For the second day in Cairns, we went off to the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkel and scuba action. We went out with a local tour company, Passions of Paradise. The staff was really energetic and helpful and made the trip really fun. One of the divers was amazing at card tricks. He actually did one with me in which he guessed the card that I chose out of an invisible deck (i.e. I just pretended to pick a card while thinking of the card i wanted) and then that card was facing up in a deck that he pulled out of his pocket at the end of the trick. Needless to say, myself and everyone else watching was quite amazed (I also felt strangely violated, haha).
Anyway, we went out in a big catamaran that had a large cabin and ample places to sit out on the deck including a net across the front of the boat. The trip out to the reef took about 1 hour 45 minutes, and so we were able to relax on the boat and enjoy the sunshine, although the wind made it a bit chilly. The part of the reef we went to was right next to a small sand island that was home to thousands of birds. The island was very protected because at any given time up to 100,000 birds mate there.
While we were sailing, they let us sign up to scuba dive if we wished at a cost of $70. I figured it would definitely be worth it and signed myself up. I was in the third diving group, so that meant that when we first arrived I went snorkeling for a bit. They provided a wetsuit, flippers, a mask, and a snorkel and pretty much let us do our own thing as long as we didn't go too far. I had never been snorkeling before and when I first went out over the reef I was dumbstruck. At first I thought I was going to run into the coral and fish because everything looked so close to the surface, but once I got over the initial shock of being so close to the multitude of colorful fish and coral, I was able to really take it all in. It really did feel like I was watching a nature show because there were so many different kinds of fish swimming around all over the place, both in schools and individually. Also, the coral itself was mesmerizing as it swayed with the flow of the ocean. Basically I was able to just float around with minimal effort and really enjoy the view. Additionally, the snorkel had a valve that allowed you to dive under without taking in water, which I did to get a closer view of some fish and coral.
After about an 45 minutes of snorkeling I swam back to the boat for my scuba diving group. First, we went over the various basic hand motions and practices that are used while under water to communicate. Then we got all of our gear on including the tank, which also has an inflatable portion to allow you to float, and a weight belt (that stuff is really heavy when you aren't underwater!). Next, we practiced breathing with the tube. This process is very weird at first because there is a slight delay when you first breathe and then when the air actually kicks in and enters your lungs. I felt, and sounded, kinda like Darth Vader. When we first jumped in I had quite a rush of adrenaline and could feel myself biting very hard on the mouth piece, but after a bit I relaxed and began to feel pretty comfortable. Our instructor took us down to the floor, about 12 meters or so.
Right when we reached the ocean floor somone in my group accidentally bumped my mask up allowing it to fill with water! I dare say I almost panicked, but I remembered what they told us to do in the situation, which is to hold the top of the mask and tilt your hand back while blowing out with your nose. So I did that and was able to clear out basically all of the water and regain my vision. After a quick checkdown by the instructor we were ready to go. She took us around the edge of the reef and allowed us to swim where ever we wanted as long as we followed her. The feeling of being that far under water was very cool and strangely liberating. We got to swim through a school of meter-long fish, touch the inside of a huge sea clam, and see some fish like to one from Finding Nemo. Then after a little over half an hour under water it was time to return to the surface and get some food.
After lunch I went back out for more snorkeling in a slightly different area. One really cool thing I noticed was that the parrot fish, which are large and brightly colored, make an audible CHOMP as they chow down on their meal of choice, the really hard brain coral. Also, I got a chance to swim right above a big sea turtle as I was making my way back to the boat! I must say that the scuba diving and snorkeling have, so far, been the best experiences of my trip.
On the way back the wind picked up a lot, making the ride quite fun for me, but unfortuneately sickening for some others. I was one of the few who braved standing out on the deck as the boat went over huge waves causing spray to wash over the side of the boat. However, since I was on the deck I was rewarded by getting to see, in the distance,
a large spray followed by a the back of a whale rising out of the water. It was really only a glimpse, but I was very happy to get my first ever look at a whale.
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