The Great Barrier Reef

We showed up early the next morning at the Port Douglas Marina to check in for our boat and soon shoved off on another lengthy boat journey to one of the most pristine sections of the Great Barrier Reef - the Agincourt Reef.  To get the most of out this pristine area of the reef Kayleigh and I elected to give Scuba Diving a shot.  Given that neither of us is certified, we were briefed on various safety protocol on the ride out and got suited up as we approached the reef and then…Whoa! Somehow the water was even clearer than at Lady Musgrave!  Fitted with the heavy tank and weights, when the time came for us to jump in we were both laughing in a fit of nervous excitement.  There were four of us in the group to one guide and we took it slow, getting used to the feel of breathing, descending and clearing our masks.  Unfortunately we were advised against taking our camera down on the first dive to make sure we were paying attention to safety - fair enough given how uncomfortable it all was for the first 15 minutes or so.  Just when we started getting the hang of it and paying more attention to the reef than our gear it was time to surface.

Back on the boat lunch was served and we waited while the second group completed their dives before we headed off to the 2nd site of the day.  At this site we elected instead to snorkel and boy am I glad that we did! Easily the best snorkeling in my life! The color and variety of the corals and abundance of fish on display was incomparable with anything we’d seen so far on the reef!  From starfish and sea cucumbers to giant clams and sea slugs, it was a veritable treasure trove of underwater life.  One lucky lady in our group even had the fortune to see a reef shark lumbering along the bottom of the sea floor.  

Once again back on the boat and moving to our final site for the day, Kayleigh and I were juggling whether or not to give scuba diving one more shot.  How could we top the snorkeling we’d just done? Luckily we decided to give it one more go and this time it was just the two of us and our guide.  We were allowed to take the GoPro along this time and got down into the water a lot more quickly.  Almost right away after nearing the ocean floor our guide spotted a giant manta ray and hurried us along catch a glimpse of it.  As we neared, the sand stirred and we managed to catch a glimpse of it fleeing the scene.  Shortly after as we were swimming along a coral wall I gained a true appreciation of intimacy that scuba diving allows over snorkeling.  Being down there so close opened a new world of experience that went beyond just the reef itself.  The sensation of floating, of staring up at the water’s surface while it shimmered like an underwater sky, all the while being surrounded by colors and life was a surreal and serene experience.  We managed to glimpse another graceful sea turtle as well as a puffed up lion fish before happening across a pair of clown fish frolicking through some soft coral, gently swaying in the “sea breeze”. 

Overall it was the highlight of our Great Barrier Reef experience, and definitely made scuba-diving-believers out of Kayleigh and I.  There may be a scuba diving certification in our future…

Ready! 

Kayleigh manages to look good even underwater :p

Heaven must surely bear some resemblance

Petting a giant clam!