Firegazer and I are not really ones for hanging by the beach reading books all day so we filled most of our holiday with other stuff, like diving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. We headed out to the Outer Reef with a medium-sized dive boat which offered certified diving (for Firegazer), snorkelling (for me) and a delicious lunch. As a bonus, being the start of the whale migration, we had humpback whales swimming past our boat. What an amazing thing to see those fabulous creatures breaching in the calm waters near the reef.
It would be a lot easier for all concerned if all reef creatures were named after their characters in Finding Nemo. When our 'head snork (-eller)' said that we would see some Clown Anenomefish* he was greeted with polite smiles. When he said we're off to find Nemo! the kids on the boat pricked up their ears and rushed to be first to jump in the water. Likewise he then pointed out the Dorys, the Gills and all the other characters from the movie.
I'm a bit of a land-lubber and more at home on a mountain holiday than a sea holiday but I thought snorkelling off the Great Barrier Reef was amazing. Apart from all the Finding Nemo characters we saw an extraordinary array of colourful fish, green sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks and many different types of coral. The water was shallow around the reef and I was amazed to see straight to the bottom in the clear blue water.
*click to enlarge photo bottom left for pic of Nemo swimming in his anemone home
9 comments:
Sounds divine. Snorkelling on the reef is amazing isn't it and what a bonus to see the whale migration as well. The photos are terrific. You are making us jealous when we are currently in a location that requires a 6mm wetsuit to even contemplate entering the ocean!
Isn't it stunning? I so wanted to snorkel, but didn't when I was there in January. The colours are quite beautiful. I am most envious, though, of the fact that you are WARM.
gorgeous! I have amazing memories of snorkelling off Port Douglas back in my twenties. Definitely on the to do list when the girl is old enough to come too... Lovely photos, lovely warm photos...
Oh these photos! They are fantastic especially when enlarged.
The whale photo especially is breathtaking.
Fabulous photos, Nemo is so cute. It's always been a wish of mine to see dolphins or whales just swimming in a beach I was next to. Sigh.
Oh yes...so much easier if all reef creatures were named after their characters in Finding Nemo, and while they're at it, those white-tipped reef sharks can be renamed 'Jaws'.
The funny thing about the Reef was that, despite being a complete WUSS when it comes to what is swimming around underneath me, I wasn't at all worried about the white-tipped reef sharks.
I guess I figured there were much tastier-looking snorkellers than me...
I can feel that sun on my back when I look at these pics.
I'm full of admiration - snorkelling? Diving? Walking on the beach is about as near as I like to get to the sea! Though I can understand the allure of seeing all those creatures swimming around you. Gorgeous.
Did I read sharks? You went swimming with sharks? ARE YOU MAD?! Don't you people have the big white ones they made a few movies about?
But otherwise it looks very, very nice! The breaching whale made me go "oh!" out loud.
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