Day 11: Great Barrier Reef

It’s finally reef day!  We have been waiting for this, but needed to wait until 24 hours past flying to scuba, so this is the day!  You have to plan your scuba in between your flights because you need so many hours before and so many hours after your dive or you won’t be able to walk straight.  Trust me on this, I had the unfortunate experience of not following the rules and paying the consequences–on my honeymoon.  We made our way to the jetty, or the wharf, as they are called in the US and boarded our boat.  We had high winds today, 25 knots, so the ride out was VERY rocky.  I didn’t mind as I don’t get motion sickness, but most others on the boat did and I felt so sorry for them.  They were outside heaving and when they weren’t heaving they were laying there like they were dying.  That must be so horrible.  When we arrived at our dive site on the reef, it was time to jump in.  I really enjoyed our dive.  I had a few problems with my ears, but other than that, I would dive all the time if we lived near an ocean.  I refuse to dive in the lakes at home, I am not coming face to face with a 20 pound catfish.  There were so many fish, turtles, stingrays, and other marine life.  I was so amazed.  I hate to say it, I felt the coral in the Cayman Islands was more colorful.  My sentiments were echoed by fellow divers.  As for the marine life, it is definitely better here.  I am so excited to have dived at the Barrier Reef, I would do it again tomorrow, if we didn’t have a flight to catch the next day.  We were out all day on the boat, we visited the Reef in 3 different places, had lunch, and sunbathed all day–from 8:30 to 4:30.  The sun is strong, strong, strong.  No wonder everyone is so tan….

Cruise on the Reef

Scuba Divers

Scuba Divers x 2