Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef!

Monday, December 23

This was one of my planned highlights, and it met all expectations.  I decided to go with Wavelength out of Port Douglas after reading several reviews from friends on the Fodors web site, and review on trip advisors.  It's a snorkel only trip, and they have a marine biologist on board, although frankly all three of the crew were super knowledgeable.  Trips are limited to 30 people.

Check in was at 8, and soon we were on our way.  The seas were not as rough as they had been, apparently, but there was plenty of chop.  Two of the passengers didn't do well at all and I felt so sorry for them!

There were three stops for snorkeling, and at the first two they led snorkeling tours.  Tim and Emma would dive down, bring something up and explain it, or, tell you about something up top and everyone could then look down with their snorkeling mask and see what they were talking about.  This was a very nice addition to just swimming around and looking at stuff, although that was pretty cool too.

Super cool highlights of the trip:

• Seeing a white tipped shark
• Seeing a sea turtle
• Watching Emma tap a giant clam and seeing it close
• Seeing two clownfish in purple anemone
• Watching Emma squeeze a sea cucumber and having it spit out its insides (I think it is called evisceration and it doesn't hurt it)
• Seeing a sea cucumber up close and personal

In addition to the snorkeling tours, at lunch time Emma (the marine biologist) did a reef talk.

Wavelength treats you right as well.  They have unlimited coffee, tea and water on board, as well as 50 spf sunscreen!

They greet you with a tray of muffins upon arrival, and after you come back from the first snorkeling hour there is morning tea waiting for you (brownies, cookies, and a fruit tray).  After the second snorkeling hour at another area on the reef you come back to find lunch (a really nice spread of salad, grilled vegetables, sandwich stuff, and some kind of noodle dish).  After the third snorkeling hour (at the third place on the reef) they had a fruit and cheese tray.

We are back well after five and Steve is waiting.  We've got to get up to Daintree Village!