Ross was so impressed with our first trip out on the reef that by the time we made it back to our villa he had booked us on a second tour. The first time out, we traveled to what is called the inner reef. It was spectacular in its own right, and well worth the visit, but he felt we would regret not going to the outer reef. This required going three times the distance on a monstrosity clearly designed for conveying as many eager tourists as quickly as possible, rather a contrast to the beautiful sailboat of the prior day. Since we were visiting on a holiday weekend, the boat was filled to capacity. We purchased six of the remaining eight available seats (out of a total of 400 or so).
I must say that I had my reservations about committing ourselves for a full day to a crowded vessel, but the staff were thoroughly impressive, and well prepared to help us make the most of our time out on the reef. Shortly after we boarded, the giant machine was traveling at top speed to get us to our destination (a giant pontoon anchored off the Agincourt Reef) within the ninety minutes they had promised. Tea, coffee and biscuits were served as we watched various videos and listened to a lecture from a marine biologist who tried to prepare us for what we would see later in the day.
Comprised of more than 3000 individual reefs spanning nearly 1800 miles along the coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's seven natural wonders. It is the only living thing visible from outer space. We learned that the intense colors of the coral come not from the tissue of the coral itself, but rather from the algae that live in the coral. Coral bleaching occurs when the water temperature becomes too elevated for the algae to survive. I can thank our captain from our first day's excursion for that explanation. Exhibiting similar disdain for distant authorities that we witnessed from our guide in the Barmah National Forest, Alex told us that he took important government officials and researchers out in his boat during the winter to document the tragedy of coral bleaching. He was not permitted to speak during this boat ride, but apparently he had much to say that would have contradicted the researcher, whose main concern was funding for his next project.
I think Alex's main point was that coral bleaching is a result of the temperature and not directly connected to tourists visiting the reef. The most recent year in which it occurred is 2006. Hurricanes, or cyclones as they are known here, do far more to damage the reef than human activity. Of course this is what tour operators would like to believe as their livelihood depends upon tourism. They did seem to be very vigilant when it came to ensuring that we did not stand up nor so much as touch any part of the reef, but it did seem a shame to be visiting something so beautiful in the midst of gasoline fumes.
There are more than 400 types of coral on the Great Barrier Reef. We heard the not-terribly-creative names of many of them, and attempted to identify some of them as we snorkeled, but I regret to report I have forgotten many of them already. I do remember the staghorn coral, and the brain coral (see next picture).
Once we arrived at the pontoon, the relative peace of the journey disappeared into a mad stampede. The smarter travelers, those who clearly had done this before or were benefiting from the advice of those who had, delayed the snorkeling equipment queues in favor of being first in line for the lunch buffet. I, on the other hand, spent the first hour getting four children and two adults outfitted for snorkeling while Ross fed James. Katie and Cameron were off as soon as they had their gear, and spent several marvelous hours exploring the reef, diving periodically underwater to get closer before resurfacing for air. Happy for them I was, but also, I confess, rather jealous.
Here is what Cameron had to say about his experience when I quizzed him that evening:
"My favorite fish was the octopus -- it was mostly blended in to the brain coral. It looked like a hump and then I saw a tentacle move slightly. I also liked the mostly purple fish with white splotches on their cheeks with bright green stripes down the sides. The backs were sort of bluish. I came across several green turtles as well as big brown fish in a dark cave. There were mostly round, very thin fish with yellow and black stripes and big lips that looked like a beak. I noticed brown fish with black splotches laying on top of boulder coral.
Katie was more reticent, but equally enthusiastic. Her favorite experience was watching the bright blue fish swimming through the purple coral with bright blue tip. She also enjoyed the large schools of fish that stayed at the same angle as they swam. They were silver, almost transparent.
Sophie reports that she had lots of fun. "I think snorkeling and seeing lots of fish and coral is a good experience. I loved the rainbow fish [the parrot fish] and the turtles. There were blue starfish all over the coral."
For my part I will ad the experience of watching a large fish getting cleaned by a dozen or so little fish. They swam in and out of its mouth as they completed their task. We all agree that the giant clams were possibly the most amazing thing that we observed.
Sophie grew confident enough to strike out on her own in the beginners' area, which was closely watched by staff. James made several more attempts to snorkel, but just couldn't seem to keep his mouth closed underwater. The three of us opted later for a ride on the semi-submersible boat, which did allow us to get closer to the coral and marine life without having to swim.
The next two photos are of Sophie snorkeling just before we had to begin the trip back to Port Douglas. Unfortunately for some onboard, the wind picked up in the late afternoon, and about halfway back the staff were kept busy distributing white paper bags as the travelers began to drop like flies. Fortunately the Wilkin stomachs proved to be up to the task, and we were able to ride home in relative comfort, all the while trading stories of the many beautiful creatures we had the privilege of viewing that day on the reef.
WoW! what an adventure! You will surely have to do that again sometime so Sophie and James can get the hang of it. Then maybe you will get to experience more of the diving. Way to go Cameron and Katie for taking off and getting the most of the experience.
Posted by: Suzanne Pannelle | 05/11/2011 at 11:29 PM
You and your family have had the most amazing experiences while down under!
When you're thru with Aust., where are you off to next?!!
Posted by: janetjames | 05/12/2011 at 03:48 AM