The Great Dive

The Great Dive

On November 25th at eleven o’clock in the morning, I finally experienced the wonder of diving admist the Great Barrier Reef just two hours off of Airlie Beach, Australia. It ought to be mentioned that a person could spend a lifetime diving at various locations along this vast stretch of coral and marine life. Unfortunately, I had only one hour in which to see just a miniscule piece of this mysterious creation. My friend Lisa and two other crew members booked an excursion which transported us to the reef via a giant pontoon. The ride took about two hours, and by the time we reached the destination, most of everyone felt a bit queasy from the motion of the powerful pacific waters. Once reaching the designated place, we all suited up and prepared to explore the underwater world. I particularly enjoyed the mechanism the Australian crew used in getting us into the water. Imagine a giant boat(two levels) with a metal staircase leading downward into the ocean. After descending the staircase, a large metal floor grating approximately 20 ft in circumference served as a base by which all could stand, double check breathing regulators, discuss last minute details, and then descend. While standing on this, the ocean water would reach a typical person’s chest. Lisa could barely keep her head above the water because she’s a bit shorter than most! We made our descent. Immediately after going about 10 feet below the surface, a giant humphead maori wrasse fish came up to say hello. He has a name given to him by the professional divers there, and this fish frequently likes for you to pet him! So I patted his head and continued descending down into the rich and colorful world of the largest reef structure on the face of the planet.

I’ve been diving in the Caribbean, home of the second largest reef, but this most definitely surpasses it in shear size. Everywhere we looked, colors and shapes of all sizes and peculiarities emerged for curious eyes to question. Rays rested near the ocean floor and darted away as we neared their location of rest. Have you ever watched the movie “Finding Nemo?” If so, you might recall that Nemo(main character) appeared orange in color and lived within this same reef structure. The name of this species is termed the Great Barrier Reef Anemone Fish. This particular fish earns distinction by it’s ability to live within the paralyzing tentacles of the Anemone without being harmed. The Anemone and the fish assist one another in survival. Nevertheless, I met Nemo or should I say many Nemos living within the reef. They mostly stayed within the protection of the Anemone and seemed to disappear within it as I neared their space.

Most divers need to come back to the boat after about forty minutes, but three of us could stay down for the entire hour. It all has to do with your breathing technique and energy consumption; when excited or nervous, divers often consume their air faster than those who remain more relaxed. I also believe that body size has a lot to do with it. Bigger people probably just need more air to support the larger body. Regardless, I enjoyed the entire hour exploring the reef and taking video of this exploration. We did not see any sharks, although there are some that frequent the area. The large number of snorkelers and divers probably startled them. There were moments where I found myself in a cloud of fish, where I could see nothing other than this huge cluster moving together and forming a collective shape. As I slowly swam toward this shape, it broke apart to allow me to pass through it. Truly, the underwater world reminds me of the great mystery and beauty of living creatures.

We all arrived back to the boat and ate lunch which had been included in the price of the excursion. I ate the biggest shrimp that I have ever seen. The shrimp had been cooked whole. It was very fresh and very good. Our diving team included me (USA), Lisa (Czech Republic), Ross(UK), Mick(Dive master Australia), and another couple from Switzerland. We had a great time. On the way home, the crew treated us to Chocolate Cake and snacks. The Cake was very good.