A Day on the Great Barrier Reef

For my part, today was the climax of our "culture and adventure" program. Aboard the beautiful, shiny Silverswift, we set out to explore the Great Barrier Reef, at three different locations. The ride out was about an hour long, across rather choppy waters. I found the best way to maintain one's constitution (and lunch) was to stand at the very front of the cat, gripping onto the rail as the ship would rise and fall on tremendous swells. At the first location, I jumped in with snorkeling gear and was instantly surrounded by the most colorful and diverse assortment of fish, invertebrate, and coral life. It was pure awesome. Nearly every marine fish I had ever seen pictures of was present within viewing distance - clownfish, triggerfish, wrasses, angelfish, butterflyfish, tangs, grammas, pufferfish, crabs, shrimp. Sometimes I would forget to breathe because it was so...well, breathtaking. At the second site, I saw much of the same, except that the reef was even closer to the water's surface, such that I had to be careful not to break the coral or skin my knee. And then, in an epic fulfillment of my life's dreams, I went scuba diving for the first time. In the Great Barrier Reef. Breathing through the equalizer and adjusting to the pressure changes upon descent were both far simpler than I had expected, making it easy to fully enjoy the scene. I'll admit I was a bit nervous when they strapped a pair of lead weights around my waist before the dive, and when the instructions were given by a young lady with a very heavy Asian accent. Movement underwater seemed more intuitive than walking - just face the direction you wish to head, and kick your feet! Among the many creatures present were giant clams (about four feet in diameter), barricudas, whitetip reef sharks, loggerheads, hawskbills, and large schools of fish that would boldy swim within inches of your face. On the rough, sandy bottom were large corals that felt like down feathers to the touch, and small invertebrates scuttling, swimming, pulsing, kicking, and even spiraling through the aquatic environment. I had to head to the surface before the rest of my group of four, because my oxygen was running out (after about half an hour) - I guess diving was a different kind of breathtaking! I felt so accomplished when they handed me my first scuba diving "certificate of recognition"!