great barrier reef v1.0

we left for the great barrier reef (gbr) very early the day after we both passed our final exams. on the trip out to the reef lyds and i slept like babies being rocked by the waves in our bunks. note on the gbr: the gbr is larger than the great wall of china and is the only living thing visible from space. it is 2000km long, and made up of 2600 seperate reefs. it is not only one of the 7 wonders of the natural world, but is number 2 on the list of 50 things to see before you die. the reef is also home to 1500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, 4000 breeds of molluscs and clams, 500 varieties of seaweed, 6 types of turtle, etc. sadly, by 2050 scientists predict that rising temperatures and increased pollution will reduce the reef to less than 5%.

after the safety briefing and our first dive plan it was time to hit the open water for our first ocean lesson. luckily, lyds and i both were paired up with oscar again - the no-nonsense, cool, aussie-japanese ex-pro rugby player who was our instructor in the pool. oscar is the man. and he has counted to infinity twice. so at 10:37am we entered one of the greatest wonders of the world. it is hard to explain what it is like down there. it is easiest to pawn it off as being in another world. corals and fish and all the colours imaginable. the constant sound of your breathing in your ears. the slight condensation on your mask. the pressure of almost three atmospheres. the sense of awe and giddiness. barracuda, sting rays, sea turtles, giant clams that close when you pass over them, clownfish (nemo), reef sharks. you feel like an astronaut. oscar brought along a half-empty 600ml plastic coke bottle to attract sharks - baptism by fire for our first lesson.

i saw my first reef shark as soon as i knelt on the bottom of the ocean.