Diving in the Great Barrier Reef is something you can't miss if you come to Australia. It's an iconic Australian experience that you simply won't get anywhere else. In short it would be a crime not to have a look.
The reef stretches from Torres Strait to Fraser Island so you can dive and snorkel in a lot of places and get a good look at the reef. Jack and I decided we'd take the plunge in Cairns whilst we were on our trip up there. We cruised with 'Ocean Spirit' to Michelmas Cay from Cairns. You can cruise from Port Douglas and there are heaps of tour operators to choose from that go to various different parts of the reef and different islands.
Green Island is the most popular but it's also quite busy so Jack and I decided to try a different area. We visited one of the tour information centers in Cairns CBD to get an idea of the various different options, and I'm glad we did. They told us the best day of the week to go for visibility and also for how choppy the sea was going to be. As someone who is not the biggest fan, by not the biggest fan I mean hate, of boats it was good to hear from someone in the know what would be best for me.
The person we spoke to suggested going with Ocean Spirit as they have a really good reputation and also the boat is a catamaran meaning it's less bumpy. And he was right. The crew and staff were all lovely and really happy to help from checking in right until we left the boat in the afternoon. The sea was relatively rough so it was still a little bumpy but nothing like it would have been in a single hull boat. He also told us that Michelmas Cay was a really great island to go to. It's quieter than other islands as only two boats go there and also it's how Green Island started. So eventually Michelmas will look like Green Island so it's pretty cool to see.
On board we were given tea and coffee and muffins in the morning, a light buffet lunch, and cheese & biscuits and champagne on the return voyage. Included in the price is a trip in the semi sub so you can get a view of the reef even if you don't want to swim, return boat trips (as many as you like) to the island and snorkeling equipment and wet suits if you'd like one. Scuba diving is an additional cost but one worth the price.
Our instructor, Marcos, was really great. I think he could tell I was little nervous and made the effort to relax me and make me feel OK about it all. He explained everything in depth so there was no confusion and was reassuring if you weren't 100% about something. If you're feeling nervous about diving don't be. The instructor won't let you dive if they don't think you're capable and you don't even have to let go of their arm if you don't want to. You're guided through the whole thing and it becomes like an under water guided tour without the commentary.
The key tip is to relax. Don't focus on your breathing, or your ears or anything apart from taking everything around you in because it's a once in a life time thing. It's incredible down there and we're lucky to be able to experience it in this way so enjoy it. At the end of your dive you swim under the boat and there's heaps of fish swimming past you and it's just the most amazing thing. If you've got your diving license you can dive unassisted but if not there's no need to worry, even if it's your first ever dive.
If you don't want to dive, you can still snorkel and that's also an incredible experience. You can still get close to the reef and see all sorts of underwater creatures.
For us it was one of the most incredible experiences of our trip and I can't wait to dive again somewhere else and carry on exploring the underwater world.
Until next time,
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