Great Barrier Reef is one of the 7 wonders of the natural world. Stretching 2000km from just south of tropic of Capricorn to just south of Papua New Guinea, it is the most extensive reef system in the world, and one made entirely by living organisms. It is estimated that most of the Reef is around 2 million years old, with 2900 separate fringing reefs and barrier reef. All these reefs exist because of one teeny tiny organism called polyp, which look like tiny cucumber with a mouth leading to its stomach. Polyps are soft and vulnerable so they create a outer skeleton to protect and support their body by excreting a small amount of hard limestone, forming the corals. The living corals are coloured while the dead ones are white. Different polyps form varying structures. Corals is dependent on sunlight and thus grow no deeper than 30m below water's surface. It also needs clear and salty water.
Hop on to the shutter bus at the door step. Less than 20 in the mini bus but there's many more on the cruise! The cruise boat is called Reef Expectation. Served bacon n egg burger for breakfast before they brief us on the safety precaution onboard. Up the deck for some suntanning. Gosh! Thank God for the sun. For I love suntanning! Always think of caucasians as fair but many of them there are darker than me! Had a introduction diving briefing before the session starts. Sounds simple but still a bit scared inside. But I must be brave and I must try! Can't missed the chance. So what is the best stabilizing pill? Prayers! God, please send a lot of angels with fins, not wings to accompany me to see your beautiful creation underwater. Went for snorkeling first at Michaelmas Cay since I'm the last group to dive. No life jacket for snorkeling? Was made to wear one for both my snorkeling trip at Kor Samui and Redang but not here? Gosh I'm not a very good swimmer le. They only provide the long tube float. Die die must try. Five minutes and I'm up. Don't feel too good in such a big ocean. Oh must be because I forgot to pray. Try again and yes I had great fun! Feel so different the second time. Well, it must be the angels. Forgot to ask them along the first time! Had to swim a distance before I get to see reef that's nearer to the surface. Those deeper look brownish and dull. Is that what I'm going to see later for diving? That will be awful. :( not much fishes but many colourful corals. More species than what I saw in Kor Samui and Redang. When it's my turn to dive, there's only two of us. Yes! Must be God's working. The other three pull out last minute. A third person tried to join us but she has too much problem that another instructor decided to take her alone. Well, there's no way for anyone to stop God's will I guess. For the benefit of that lady and for me too. God, I love you for that! While waiting in the sea and getting used to the water, surprisingly I keep floating up unlike the other lady who manage to stay still in there. Never feel lighter before ! Haha. Nonsense. Maybe my body is quite scared and keep moving upwards but my spirit can wait to see the world down there. Down in the ocean, not hell. Tried a few safety precautions and down we go with the instructor holding two of us on each side. First time hold an angmo's hand and some more so long! Like to "pah-tor" under the ocean. Handsome young chap le. Luckily come back to senses in time to give thanks to God for protecting me through the instructor. Guess God must be happy to know that I'm still His faithful girl and we got to dive more than the initial 20 min. Deeper and deeper. And it must be God's working to put me in the last group so that I get to enjoy such privilege. Thank you God once again. And the scene down there? Gosh it's like after you tasted Hagen Daaz you won't want King's ice cream anymore. It's even more beautiful down there! Many more colourful fishes and corals! Its like God has summoned all the colours of His vast palette and applied them in exquisite and liberal detail. Even saw a huge purple shell closing up as we get real close! Really feel like touching the reef but understand that that will only harm them. But I have a question, why do they appear turquoise from the sky, brown from the water surface but so colourful upfront? Like some hidden treasure! Amazing! Saw Clarks anemone fish, rainbow fish, dusky butterfly fish, neon damsels and many more. "Pah-tor" session lasted around 30 min and I'm sent back to the boat. Lunch, rest followed by another stop at Breaking Patches, known for appearance of turtles. Decided to snorkel since I don't wish to pay extra for second dive. Boy this is a nicer reef. Can see lots of fishes and corals even with snorkeling. Spotted a blue and purple shell, spotted and black sea cucumbers(there are many types of sea cucumber, not just those we eat), freckled hawkfish, sea-whips and many more I-dunno-their-names. Drank quite a few sip of sea water too because the waves was so big that it just covers me and water enters from the other end of the big straw. Probably God is telling me to start swimming back coz it will be against the current. It's like every three step you take the wave will move you back by two. No joke. Quite big wave. Sure, back to my suntanning then. Still feel quite fair. Fell asleep on the deck and when I'm up, I feel like a lobster, thou I have applied lots of sunblock many times. And those caucasians are still darker than me, darker than this morning. Ok not fighting with them or i might end up suffering the burn even more. Got back on shore around 4pm, earlier than the 6 that they claimed but I have enough. Feeling rather tired. Shower is already quite painful. Gosh I don't wish for tomorrow to come. Quick apply lots of lotion! Skin already start peeling at 7! No joke! Not so efficient please! Found out there's quite a few nice affordable eating café around my hotel. Attracted to the fish and chips but ended up trying the bugs and prawn combo. Okay, the bug is crayfish. Why must they give it such an unappetizing name? Likely it's called crayfish in Singapore. 2 crayfish with 6 big fresh prawns loaded with wedges and salad for 18 bucks. Not a bad deal but guess they could put more garlic. Or maybe they didn't want to cover the freshness of the seafood. Yummy.
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