Passions of Paradise

Having talked to Dave, a certified diver, I finally made up my mind that I had to try diving. I'd been a bit hesitant, despite having always wanted to try, just because I was afraid I'd like it and end up spending all my time and money on it-- and I was right! But really, what better place to start diving than the Great Barrier Reef?

On Monday I took a day cruise, Passions of Paradise, to the outer reef in order to give it a go. On the way out, I had to sign all my rights away on a form that detailed all the gruesome ways I could be permanently maimed or killed, so I was a little nervous before getting into the water. Once my ears had equalized though, it was wonderful!

I'd heard that people sometimes feel claustrophobic and freaked out over breathing underwater, but truly it felt very much like snorkeling to me-- with the difference that I could move in three dimensions rather than two. Since it was my first dive and I'm not certified, I had to stay within a few feet of the instructor, but once he let go of my hand it felt so free and simply magical.

There was so much life and activity everywhere I looked: mountains of hard coral towering above me; soft coral and anemones swaying with the current; schools of little fish darting in and out of the coral as one; big fish skulking in the shadows; the constant crackle and crunching sound that was the parrotfish munching on coral; rays hiding under the sand, only their tails visible; even an eel poking his head out to see if we were food.

After a delicious lunch, I went on a second dive at another reef location (Michaelmas Cay). This time we got to sit at the sandy bottom of the ocean, just looking at the reef climbing up and the surface of the water rippling above us. It was just so peaceful; the only sounds were my breathing and the parrotfish, and I could have stayed there forever. But of course, off we went to coax the clownfish out of their anemones and swim through schools as if we were just another large fish.

On the way back, we saw whales!

No underwater photos, but isn't that water lovely??

Before we left, we got a fish feeding. Note the big black ones... these would follow me around when I later went on a night dive, hunting by my flashlight. Some of them were a meter.