Great Barrier Reef

Obviously, I fell a little behind with posting--after we left Brisbane, we were VERY busy and didn't have the best computer access.  So, we will back track a little and cover some of our favorites and then get all caught up on things here at home (in other words, LOTS of blogging to come!)

The Great Barrier Reef was hands-down our favorite thing we did in Australia.  I've been snorkeling quite a few times in California before & in Hawaii, but snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef had long been a dream of mine.  Now, I'm not too sure if any snorkeling experience will ever be able to top it!  It was SO spectacular and amazing--we didn't want to leave when they called us back to the boat the last time and we easily could have spent another whole day!  It is just as gorgeous and as diverse as what you see on some sort of National Geographic show. In fact (here's the biology teacher in me),  DID YOU KNOW?

• the Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing on earth that can be seen from outer space!
  
• the Great Barrier Reef is composed of approximately 3400 individual reefs.
• the Great Barrier Reef was declared World Heritage in 1981.
• the reef stretches for more than 2300 km--From near Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland Australia to the Papua New Guinean coastline.
• Tourism to the reef generates about 1 billion Australian dollars annually. 

The diversity of life in the reef is immense with approximately: 

• 2800 species of fish
• 400 different types of coral
• 4,00 molluscs 
• 500 species of seaweed
• 215 species of birds
• 15 species of sea snake
• 6 species of sea turtle                                                                             

We decided to go with a company called Wavelength Marine Charters and I can't recommend them highly enough.  It was great--from the staff, to the food, the snorkeling sites, etc.  The weather cooperated nicely--it was a gorgeous day and no one got sick!  The big perks of this tour was that they only take 30 people and cater to snorkelers only.  We had about a 90 minute trip out to the reef and then we got to see 3 different sights.  Each was unique in the coral layout, yet all were just as diverse.  Some of the colors are spectacular (on some of the fish and some of the coral alike)--bright blues, purples, yellows, greens.  Everywhere you looked there was something great to see--some of our favorites were the  parrotfish (if we were quiet you could hear them eating the coral), butterfly fish, trumpet fish, damsel fish, the giant clams, the giant sea cucumbers, and of course, the sea turtles!  Brian and I had seen them before, but only above the water--it was SO incredible to be swimming with them IN the water! :)

It is really difficult to describe it well in words so here are some pictures to do it appropriate justice....

Here we are, all suited up and ready to get in--so excited we could hardly stand it!

The view from the boat--amazing gorgeous colors of blue/green (all the brown-shadowed area is the coral)

STUNNING!

This is a great shot of Brian and I snorkeling that the marine biologist/photographer on the boat took!  FUN!

None of the rest of the family had ever been snorkeling before, but all did great and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.  Here is a shot of Gordon under the water! :)
Tyler gives an enthusiastic and pruney "thumbs-up"!

There I am (with Brian in the background on the left) holding a HUGE black sea cucumber--a true biology nerd at heart! :)

Beautiful Fish! 

We saw a few different sea turtles--one even went darting underneath us--

it was amazing how fast they can swim!

Here's one last look--a short video to give you a feel for what it was like.  The two snorkelers you see briefly are me & Tyler--FUN! :)