Day 15: Great Barrier Reef

This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to drive to a jetty in Cairns to board the Passions of Paradise catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef.  The winds were up which made the 2 hour boat ride a little choppy.   When we arrived at our destination, Michaelmas Cay, those same winds made the air a lot chilly.




While five of us boarded a smaller, glass bottom boat that shuttled us to the shore of the Cay, Jasmin was plunging into the Pacific on an introductory SCUBA dive.  I’m sure she will mention it in her blog, but I can say I think she really enjoyed it.

Back on the beach, the rest of us donned our snorkel gear and waded out to explore the wonders of the reef.

We saw so many beautiful fish, giant clams (even possibly one with a pearl according to Lukas), and a blue spotted stingray.  Dave and the boys headed back to the catamaran via the shuttle boat, and Alia and I swam back, snorkeling all the way.  Back on board, we were all freezing from the wind.  A warm lunch was very welcome.

After lunch, although we had just barely stopped shivering, we put our suits back on and hopped back in the ocean for another snorkel.  The girls went with the big group on a guided snorkel tour and Ben and I had a personal guide, while Dave and Lukas headed back to the Cay. 


The water was a bit rougher, but seemed warmer (probably because the air above the suface was so cold!).  We had another fascinating experience before heading back to the boat.

On our way back to the mainland, while we warmed up again with hot tea, one of the marine biologist crew members gave a very informative presentation about the reef and other life forms we saw (or could’ve seen today).

What a Great day!

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