On Tuesday, May 28, the day after arriving in Cairns via a three-hour Qantas flight from Sydney, we headed to one of the great wonders of the natural world: the Great Barrier Reef.
Our 75-person group was the sole customer for the 100-seat boat run by Compass tours, which did a fabulous job in helping the skittish and enabling everyone to enjoy the reef.
After about 2.5 hours, we arrived at the reef. The Compass crew set up boundaries for everyone to be safe in snorkels (or for those certified, in scuba gear). After a half-hour or so, the crew served lunch and floated to another area of the reef with different wildlife.
Students reported seeing a barracuda, turtles and all manner of fish, including Dori (for those of us who define aquatic life through "Finding Nemo.") They saw all types of coral in various shapes and colors. Although the seas were choppy, the students enthused over the beauty of the reef and seeing nature in all its glory.
Unfortunately for me, the Bonine tablets and wrest bands were unable to mitigate a debilitating case of sea sickness. So Heather Edwards kindly used my new underwater camera to take the pictures you see here. Thanks, Heather!
Our 75-person group was the sole customer for the 100-seat boat run by Compass tours, which did a fabulous job in helping the skittish and enabling everyone to enjoy the reef.
After about 2.5 hours, we arrived at the reef. The Compass crew set up boundaries for everyone to be safe in snorkels (or for those certified, in scuba gear). After a half-hour or so, the crew served lunch and floated to another area of the reef with different wildlife.
Students reported seeing a barracuda, turtles and all manner of fish, including Dori (for those of us who define aquatic life through "Finding Nemo.") They saw all types of coral in various shapes and colors. Although the seas were choppy, the students enthused over the beauty of the reef and seeing nature in all its glory.
Unfortunately for me, the Bonine tablets and wrest bands were unable to mitigate a debilitating case of sea sickness. So Heather Edwards kindly used my new underwater camera to take the pictures you see here. Thanks, Heather!