21 | Great Barrier Reef

Ever since watching Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries when I was younger about the Reef I was looking forward to this the most. No tourist divers are allowed to get close to the inner reef because it is so fragile so the outer corals are the best I can hope for.

We set off for the quay early to board our boat. There were a few grey clouds but on the horizon it looked promising. Upon arrival we had our photos taken and were weighed up for the size of our wet suits and flippers. The sea looked calm however as we got out of the bay the boat started to rock back and forth rapidly. I have never been sea sick before but this was horrendous. Liam, Matt and myself all went to the back of the boat for fresh air and to ease the dizziness. You never get this feeling while watching Plant Earth on BBC 2 with a cuppa. The 2 hour journey felt like half a day but we made it with energy still left in the tank. We were in Group Oliver (booking reference, not my insistence) which was up last so us guys had a couple of hours to snorkel and enjoy the spectacle.

The water was really shallow above the coral which made it perfect to get up close and swim amongst the shoaling fish. Whitsundays was good but this was even better, the variety of fish was similar but there were so many more which were really inquisitive and swam really close to your face. We were really lucky to see a black tip shark (1m in length) pass underneath us which is usually a nocturnal animal.

Finally the moment arrived to suit up. The oxygen tank was a lot heavier than I thought it would be and with flippers on, I looked like a struggling penguin with a heavy rucksack on getting to the steps. We had a 5-minute briefing followed by a 10 minute dive. Not long I know but these dives are super expensive if you want to do any longer. Our checks involved taking a mask off and being able to clear the water after and removing our mouthpiece then placing it back on without swallowing water. Unfortunately, Matt did not feel comfortable with the final task which was a shame as it would have been good for all three of us to go down together.

Once we started to descend it was magical. It is a completely different world down there. Looking 15m down on the seabed up at the surface is an amazing view and gives you a unique perspective on what you can encounter below the surface. The shoal fish immediately rushed over to investigate us and were literally touching my face. We glided over to a piece of coral where there were clown fish sheltering, finally I have seen Nemo! The minutes passed like seconds but I would definately do it again.

#Snorkelling #Nature #Tour #Wildlife