Australian Adventures (2)

This is another entry straight out of my daily journal from my study abroad in Australia last summer. It describes my scuba diving experience in the Great Barrier Reef! This was a very magical day and was the toughest to describe.

DAY 15 7/5/12
       We went to the Great Barrier Reef today! Oh my goodness the experience was beyond words. I woke up at 7:15AM when Britt’s alarm went off because for some reason my 7AM alarm never sounded. We all got ready and met at the bus at 8:15AM. The ride to the docks was very short and then we boarded our own private boat! It was gigantic. I have never been on a boat so big. Scuba gear was hanging everywhere which only made me more excited. We all sat down on the sides and got a brief overview and were assigned flippers and such. We all took seasick medication – Dramamine – before we headed out. Supposedly it was gonna be rough – real rough. I didn’t get a grasp of how rough until we actually left the port. It was a somewhat overcast and very windy day. We were out on the open water and the people who were certified were given an overview and as soon as we anchored, we were to start our dive. The certified ones were me, Megan, Allie, Sam, and Bryce. Megan decided not to go today because she wasn’t feeling well. I was paired with Allie. After the debriefing we had some down time so I went to the top deck of the boat. The ride took about 2 hours total. We all looked like a bunch of drunks trying to stabilize ourselves. It was quite difficult. The rough water really did a good job. Water was flying everywhere. I’m pretty sure a lot of people on the top deck got soaked. It was a thrilling ride that’s for sure. Especially since my only boating experiences were with Dad and friends on the bay. The one time Jess, Kawiki, and I drove a boat to Yorktown was nothing compared to this. Every time we wanted to move about the boat we would have to work up the courage to cling to the nearest handrail and hope for the best. People were being thrown up, down, backwards, sideways – you name it! I think many of us became closer today. At least physically. Charlie was throwing up the whole way, the poor guy. That would really put a damper on things.
       We finally anchored the boat and we certified divers went in and managed our buoyancy.

Right before I got in, I saw a giant fish! I’d say about 2 feet long. The water was super-duper clear! I then went under and discovered a whole new world. Aladdin’s song would be appropriate here. I could see for miles! Well, not really. But compared to my prior experiences it was absolutely beyond belief. Visibility was about 35 feet and in every direction there was something to fix my eyes on. It was THE most incredible sight. Coral was everywhere, as were hundreds of fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes. I wish I could have had my head on a swivel. Gorgeous fish were surrounding us and it went on forever. It was really neat because the fish didn’t swim away or anything. They completely ignored us and treated us as one of them. I saw Dori fish (surgeonfish), a lionfish that the guide pointed out (hiding in a crook), a sea lobster, an oyster in action (blue with shimmering blue/green insides), angelfish, big parrotfish, and the list goes on and on. I loved being able to observe the interaction of the fish within their community. It was surreal. I also got to hold a sea cucumber. It was softer than I imagined. During the dive, my mask got a little water in it so I cleared it successfully but I think some got in my eye because I started crying every time I blinked. Thankfully, it went away

after a bit because I could hardly see anything. We swam for about 40 minutes and only resurfaced because we hit 50 bar which is ¼ a tank. Time passed so quickly down there. I thought it had been 5 minutes when really it was 20 minutes. I was very careful not to touch anything because I didn’t want to die. You could tell how much the reef had been bleached which is kinda sad. However, swimming next to these fish and seeing how they live really urged me to be sympathetic toward them and do all I can to preserve this place. I can’t believe the guides get to do this every day and get paid! So jealous. I got back onto the boat and was freezing cold! I was shivering like a little helpless popsicle. Upside: there were these delicious little coconut bars. I think I had 4. I sat on the boat and tried to warm up in the front cabin but it was a very slow process. I took a little nap, as did many other people, and then lunch was served. There were heaps of good looking food items. I made a sandwich with the huge bread

Monster sandwich after intense scuba diving

and added practically everything on the table. I may have gone overboard. I was eating it and about halfway Allie yells over at me “Oh my god Julie that’s a huge sandwich!” I never actually finished it but she said she was proud of me haha.
       After that we were told we had an hour of free snorkeling. It was a hard decision considering how cold it was on the boat but I decided to go for it. I wanna take every chance I can get. I gave Erin my camera to take photos and she did a very nice job. Snorkeling was a lot more fulfilling than I thought! I was still able to see heaps of fish and coral. It’s wild how close the coral grows to the surface. It was seriously almost as good as diving which is crazy to say. I saw a giant brown fish under some of the coral and tried pointing it out to people. Some people brought their waterproof cameras out (which I should have done. Tomorrow.) We were swimming pretty far away from the boat and then

everyone went Michael Phelps on me. Jimmy (our guide) took off at super speed and everyone followed. We were swimming our lives away knowing something good was ahead. I was expecting a shark but it was a sea turtle dude! I only saw a little bit of him as he swam away but some of the others saw him up close. SO COOL! Hopefully I can see one tomorrow (or a shark). We all snorkeled for an hour until we had to get back on the boat. I could have stayed out 2 hours, I was so mesmerized. It was difficult going out in a big group because everyone was kicking and hitting each other accidentally. There were times I almost ran into the coral and freaked out a little because I assume everything will hurt me (according to Jimmy). There was very little clearance sometimes. Oh and I saw a dogfish! It was so comical. It seriously had the face of a dog I couldn’t believe it. We got back on the boat and shivered and went to sleep. I fell asleep on Rebecca. We arrived back at the apartment and just relaxed and watched TV. I took a little nap and we all want to go to sleep now, but it’s only 8PM! So exhausting being thrown around on a boat. I can still feel the rock of the boat and so does Hannah. I’ve never appreciated land so much. I’ll probably read my Course Reader and go to bed around 10:30PM. I CAN’T BELIEVE WE WERE SWIMMING WITH FISH IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF TODAY!! (Yes, those caps are necessary) And we get to do it tomorrow too! Fingers crossed for sharks! That scuba certification at Tech was totally worth it even though it was a pain in the ass. Oh and I held a starfish!! Night.


Below are pictures that one of my friends took with his underwater camera (click on picture to view larger):