BARRIER REEF & BARF BAGS - CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - DAY 3
Last night’s sleep was a light one. Both of us are still twisted on time, it was the weekend, and our hostel is part of a concert venue. People were celebrating birthdays on the back deck outside our window, and local bands were playing the best of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
We’re up bright and early with the time change, and make our way over to the harbor. We eat a hearty, and expensive brekkie *(breakfast). It’s their Labor Day here, and the only place open- They charge a lot bc they can.
We pause eating to see Ashley and George approach. Ashley and I hug it out, and I shake George's hand. Ashley's a high class helicopter pilot doing rescue missions, and George is a military pilot. It's a bit awkward at first just getting acquainted and re-acquainted, but we settle back into our old high school selves shortly after. Rachel and I inhale the rest of our food, and all of us check in for our dives, and hop on the boat to begin our Safari. I’m nervous- I haven’t gone diving in 3 years, but after the orientation, I actually remembered much more than I thought which was comforting. I met two Swedes and a Danish girl who were diving as well. The Swedes were on their honeymoon, and the Danish girl was a student, on a break, exploring Australia for eight months... A Democratic Socialist country sounds more and more appealing the longer I live in the States through my adulthood. It's always a sweet luxury to have dual citizenship, and to know I could take my Swedish passport, and jump ship at any time. Meanwhile, I'm still rooting and fighting for better times to come swiftly in the States. Politics aside, and back to my story...
Here comes the fun part...As we were about to leave, the Captain told us it was going to get really choppy. They began passing out ginger root pills to all 80 passengers. George said he'd would be okay without, and the crew just laughed at him, and gave him the pills anyway. I didn’t know what to expect, but that gesture wasn't a good sign, so I took them just in case.
We venture out, and IT. IS. A STORM! Or rather a storm without the storm. The waves are so choppy, and our boat is so small, we get tossed around like a rag doll in a black metal mosh pit. I’m actually having a blast- It feels like a fun little roller coaster, so all smiles with me. One passenger leaves to barf over the side in the middle of the Head Dive Instructor's diving orientation. This starts a domino effect, and before I know it, half of the passengers and even some of the crew, including dive instructors, are all occupying the bathrooms, above and below deck. Ashley is sea sick the whole hour ride out, George gets sick, and Rachel almost gets sick. The head dive instructor even burps his way through orientation.... I’m fine.
I know if I were getting sea sick, this wouldn’t be such a comedy to me. But by being the only smiley observer, I couldn’t help but giggle at the pandemonium. Barf bags are being passed around, and filling trash cans, people are heaving in corners, and others are rushing in and out of the bathroom stalls, and even some outside to hurl chunks over the side to feed the fishes. I felt bad for my friends though, Ashley was as white as a ghost.
We finally arrive at our reef, and EVERYONE applauds and cheers. The ordeal is finally over. We suit up, and get ready to jump off the boat. Rachel and George snorkel in the first two locations, with one instructed dive in the last location, and Ashley and I are diving all three locations. All together with our guide, we descend into the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a bit disorienting at first, but I get my bearings, and remember how to dive. There wasn't much to experience in the beginning. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm aware that tragically, the reef is mostly, if not all dead by now. We saw a bit of life, but mostly the bottom looks like it's covered in wet, grey ash. I enjoy diving, but this is truly an upsetting sight.
We surface after 45mins, eat, boat over to next reef, and it’s pissing rain. No matter, we’re already cold and wet, and about to be underneath the water, and incidentally, the weather. We find more marine magnificence in our second location. We surface and eat a hearty buffet lunch. We rush over to our third dive to take in all the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.
Between all three dives we see Angel Fish, rainbow bass, barracudas, vibrant corals and beautiful reefs (a bit on the second dive, but mostly in the third dive). We even see sea turtles, and a few reef sharks- Not too big.
It’s a surreal experience. You’re floating and hovering through a foreign underwater world- like swimming through a gigantic aquarium. I got loads of footage from my GoPros, and even bought a photo of myself with a sea turtle- Worth it.
Despite the beautiful life we were able to see in the last two locations, (especially the third), The Great Barrier Reef is already 80% deceased. Cause of death: Humans, and our collective mistreatment of the environment. To see it with my own eyes was truly devastating. The excursion was worth every penny- I was able to do something extraordinary on my bucket list, and add three dives to my dive log, but this was just as much a sobering experience. I really hope humanity can come together to preserve the beauty of our environment and of our world. We’re killing everything. And yes, Climate Change is very real. It's a black and white fact. You can bury your head in the sand and avoid scientific evidence, but this is not fake news. Nature is watching us.
We make our way back, and everyone eagerly takes the ginger root pills this time, but the seas are mostly calm now. We’re rather exhausted. We dock and Ashley and George go off to find a restaurant, and Rachel and I head back to shower, and change before meeting them for dinner.
On our way home, I notice a bunch of birds flying from one side of the town to the other. But no, they’re not birds. THEY'RE FOX BATS!! My knee jerk reaction of course was surprise, because I've never seen this before. But I have to admit, I actually like bats very much. I think they’re cute- Like puppies with wings. I LOVE THIS! I’ve never seen so many at once, and fox bats are MASSIVE! I try to film and photograph them but they’re too fast and it’s too dark.
We eventually rendezvous with Ashley and George to eat lamb burgers and beer. It was absolutely delicious. We head to a local market to try on Crocodile Dundee hats, and examine kangkaroo, crocodile, and emu jerky...We don't try any. Ashley and George pick up a few chachkies for themselves and their family. They want to either get beer or ice cream, but Rachel and I tap out here. We’re pooped. We call it a night, and hope for a rainforest excursion in the morning.
Stor karlek!
-eM
