Sailing and Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef: Day 2

Yesterday’s sailing in the Great Barrier Reef was sunny and warm and pleasant. Today was the complete opposite.

I woke up at 5:45am, ate breakfast, and got ready for my 1st morning dive. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in, and I was trying to get my gear on in the middle of a cold, windy rain. Not going to lie, that part was pretty miserable. But you want to know the upside to scuba diving? The weather doesn’t super matter. It can be gale force winds, and it’s completely calm 18 meters down. And the water was warmer than the wind.

We descended down, and I saw more incredible things. I got to pet a jellyfish, and I saw a triggerfish and pufferfish. Here’s a link to fishes commonly found in the Great Barrier Reef.

I also made a friend while diving. I named him Charles – Chuck for short. He was so inquisitive about us, and he literally followed us for a solid five minutes. He was cute.

And then there’s the photos of my two dive instructors. They were so knowledgable about the marine life, and it was fun diving with them. Even though they were sometimes too sassy about safety (looking at you, Evan).

And before I knew it, my two dives of the day were over, and it was time to head back to the harbor. Unfortunately, that storm was really starting to pick up, and it made our journey home pretty exhausting. It was impossible to walk straight anywhere. It was hot down below, but wet and cold on deck. More and more people were getting seasick.

I managed to hang out right by a door and get a slight breeze without getting soaked. And three hours later, we were back on dry land (it was still raining actually, but you get the point).

This trip was absolutely unreal. Getting to see and experience new things on my travels has really given me a new perspective on social issues. Between scuba diving and surfing, I’ve become quite passionate about ocean pollution and reef preservation. The ocean is so majestic. We should try to keep it that way.

A big thanks to the crew for making this excursion one of my favorite memories on my trip. If you’re interested in booking a sailing trip with them, you can find their website here: Coral Sea Dreaming.