Note: All photos in this post are courtesy Josh, the photographer on the Poseidon unless otherwise specified.
If you asked me the one thing I needed to do while visiting this side of the world it would’ve been to see the Great Barrier Reef. (And yes, I realize it is in Australia and I chose to move to New Zealand, but this is beside the point.)
Well, it took me a few months but I did it and it was amazing, even if I didn’t see a sea turtle.
My second day in Australia the girls and I woke up to catch our shuttle to the Port Douglas Marina. We somehow managed to get up both early enough to buy coffee and also late enough to think we missed our ride; a van picking up people doing a dive tour with the same company as we were pulled away just as we came outside. We panicked a bit but after asking the concierge to check we discovered we were on a big bus which hadn’t arrived yet, and not the van that just left. Phew!
The scuba/snorkeling adventure we went was on The Poseidon and done in association with Blue Dive and Quicksilver. This particular adventure provides food and drinks (including those of the adult kind) so most people come via the provided transportation which means that, much like Disney World, the first thing you do for the day is wait-in-line. You wait in line to get on the bus, then you wait in line to pay, and then you wait in line to get on the boat. But the waiting doesn’t end there: once you get on the boat you wait in line for your coffee and tea. And while this may sound tedious to you, it’s really not: you’re too excited about the upcoming adventure for it to even both you. Plus, the entire staff is beyond friendly, in true Aussie fashion.
Some other “housekeeping” notes to mention about this adventure is that I had to fill out a safety waiver, which is pretty standard on most scuba and snorkeling tours. I am mentioning this because Australia has some of the strictest diving-laws in the world. They are so strict that if you answer “yes” to a number of questions you may have to take a physical before being allowed to participate. This is made very clear several times prior to your dive.
Once everyone was fed and legalized, the fun began, sort of. The Poseidon crew divided us into two groups: divers and snorkellers. This is the first time my little group of 3 split: 2 of us were diving, the other snorkeling. But we would split one more time: because I had never dived before, I was doing “Discovery SCUBA” whereas my friend Ashley was a certified diver. (Yep, each one of us signed up for a different activity.)
Now for the next hour or so, we were all in our respective “briefings.” These are the presentations they do to make sure you understand how to use the equipment and stay safe. They also make one thing very, very clear: do not touch or stand on the reef, because doing so will kill it. (This is important for a story later in this series.)
Because I was doing the “Discovery SCUBA” my briefing was more like a class and was a bit longer than the other two. My instructor explained to us how to use the equipment, and also that water pressure can cause your lungs to collapse and kill you. He did this to emphasize how important it was to always keep breathing and to take a moment to depressurize, much like when you do on a plane. I would be lying if I said the class wasn’t a little bit unexpectedly terrifying. (And keep in mind: I’ve gone skydiving.)
The Poseidon tour stops at three places in the Agincourt Reef, a series of smaller reefs in The Great Barrier Reef system. The places change each day depending on the weather and other sailing factors. From what I’ve read, Poseidon generally tends to pick really good spots along this reef system, and the 3 places we went on our cruise were spectacular, so I have no reason not to believe this.
I only paid for 2 discovery dives, so that meant one of my adventures would be snorkeling. I lucked out and did the snorkeling first. It was a nice way to get my feet wet and meant I got to hang out with my friend Katherine for my first ever Great Barrier Reef experience. It was also my first time snorkeling and viewing any reef in my life, and something I’ve unfortunately missed out on despite visiting and living in several different tropical climates. (I specifically tried to see a reef once off St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands but my partner at the time was too frightened at the time to make the swim, and have regretted not going on my own for years.)
I think the most surprising thing for me when seeing the Reef for the first time was just how dull the colors were. I incorrectly assumed this was a result of bleaching, but was told by our guides that while bleaching is still a big concern, things are improving. She said even though the colors were dull, the reef was alive and well. (And I did a little research and found that while I definitely saw some dead corals, for the most part, this is true. Not all corals are the vibrant purples and greens you see in pictures.) Either way, I consider myself lucky enough to have seen the images I did.
Now, I wish I could’ve rented a camera and taken pictures to show you the beauty, but unfortunately, since it was my first time doing SCUBA, it would’ve not been safe for me to be concentrating on something other than my breath for the first two dives, so I had to skip out this time. Luckily, the Poseidon tours do come with a photographer, so I was able to purchase some photos of my day and a series of reef images to share with you.
