This past weekend I journeyed to Cairns to embark upon a 6 hour diving/snorkeling expedition to the Great Barrier Reef. We left at 8 am and traveled northwest, arriving at the reef 90 minutes later. I threw on my wet suit, grabbed my flippers and a random snorkeling mask, and dove in. The biodiversity was unbelievable! I swam along reef edges which dropped precipitously into 50 foot canyons below, snorkeled in 4 feet of water in a near engulfment of dozens of fish species (including several Clown Fish, a popular favorite since the film Finding Nemo), and went on my first ever dive 30 feet below the surface to examine sea anemones, sea urchins, enormous grouper and parrot fish over 6 feet in length, and even found a fairly sizable moray eel. I was surrounded by various types of coral, emanating every color of the visible light spectrum. It was a shock to the senses, and my feeble attempt at a description honestly does not do the reef poetic justice. The GBR truly is a beautiful place, and I look forward to visiting again in the future. Pictures coming soon!
