Port Douglas - Great Barrier Reef - Day Nineteen -

Dear Lola, 

Today papa is off to explore the reef, we have a relaxing day that involves; brunch scones with jam & cream (coffee for mama) at the marina, a play in the park by the harbour, and a swim in the pool & a stroll in town & a choc chip ice-cream for two! 

Over to Papa - 

I left this morning just as you woke up, but I was still able to feed you your Weet-Bix and get a kiss goodbye before I left for a day of snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

I set off from Port Douglas with a group of about 20 snorkelers, as we cruised out toward the reef I watched the clouds rolling over the hills just off the coast.

The barrier reef is an incredible place, one minute you are in the open ocean, then you begin to see waves breaking on the horizon, as you get closer you realise the waves are breaking on the reef and dark blue water is replaced by whites, pinks, browns, and light blue shallows as you approach the each section of the reef.

We would snorkel at 3 different spots, all located in the Agincourt Ribbon Reef section of the Barrier Reef. This is the part of the reef that furthest from land which drops off into the edge of the Coral Sea. 

 

Over a day of snorkeling, I would see endless coral gardens & crazy underwater rock structures;

I would encounter many colourful fish of all shapes and sizes; parrot fish, colourful wrasse, barracudas, clownfish (nemos), and many others;

There were giant clams nearly as big as me! Little ones too;

At the last reef stop my mission to find a shark was completed. After spotting three inquisitive reef sharks circling below me they seemed to follow me everywhere! Over an hour in the water I must have bumped into them about six times. They were about 1.5 - 2m long and didn’t seem threatening (or threatened) but I was always looking over my shoulder in case there were some bigger specimens around;

After a long day on the reef, and a cruise home watching turtles and dolphins swim past the boat it was a perfect end as you and mama were waiting at the gate to welcome me back home for a swim, dinner, and a relaxing evening.

Also worth noting are the perils of snorkeling alone, there are certain places even the longest arms cant rub sunscreen…

PS: Thanks Auntie Jules & Uncle Jimmy for the lend of their underwater camera

Your mama & papa