which sailors were rescued from a sinking ship via helicopter.

In this two-hour visit, I could feel the passion for work and team spirit in the Marine Department, and deepened my understanding of maritime rescue. Looking forward to joining the next activity!