'Passions of Paradise' Great Barrier Reef tour
- Danielle Willis
- Aug 22, 2016
- 4 min read
I feel as though I need to talk about this in a whole new post, because I had the time of my life on this tour and ever since I’ve left the reef, I just long to be back and can’t stop talking about it. The Great Barrier Reef really is the ultimate paradise and I can totally understand why it is one of the seven wonders on the world. You can’t go to Cairns and not go on this tour, but I’m sure you won’t after reading this.
On our way out to the reef, we enjoyed a spot of sunbathing out on deck and got chatting to a group of Americans who were from Seattle and one of the guys had a wonderful notion of bringing along a music player (and he had good music taste), so we listened to some quality tunes whilst relaxing on the pacific ocean, all looking forward to the adventure that lay ahead.
We arrived at our first stop, Paradise Reef and the crew gave those of us who were prone to feeling the cold wet-suits and demonstrated how to fit the snorkels. All of the essential gear was provided and it was time to begin exploring.
For those who are less confident in the water, there were a number of dive instructors available so you could hold onto a lifesaving ring while they pulled you along and leave all the hard work to them, so all you have to do is remember to breathe, and enjoy the natural magic of the Great Barrier.
I have to admit, being in the open water in the middle of the ocean, I was a little nervous at first and when I first jumped in, felt like I couldn’t breathe, so I held onto the float until I found my feet. Or should I say flippers?
But yeah, the instructor was so helpful and reassuring and didn’t seem to mind me making a complete fool of myself trying to breathe and swallowing the water.
Once I’d figured it out, I got a little braver and began exploring the reef alone, swimming above a turtle and spotting Tiger Fish, as well as countless other species. It was the most surreal experience of my life so far and being so immersed in nature exploring a whole new underwater world was truly incredible. I even spotted a few Blue Tangs, but I didn’t find Nemo.
I have to tell you, that you value something so much more when you see it in the wild, it makes you realise how phenomenal the natural world really is and the importance of conservation and the protection of our planet. Anyway, before I go off on one about how I want to save all the polar bears, I’ll tell you about the delectable dinner I had on the reef.
After about two hours of snorkeling on the reef, grub was up and there was so much to choose from you had no other option but to go back up for more. We had a tropical buffet of both hot and cold dishes ranging from salads, fresh prawns, curry and luscious fruits such as passionfruit and watermelon. The chefs really did cook up quite a gratifying feed for us all and even if I hadn’t had wanted a swim; I’d have booked the tour just for the food!
After lunch we continued our course to our second spot, Michaelmas Cay. Its reefs were much shallower and rich in marine fauna, including beautiful giant clams which my guide bravely teased to demonstrate their opening and closing action. We also spotted rays and a purple speckled octopus. The whole experience was utterly sensational. The area was bustling with nature and further inward at the Cay, wild terns could be seen circling the area. It has been listed by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area for breeding and so is fenced off for conservation, leaving it mostly inaccessible for tourists, other than a very small square of beach.
Further toward the depths of the boat you could spot black tip reef sharks meandering inquisitively in the water. Large batfish and giant trevally could also be seen circling the boat, fortunately they paid no interest in munching on us, thugh judging by the size of them; they’d have been more than capable. Kicking our way back to the boat, we discovered the circling aquatics had indeed been awaiting a feed as we watched the crew members feed them from the boat. The sheer speed of these powerful predators was spectacular as they bolted towards their bait; I’d never seen anything quite like it.
After what was an amazing day on the reef, our excursion had come to an end and as we made our way back to Cairns, I couldn’t have been happier with the day’s events. The crew were positively brilliant in every way and looked after us all so well. I really couldn’t recommend this more to anyone who wants to snorkel the reef.
