Photo courtesy of Cookaa from Wikimania
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most beautiful natural wonders on the planet, and is basically the worlds largest marine park. Living amongst the reef itself, are 6600 species of flora and fauna, including 1500 species of fish, 4000 species of molluscs, and 400 types of coral. The Cairns region coastline is the perfect place to visit the reef from, and the following is a brief account of my personal experience, taken with HABA Dive and Snorkel.
Me and my brother Alex were picked up from our hostel at about 8am and taken to the marina where the HABA boat was waiting for us. Upon boarding we were given our flippers and mask which we would need later on.
Then it was a case of finding a seat, eating a muffin and having a coffee which had been provided as part of the trip, and travelling to the outer reef where we would be spending our day. Whilst making our way to the reef, everyone on the boat was given a briefing on what the day would consist of, and things that we were likely to see when in the water. We were told we would be spending a total of around 5 hours on the reef itself, at 2 separate sites, with chances to snorkel and dive at each location.
At around 10am we reached our first location, meaning we were able to get into the water for the first time. We decided that we would like to do a couple of dives (Alex has done it before, but it was my first time!), but the introductory divers were only being taken down in groups of 4. As our group were to be taken down second, we snorkelled until it was our turn.
There was a group of large fish hanging around the back of the boat as crew members must feed them every time they go out. We didn’t really see anything other than the colourful fish and coral however, as the water was a bit murky on this day. Don’t let this put you off though, we have been to the reef before and the water has been much clearer allowing you to see much more, including sharks and turtles. It just depends on the conditions on the day!
After around an hour’s snorkelling, we were called back to the boat to begin our first dive of the day. We were given our breathing equipment and shown how to use it, then taken below the surface one at a time. Breathing under water is a very peculiar feeling, but after getting used to it, the whole experience is extremely cool. We were down for about 15-20 minutes but the time went very quickly, and we were back on the boat in no time.
After removing our wetsuits and drying off we joined the queue for the buffet and had our lunch with everyone else.
Upon finishing lunch the boat set off for site 2. On the way the resident marine biologist set about explaining to us the ecology of the coral formations and a bit about the fish and coral we had already seen at site 1 and were likely to see at site 2.
We arrived at site 2 around 1.30pm where we went for our second dive. Here the photographer took photos of us underwater. I saw a parrot fish (rather apt as we were staying at the Parrot Fish Lodge!) and Alex saw a couple of clown fish hiding in a sea anemone. We had more freedom on this dive and had more time to look around.
When we returned to the boat we were given afternoon tea, fruit and cake. Then at around 3pm the boat set off back to Port Douglas and we had the chance to look at the photographs that had been taken of us. We chose to buy one as a memento of the day but were given two for the same price.
We arrived back in port and shook hands with the crew as we left. A minibus was waiting for us in the marina car park and it returned us back to the hostel.
All in all, this was a great day out. There are many companies offering trips out on the reef, and it is something I recommend you should definitely do, whether in Cairns or further north. Both snorkelling and diving are an amazing experience, and most companies cater for all levels of ability when it comes to swimming. Floats and lifejackets are available to use, meaning even the weakest swimmers can still have a fantastic time and enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful places!
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