The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and I had greatly anticipated getting a chance to experience what it was like to swim in it. My first impressions were of awe and wonder. I had only seen pictures of the reef but my expectations for the GBR were incredibly high. The boat ride out to the reef seemed to only hype up the expectations. The ride took us a great deal of time but the surrounding islands and the vastness of the ocean were amazing. As we arrived at the reef, the immensity and overal beauty were shocking and just incredible to lay my eyes on. The coral was huge and visible in every direction. Fish and other creatures were abundant and you could tell that the entire area was alive. I initially thought just diving into the reef was sketchy and the water was again surprisingly cold. However, I got into the water without hesitation. The initial concept of being able to breath underwater did not occur to me at first and made it difficult. yet I quickly adapted and began to take in the spectacular coral and fish of the reef. The first trip in was again slightly sketchy as I got cuts and bruises from the coral that was all the way up to our bodies. But I continued to explore and view the amazing aspects of the Great Barrier Reef. The coral was so many different colors and had various shapes that made it even more spectacular to view. The fish were just like the coral, different shapes, sizes, and colors. Everything about the reef was unique in one way or another. We continued to explore and saw things that I know I will never have the ability to view again. Every aspect of the reef was made even better in the fact that I was with my good friends the entire time. We got in and out of the reef many times and even over course of just a few hours, each trip in was unique. Being surrounded by seemingly fearless fish coupled with the rarity and beauty of everything made the experience that much better. It was without a doubt an experience I'll never forget.

The trip to view the amazing Great Barrier Reef began with an hour and a half boat ride from Cairns to the reef which was in the middle of the ocean. We first made a stop at an island resort, where we were able to see (from the ship) the beauty that these barely inhabited islands had. We continued our boat ride until we arrived at the pontoon that was stationed in the reef. The beauty of everything was amazing and it was unbelievable. We spent the entire day on the reef, swimming and exploring its natural beauty. Finally, we returned to Cairns after an "eventful" boat ride and were given free roam of the city for the evening again.