Visiting the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders in the world, was a dream come true for me.
The day tour was from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and I spent 5 hours at the Marine World on the Outer Reef.
As a newbie (新手) to water sports, one of the best ways to see the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef was by snorkeling (戴潜水通气管潜水). After getting some useful tips on how to use the snorkeling equipment, I was fitted with a mask, snorkel and fins. I was then ready to begin the guided tour and experience the amazing underwater life at the Outer Reef. By using the stairs provided, it was extremely easy to get into the water from the snorkel platform at the sheltered coral lagoon (环礁湖). The water clarity was of the highest quality, which made for excellent visibility and I was able to look at the bottom of the lagoon to see the breathtaking view. It included different colours, shapes, textures and movements of corals and marine life.
One of the highlights of the snorkeling trip was swimming alongside Wally the Giant Maori Wrasse and taking pictures with my underwater camera. It was also good to have floating rest stations that were placed at points so that I could take a break from my snorkeling activities.
On the 30-minute tour, while sitting about 1 meter underwater, I was able to see the colorful coral gardens as well as schools of fish, including reef fish, angel fish and Jump Headed Parrot fish. I even saw whales and friendly reef sharks. Another way I was able to experience the colors and beauty of marine life in the Outer Reef was by taking the 30-minute glass bottom boat tour.
My adventurous trip to the Great Barrier Reef was an amazing one filled with fun, excitement, information and wonderful close-up views of a diverse range of coral reefs and marine wildlife. Overall, I would recommend this once-in-a life-time experience to everyone.
