We raised our heads out of the sea and removed our masks, salt water streaming down our faces. It wasn’t just sea water on our cheeks; we were also shedding tears at the incomparable beauty of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.Called by some the seventh wonder of the world, the coral reef stretches 2,600 kilometres along the northeast coast of Queensland, from north of Cairns to the Whitsunday Islands, so enormous it is visible from space. Estimated to be about 500,000 years old, it teems with more than 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusks, not to mention myriad birds and mammals.
So shallow is the water where we were snorkelling that it wasn’t necessary — or indeed possible — to dive. Just a metre or two below us the black and neon-blue mouths of giant clams undulated like snakes, schools of parrot fish swan unconcerned around us, and tiny fish darted through the giant anemones. Sea turtles paddled slowly through the vegetation.
“This alone was worth the 26-hour plane ride,” I said to my companion.
We visited the reef with a tour group of about 175 people led by Fantasea Adventure Cruising, yet were able to have a personal experience in spite of the numbers. Certified scuba divers could go on a dive, beginning divers could go down after a lesson, everyone was welcome to snorkel, and those uncomfortable in the water could ride the glass-bottomed boat. Everyone, including young children, had a chance to experience the reef.
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