Today is the day I got to cross another item off my bucket list, snorkeling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef. We had an early wake-up call this morning because we had to be at the pier and on the boat by 7:30AM.
There were thirteen of us who decided to go on this journey today, and it was probably the best choice for a free day. When we got to the boat they handed us some paperwork to fill out, some flippers, a snorkel and a mask, as well as a wet suit. Once everyone on the boat had their paperwork filled out we were free to set sail. As soon as we got underway we had a safety briefing about the boat like where the life vests were and what to do if you felt sick. This didn't take very long considering it was all common sense, and after it was done I made my way to the top deck of the boat to bathe in the sun for our first hour ride out to the reef. About thirty minutes in Lucy, one of the dive instructors, called everyone in for a meeting about the dive equipment, safety instructions, and various hand signals to use underwater. She also split us into groups of four which were our dive groups for the day. Luckily, I was with three other people from my study abroad group. Once we made it to our first dive location everyone began putting on the wetsuits and those who were not up to dive went snorkeling, and those who were up to dive got fitted with their weight belts and tanks. I was group number two and since there were two dive instructors I was one of the first groups to go. I got my weight belt and then went to go sit on the dive platform which was slightly submerged in water. While waiting to receive my tank I put on my flippers, and got my goggles prepared to put on. One trick most people don't know about snorkeling or diving is that it is best to spit in your goggles, swish it around, and then rinse them off before putting them on to prevent them from fogging. Apparently, your saliva has a natural enzyme in it to keep them from doing so. After I let me goggles soak in a little saliva I rinsed them off and made sure they were nice and secure. Then came my oxygen tank. I seriously underestimated how heavy one of those things can be!
Once everyone in my group was fitted and ready to go we flipped our way into the water, and held on to the boat with our faces in the water until we got accustomed to the unnatural feel of breathing underwater. After about five or so minutes Lucy took each of us down underwater one by one. No she didn't just let us roam free.... there were a few things she had to test us on first. As she brought us under there was a three step ladder attached to the boat and we held the bottom rung while we tested emptying our goggles of water, popping our ears, and reinserting our regulator in case it falls out of our mouths. I passed the test, and so did everyone else in my group, so we linked arms and went for our first dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Once Lucy felt that we were comfortable letting go of her we were free to swim within arms reach of anyone in our group and explore on our own. Lucy showed us some very cool thing underwater. I got to see some HUGE clams, and gorgeous fish. I finally got to see Marlin and baby Nemo up close and personal in their own habitat! I also got to touch the anemone, which felt VERY strange.
Just like with skydiving the other day I never realized how beautiful something like this could be. Sure you see it in pictures all the time, but be up close is a completely different story! Unfortunately, my time of diving was quickly over and I was taken back to the surface to remove my gear. While the other groups got their turn at diving the rest of us went out snorkeling on our own. Although I got to see a lot of really pretty coral and fish while snorkeling it was much harder because you were being tossed about by the waves. We spent a couple of hours in this first spot, but once it was time to pack up and eat lunch before we moved one of the lookouts blew there whistle signaling it was time to come in. During lunch we got to see some of the pictures taken by the professional photographer on board, which was fun to see. After lunch was all packed we began moving to our next diving location. According to the dive instructors and the marine biologist aboard there would be far more turtles and sharks in this portion of the reef than before. Once the boat was parked it was the same drill. I was in the second group to take another dive, but this time it was a little bit longer and a little bit more relaxed and free. This time I went down with pat and he showed us some very wonderful creatures. I got to hold a starfish, a sea cucumber, and see baby crabs no bigger than my thumb nail. Needless to say I enjoyed Pat's guiding much more than Lucy because he was ready and willing to help us explore. Unfortunately, as it got closer to the time to surface we still hadn't seen any turtles or sharks. I got out of the water, took of my scuba gear, and went plunging back in the water to snorkel. While I was snorkeling I was finally able to see a small shark swimming below me, and according to some of my other group members they were able to see a sea turtle. After packing up from this location it was time to head back to Cairns. It was a very bumpy and rocky ride back, but I just sat on the top deck with a book trying to ignore how much I was getting thrown about. By the time we docked and walked back to the hotel I was exhausted. It was time for a shower and to find some dinner before an early night to bed.
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