Have you ever wondered what one of the seven natural wonders of the world looks like - the Great Barrier Reef? Well, let me tell you....
We took a boat with about 400 people an hour and a half out to the Great Barrier Reef. About 1/2 of those on the plane were snorkelers. Our whole group went in the water. We each wore wet suits that reminded me of the old school PJ's called footies except our wetsuits were elastic and also had a hood. Huge pain to get on and off actually.
Once we got in the water with our flippers, masks, and snorkel gear, we dipped our faces in the water to get a glance of what might be 20, 100, and 500 feet from the boat. In the water was hundreds of fish doing figure 8's in between our legs. Some were huge; some were small; some were colorful; others had teeth. It was a sight to see as we were not even fully immersed in the ocean at that point.
As we hopped in, we swam overtop the reef with millions of types of coral and fish that didn't seem bothered by our interruption. The fish swam so gently through the reef, and the reef only swayed with the tide.
The reef was full of colors of dull pink, mustard, cream, and grays. Rainbow fish, tiger fish, and fish I could never even begin to describe were below us. I almost became jealous of the fish who live in such a beautiful setting!
We snorkeled a top this reef for hours and lost track of time as we were so distracted by its beauty. At some points during the swim, we were only inches above the reef and had to float atop it without moving so we didn't kick the coral.
After that, Jamie and I took the kids on a snorkel adventure tour. A marine biologist took us further out into the reef, and she dove down to fetch coral, point out fish, and explain the wonders of the reef.
She told us about:
1.) Fish that travel in pairs for 12-13 years as partners. I tried to make a joke about them being married because she was a bit dull.
2.) A white coral that we touched. It was hard almost like a seashell but it looked soft and delicate.
3.) A massive clam, probably about 10 feet long. She went to put her hand inside the opening to demonstrate the movement it's capable of. The oversized clam immediately tried to eat the woman's hand. No fear - she said the tissue of the clam is so soft that it could never trap her arm. (Famous last words?)
Finally, our 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. trip to the reef was nearly over even though it seemed as we just got there. We hopped back on the boat headed home.
The winds picked up, and the ride became choppy. I glanced around to my right and left only to see the feelings of uneasiness come over to those around me - including the kids. People started getting out the white paper bags, and I knew that wasn't a good sign. The boat workers ran up and down the aisles offering cold towels for anyone who felt nauseous. Rather than join those who ran outside to spew over the balcony, I stayed in my chair. Someone ended up throwing up about ten feet away from me. Guess you can't win 'em all!
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