Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef

Fellow snorkelers in the clear turquoise water

G'day!

I'm writing about my Cairns snorkeling trip while we wait for Stephanie's blogs.  While Steph was on a 3 day/2 night diving trip, I took a day trip.  There are heaps of outfits offering day or live aboard trips with options that include cruises, diving, snorkeling, glass bottom boats, and/or submersibles.  Some have boats or platforms anchored in the ocean, some have exclusive rights to specific islands.   I eventually chose to go out on Passions of Paradise.

Dive gear.  Maybe one day...

During the hour and a half ride out to Paradise Reef, I sat through introductory lessons on snorkeling and scuba diving.  I thought that I might try the 10 minute intro dive.  It's included in the base price ($139) if you choose to go up when the dive master asks whether you want to continue or not.  If you choose to continue, it's $70.  All beginners hold onto a rope and everything is done in slow stages with a good crew to diver ratio, so I felt that I would be safe.  But I was in the 3rd dive group so I went snorkeling first.

Angelfish

I rented a wet suit ($7) cuz I don't like cold water and they said the water was 24* C (76* F - anything below 85* is cold to me).  I put on my snorkel and fins.   I also put a floatie around my waist as many others were doing and then went down the ladder at the back of the boat.  Yipes! the sea was choppy and the waves were high, much higher than I'd ever been in.  But I let go of the ladder and grabbed onto the donut life preserver that Maia was gonna tow around.

Christmas tree worms on lunar coral

There were already 2 people on it but that was okay.  Then 3 or 4 others grabbed on.  I didn't feel comfortable with so many waves pushing me around and sometimes going over my head, so I (bravely) let go of the donut and swam about 12 feet back to the boat.

 Another crew member helped me up and then told me that Maia was going to tow me and only 1-2 others.  He told me I needed to get back into the water and that I wouldn't be sorry.  So I did and I wasn't.  I saw a wide variety of fish and coral and anemone.  And a sea turtle!  And blue Christmas tree worms, and a long sea cucumber and ....   Maia towed us around for about 40 minutes (seemed like a loooong time).

I found Nemo!! Actually, I saw heaps of clown fish

I've been snorkeling twice before, in Kuaui and Jamaica, but the water was much warmer and calm in both places.  Although the scenery was just as magical, the experience was very different.  I had to keep clearing the snorkel;  I must not have the mouthpiece in properly.  Actually, I found out later, the waves were breaking over us and getting into the snorkel;  I must have drank at least a pint of sea water. And I got a whole bunch of bruises from being tossed against the boat while getting on and off.

Then it was time for scuba diving.  I could either try diving or go snorkeling again after lunch; I have problems with my jaw (TMJ) and it was already hurting.  Since I had just gotten out of the water and was tired, I decided to skip the diving.

I love these blue damselfish near the finger coral

After a lovely lunch we could either take the glass bottom boat ($20) to the beach at Michaelmas Cay or snorkel.  Michaelmas Cay is inner reef and the water is much calmer so I decided to make the most of my time and snorkel.  I snorkeled all by myself (with an extra floatie in my hands) to the white sand beach.   It was really cool to swim through schools of fish and I found Nemo! (or his cousins) hiding in the anemone.  My favorites were the blue and green parrotfish and wrasses and the little various colored damselfish and all the different shapes of coral.

Glass bottom boat picking up at Michaelmas Cay

The tide was low so in a few places the reef poked up above the water.  I was careful not to kick anything in shallow water.  But at one point, I stopped to get a good look at something and got pushed into the reef by the current.  I had to use my hand to push against some very mucousy anemone to get off the reef.

I rested in the shallows and watched the birds on the island sanctuary for a little while before snorkeling back to the boat.  After feeding the fish for a photo op, we sailed back into port.  It's my first time sailing with a sail but on a boat this large, I couldn't tell the difference between the engine and the sail.

Mother boat towing 5 boatlings?

Tips I was told that helped:  take sea sick pills before and during the trip and look at the horizon.  Bring a warm sweatshirt (jumper) cuz it gets cold on the ocean.  Bring $ for snacks and drinks and wetsuit/camera rentals.  All underwater photos were taken by Stephanie Goldsby. I had enough to do overcoming my fear of deep water.

Sailing home on Passions of Paradise

I had a great day on and in the water.  The crew on Passions was terrific: personal, aware and attentive, encouraging and helpful.  You gotta go!

Cheers!
Cyn

Cabbage coral

Butterflyfish and various coral