Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling - Cairns, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world so it was a top priority to experience the reed. It's also been increasingly threatened by climate change and other influences of man. While conservation efforts are in effect, we still felt the urgency to see the Great Barrier Reef while we could. The reef stretches for over 1600 miles so the wildlife and reef experience may be completely different in other areas but we were certainly savored the time we spent exploring the reef.

The boat that took us out to the reef was clean and comfortable. The crew spoke about the plan for the day and what we could expect to experience on the reef. There were also books and identification guides to help us learn about the different species we might encounter. We had to choose between snorkeling and scuba diving and while the additional freedom that comes a scuba tank on your back was tempting, we didn't want to spend our limited time in orientation class when we could get out on the reef immediately with snorkels.

Our snorkeling gear consisted of a full body stinger suit (complete with little fold over mittens and a hood), flippers, snorkel and a mask. The stinger suit was supposed to protect against jellyfish stings which could be potentially dangerous. For people who weren't comfortable swimming in the open ocean, they also had some sweet pool noodles for flotation. We were so buoyant in the ocean's salt water that it was entirely comfortable swimming around without one.

When we boarded the boat to visit the Great Barrier Reef, it was an overcast day and it was threatening to rain. It was like a different world beneath the ocean waves and it was untouched by the weather on the surface. After a minute of getting used to breathing through the snorkel, we were free to explore the reef and view the wildlife. One key rule was that we were never to touch the coral itself. Though it can look a lot like stone, coral reef is actually a living organism that can easily be damaged.

Armed with an underwater camera, I set out to try to capture the awe inspiring colors, the huge diversity of fish and sea creatures. I tried being still and hoping the fish would come to me. I tried chasing after them, kicking my flippers for all I was worth, trying to get the perfect shot. While it was fun to photograph and I'm glad I had a camera with me, it became apparent that it was more important to just savor the experience itself. This was confirmed back home when sharing the pictures with family. Looking at fish after fish doesn't always make for an exciting afternoon.

What the camera just couldn't capture was the diversity of life on the Great Barrier Reef. I felt like I needed more eyes so that I could see everything at once. The experience as a whole was more than the sum of all its parts. Each fish and every different coral formation was beautiful in its own right but it was the weight of being completely surrounded by that beauty on all sides that was truly awe-inspiring.

On our trip to the Great Barrier Reef, we made two stops so that we were able to explore different areas of the reef. There were similar species in both areas we visited but I feel like I could have explored all week without tiring of the views. During our time at that second site, it was exactly this feeling that caused our time there to melt away until I saw a larger shift in the distance. I swam toward the shape to see a 6ft black tipped reef shark. I swam after as fast as I could but as a visitor to his world, he slipped away like I wasn't even moving. Within seconds, the shark had disappeared into the shadows again.

I caught the eye of another snorkelers next to me and he nodded knowingly. We scouted the area hoping to catch another glimpse of the shark but eventually gave up. We lifted our heads from the water to find we were the only ones left snorkeling - everyone else had already returned to the boat. Catching a glimpse of that shark was an exciting finish to an already outstanding day. The only downside we discovered was that snorkeling elsewhere seems pretty bland when compared to our time spent exploring the Great Barrier Reef.