A three hour boat journey took us to Knuckle Lagoon on the outer Great Barrier Reef. A perfect location for a day of snorkeling and diving.

We’d got a good deal on an introductory dive when booking the trip and were the first group due in the water. As soon as the boat docked we were kitted up and off beneath the surface of the water.

Naomi and Kat were in remedial class, Naomi because of her sprained ankle and Kat because of heart problems as a baby, so were paired together. Emily and I were with another instructor along with Brian and another guy. Our instructor was South African and a bit odd. He was not the friendliest of guys and held Emily and I by an iron grip throughout the dive.

We were lead down onto a platform to begin the dive and given a short time to get used to the breathing apparatus. I’d heard people say it was hard to get used to breathing under water but to me it seemed totally natural! Maybe I was a fish in a previous life! Before I knew it we were off discovering an underwater world.

It was incredible to be swimming amongst the corals and fish rather than looking at them from above. The fish were amazing and I saw a couple of rather large ones! One was a massive brown and black Flowery Cod with nasty looking teeth and smaller fish feeding off it gills. The instructor refused to let go of Emily and I, there was no way he was actually going to let us swim alone, so I couldn’t get a better look!

All around me coral grew in varying different formations and colours, some of it was hard other bits soft, anemones were growing off the corals and amongst it all brightly coloured fish were hiding, darting around or meandering slowing through the ocean.

All too soon we were heading back to the surface and the dive was over. I could hardly believe 45 minutes had passed so quickly!

Diving over we went snorkeling. It was much better than yesterday but after being down on the ocean floor with the fish it just didn’t compare.

After a short while Naomi and I went in to grab some lunch, just as we sat down as the last trip glass submarine was called. We tried to get on it but all the places were taken. This was lucky in a way as if we’d gone we’d have messed the slot for a second intro dive. We’d enjoyed the dive so much first time round Kat, Naomi and I decided to go back for more!

This time I made sure I had a different instructor who would actually let me swim rather than drag me along! The first dive had been incredible the second was even better. Being able to swim meant I could see something and go for a better look, the instructor kept picking up things and showing them to me or showing me bits of coral I could touch. Some of the coral was hard, some soft, some hard and slimy, some soft and slimy one was even rubbery. He picked up a sea cucumber and put it in my hands. It was about eight inches long and two inches wide, a greeny yellow colour with black dots. It was solid but squeezable as though it was squishy in the middle. I saw a couple of more big fish, one of them was another huge Flowery Cod with him was a large silvery blue fish I was told is a Black Spotted Tusk fish. It looked quite pretty but evil at the same time as it has a mouth full of razor sharp looking teeth! It was incredible to be able to swim freely amongst the fish as much as 10 metes below the surface. I can’t hardly believe I have dived on the Great Barrier Reef.

No sooner was the dive over than we had to change and get back on the boat to sail back to Airley Beach after another amazing day in the Whitsundays.

* Posted by j150vsc on 24/12/2007.