“Don’t worry, they usually don’t swim backwards.” Steve Irwin's last words, when stung by a stingray at the Great Barrier Reef, before dying from the sting. Video footage confirms that the stingray was swimming backwards.
Unlike Steve Irwin or the ship in the movie, I survived my experience today snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Beth and I (and about 60 others) set out on the Poseidon catamaran for the storied reef on a perfect day--the sun was bright, but not too bright, the weather warm but not too warm and the breeze refreshing but not too strong.
Our first reef made one wonder what the fuss is about. It was no different from any number of threatened reefs anywhere in the Caribbean.
Turns out that was the practice reef. The ship then proceeded to another reef, filled with fascinating coral formations, fish of many descriptions, and a lively life under sea. As if that was not enough, we proceeded to a third site, this one filled with a whole other slice of life in the sea. This undoubtedly was the best snorkel experience I've had. The 5-foot clams, the colorful fish, the colorful coral, the wild formations, and the weird sea life were fascinating to behold.
The snorkel boat was great--a terrific crew that bent over backward to make sure divers and snorkelers alike had a great experience. Because the water is getting warm as summer approaches down under, there is a risk of stingers--exceptionally toxic jellyfish. So we all were equipped with stinger suits. Essentially, head to toe spandex. Remember the old Woody Allen movie, "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex"? Remember the characters dressed as sperm? Well, that's pretty much what all the snorkelers looked like (and, no, you won't be seeing a picture of me in it). But, gotta say, I came to love those suits. Protected against stingers, protected against the sun, and kept me warm in cooler waters.
The Great Barrier Reef was one of my life-long dreams to see. Now I've seen it. It did not disappoint.
Tomorrow, the rain forest of Queensland.
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