After our first stop, we sailed off to the second diving location and this is where the real fun begins. For the first time in my life, I strapped on an oxygen tank and was prepared for my great adventure under the sea.
I would like to say I didn’t freak out at all, but I did. For the first 15 minutes underwater, I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to pressurize my sinuses or lungs and would drown. (I told you, that class was terrifying.) I couldn’t even relax enough to do the “skill” of switching masks underwater for a good 5 minutes, although I did get it eventually. This was all exacerbated by the fact I felt like the weakest link: the other two people in the diving group with me were certified divers who were getting their feet wet after a few years absence.
Due to my lack of confidence, I had to hold my instructor’s hand for a good portion of the dive, but once I got the hang of it, the experience was magical. (She even said she just let me pull her along once she could tell I was comfortable.) Unlike snorkeling, where you are mostly observing the ocean when you dive, you get to be a part of that world. In other words, snorkeling is the Little Mermaid pre-legs, and scuba diving is her life after legs. It’s a substantial difference, so if you think its something you could do and ever get the opportunity, I would advise you to jump in.
While I did get to see a barracuda briefly, my first dive was unfortunately cut short because one of the experienced divers in my group tried to stray from the path and go a bit deeper than we were supposed to go on the introductory dive. And while that is a bit disappointing it did mean I got to the lunch buffet table a bit earlier, and that was pretty good deal.
After lunch, we went to the third and final dive site, which was easily my favorite. Maybe it was because I felt more comfortable, or maybe it was because this instructor was a marine biologist and particularly informative but I really feel like I was able to see more at this final spot than anywhere else. Thanks to my instructor, I was able to see Christmas Tree Worms, an underwater creature I didn’t know existed previously. The warms have colorful crowns that look like ornaments hanging on the coral that would curl into their hiding places whenever he waved his hands over the water above.
Some other highlights of my dive included seeing a giant clam open and close. These creatures seemed big enough that I could’ve fit inside the shells, but I would’ve never known what they were had I not been shown. My instructor also pointed out a brightly colored anemone and clownfish which was nice to see as well.
The tour finishes with afternoon tea. There were optional beer and wine to be purchased, but we stuck to water and rehydrated.
While my one friend had a particularly disappointing trip, I have nothing bad to say about this experience with Poseidon. Just thinking about this experience gives me chills, as its something I honestly never thought I’d have the opportunity to experience and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. I really can’t imagine a perfect introduction to the reef and SCUBA diving and while it was a bit more expensive then my pocketbook would like, I have to say I would pay for it again without hesitation.
This day, which was actually Ashley’s birthday (the whole reason behind the trip,) didn’t even end there. After we got off the boat, Ashley, determined to get on a sunset cruise, rushed down the pier to see if we could jump on a boat before it left. I’m happy to say she was successful and like most thing’s spontaneous, it was a fun way to cap to the end of the day
The boat we ended up on was the Lady Douglas, a smaller boat that takes several trips a day through the Dickson Inlet waters. Its main goal is to spot crocodiles, but that wasn’t the reason we jumped onboard. In addition to the scenery, the best part of the trip is the tour guide. He’s funny and informative to the point we missed a good chunk of the sunset. (Although the affordable wine helped with that as well.) The best way for me to describe this experience is a real-life and grown-up version of the “Jungle Cruise” ride at Disney World.
While we didn’t see any crocodiles, the ride was a lot of fun, even though there were some serious points during the trip. This included several sunk boats and vessels still in the river almost a year after Cyclone Debbie struck the area. They were a sight to see, but a harsh reminder of the power of Mother Nature and how much devastation storms can bring.
As far as the rest of the sights on the river, they weren’t super unique to me; having lived in Florida I have seen my fair share of mangroves and palm trees. (That’s not to say I don’t love these things, I absolutely do.) But overall this surprise excursion was more than worth the $35 AUD., a ticket price that included one alcoholic beverage and a few “snacks.”
After our second boat tour of the day, we headed into Port Douglas to grab something to eat at The Court House. The food there was tasty and satisfying, and it was great to sit on the balcony at the end of the day and observe the town of Port Douglas: a relaxed sea-side town that reminded me of several towns along Florida’s Treasure Coast. It was wonderful.
Day 2 concluded with us walking back to our 5-star resort via the famous “4 Mile Beach” in the area. And while the views weren’t as spectacular at night as they would be the next day, it was nice seeing at the Southern Sky without any artificial lights with sand between my toes…
