Can I just say the Great Barrier Reef is as spectacular as I dreamed it would be?

We headed out for our last day to snorkel on the reef. We were originally supposed to go yesterday, but the sea was angry, so we changed it. It was still a bit rough today though.

We headed out with Great Adventures Tours, and stopped first at an island off the inner reef called Green Island. There, we rented our stinger suits (so we could look like Ninjas – and be protected from the deadly jellyfish this time of year) and snorkeled off the beach.

The water and beach were gorgeous. The underwater world was ok…not many colours, a few fish, but it got everyone back into the snorkeling groove.

After a couple of hours on the island, we headed back on the boat to continue out to the Outer Reef. The sea was a little rough, and combined with the 3 pieces of chocolate cake quickly ingested, Sam had a little relationship with the barf bag. Everyone felt a little queasy by the time we reached the pontoon (yes, below is a pic of everyone with their heads on the table:).

Once there, it was all good. We had a quick lunch (no one really felt like eating) and then got all suited up again to meet our private tour guide, Desmond.

I’m so glad that we took a private tour, because Desmond brought us around and showed us all sorts of things including Nemo, a sea cucumber, a star fish, some giant fish, a sea turtle, and yes, we got to see some sharks (4 in fact!).

After an awesome snorkel tour, we went into the semi submarine and toured around in that. Finally, we hopped back in the water, and snorkeled around some more before we headed back to the boat. This time, we stayed on the upper deck and allowed the wind to blow us around! It was truly an awesome ride back – being blown by the wind, in the warm sunlight, looking out at the Great Barrier Reef.

From the port, we walked back to our hotel along the Esplanade. It was the perfect way to end our day – and our great adventure!