When we reached the island, we suited up in wetsuits, fins, and mask/snorkels. I grabbed my camera, jumped in, and began swimming with fish and coral of every color and massive clams too. A couple of the crew gave tours so I followed one around to learn more about these fascinating creatures. I saw and felt a sea slug, learned about soft and hard coral, apparently Nemo has over 40 cousins (types of clownfish) so I saw a few cousins and one real one, and at one point our guide (from North Carolina) said he was going to swim down and put his arm in the clam which would cause it to close. He needed someone to volunteer to swim down and "pull him out". When no one volunteered he chose me and began his descent. I waited till the clam had closed around his arm and dove in. But as I dove a fin came off my foot! I tried to keep swimming down but with a buoyant wetsuit and only one fin I soon ran out of air and had to go up...without saving him. Note to self, don't join a rescue team. :) (in case you're worried, he swam back up just fine)
During the hour and a half, I swam and swam constantly taking pictures and enjoying the immense variety of the Reef. At one point I even saw a Sting Ray! It was really fun to watch as it rippled and swept over the sandy ocean floor.
We boarded the ship, had lunch, then headed to our second destination: Hastings Reef, part of the outer reef.
During this snorkel, I felt braver in exploring and diving more to get closer to the fish and coral. I have several photos and videos but probably won't be able to post them for awhile. The highlight came at the very end. Everyone had talked about how fun it is to see Sea Turtles. I hadn't really given it a second thought but then realized, when else would I get to swim with a sea turtle so I prayed and told God it would be fun to see a turtle. Chances weren't too high, but sure enough, at the end of my snorkel I turned around and swimming a couple feet below was a Sea Turtle!! I was ecstatic and kept following it around, occasionally diving down so I could swim beside it. (What a fun answered prayer!) It was so chill...totally like in Nemo. :) Reluctantly, I swam back as they called us in.
I had to stay inside as we drove back because the waves were soaking the deck. The boat driver had teased me at one point (one of my blonde moments), was really friendly, and let me sit in the "cockpit" (not sure what they call them on boats) on the ride back so I could see how the boat was driven. He wouldn't let me drive it for some reason. :)
I loved every minute of the Reef and even though the sections we saw are tame compared to other "untouched" locations, I can easily see why it is one of the natural wonders of the world. Such an amazing experience!!!!
When we reached Cairns, I walked around the city to find a thank you gift for my hosts then met them back at the harbor. Originally, I had planned on driving to Malanda (about 1.5 hours) that night. But being tired from the day and since it was getting dark, I decided to postpone till the next morning.
Once again, this turned out to be best. You'll find out why in the next post. :)
After collecting me from the harbor, we picked Ole up from the airport and I was finally able to meet him. We ate out at Nandos then crossed the street to get delicious crepes for dessert! Mmmmmm. When we got home, we caught up on Wimbledon, news, and chatted a bit before crashing.
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