Snorkel Cairns July 2016

[afhtan]

It's quite an eye opener seeing colonies the size of cars.

I went a few days after a cyclone so I didn't see many fish but it was still amazing.

Just wish I didn't get sea sick so I could have stayed out there longer

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[swazzle]

I did both last year up there. I dare say that I thought the snorkelling was actually better than the diving

Yeah definitely agree on that!



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[Alf D]

I'd actually argue that those are bloody good snaps from a phone, Alf.
They capture a sense of what you saw and experienced, which is the point of why most of us take photos.
Thanks for sharing.

I was up in Cairns with the family at this time last year. I took my underwater camera with me, but had battery issues (through piss poor preparation on my part) and got bugger all photos to show for it.
I would have given anything for a $23 case for my iPhone at that point.

I feel for you Colin, I would have been devastated if I couldn't have taken any pics.

I had the opportunity to snorkel and scuba dive the reef last year out from cairns. It was an awesome experience. The last time I snorkeled the reef was 8 odd years ago from a different location but it looked pretty bad that time so was happy to see it look much better this last time

It certainly is awesome. The reef looked good, the only bad part was where sections of the stags were destroyed by the cyclone last year.

It's quite an eye opener seeing colonies the size of cars.

I went a few days after a cyclone so I didn't see many fish but it was still amazing.

Just wish I didn't get sea sick so I could have stayed out there longer

When we went, the sea wasn't rough at all but I was amazed at how many people were sick, crew walking around holding sick bags.

[Alf D]

[Autonomy]

Great pics Alf!
I'm off to Cairns next week and super excited at what I'll come across while snorkeling.
Hopefully, I'll come back with some great pics to share with you all, but definitely no pontoon for me.

[Autonomy]

Cairns August 2016

" ... the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonders forever" Jacques Cousteau.

Michaelmas Cay is an important breeding site for several species of Sooty Terns, Greater and Lesser Crested Terns, Common Noddies as well as Brown Boobies.



Michaelmas Cay: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Experiencing it for myself, seeing it with my own eyes, swimming fishlike across the corals, and interacting with the vast array of marine life to be found, I can understand why The Great Barrier Reef truly is one of the seven wonders of the world.





























The famous Nemo and anemone in the wild.



Colourful Parrot Fish.





Could this be Hector??
Did you know that 6 out of 7 turtles of the world’s species of marine turtles are found in The Great Barrier Reef?



Hector is that you??



Everybody, I would like to introduce you to Hector the Green Turtle. Hector is the green turtle I have adopted through the World Wildlife Fund. I have always been passionate about all marine life and turtles for some reason just hold a special place in my heart. Hector has been a part of my life for the last five years.



Hector is an endangered green turtle from Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

In some parts of the Reef, turtles like Hector are being affected by the fibropapilloma virus, which may cause blindness, immobility, the obstruction of internal organs and death among young green turtles. The virus may be occurring because of pollutants from industry or pesticides washing into the Reef.

All of the World Wildlife Fund turtle adopters "adopt" Hector so that Hector's ongoing story can be shared. By following Hector's progress on the Great Barrier Reef I'm able to experience the challenges and successes involved in conserving this beautiful creature.



I’d hate to live in a world where sometime in my lifetime I find myself telling the next generation that once upon a time there used to be turtles that swam in the oceans or that corals represented every colour of the rainbow and weren’t always white.

Abandoned, lost and discarded nets, lines and traps are one of the biggest threats to our sea life. A staggering 640,000 tonnes of gear is left in our oceans each year. That gear traps, injures, mutilates and kills hundreds of thousands of whales, seals, turtles and birds annually.

Being able to breathe underwater would be sweet.



After visiting the Great Barrier Reef, it’s hard to believe that we live in such a material world.

[Alf D]

It certainly is a magical underwater world Laura, everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime.

[Autonomy]

I agree with you 100% Alf. It's such a beautiful place, it's on my bucket list all over again.

[Sailfin]

It's not bad

[UnderCoverBrother]

awesome shots