OPAL REEF- CALYPSO SNORKEL & DIVE
What a magnificent day! Ginger tablets in tow and we were off on the gorgeous little Calypso snorkel boat approximately 45km off the Port Douglas coast to Opal Reef. The Australian government has actually made a wise decision in regards to environment protection, in that each company is designated a section of the reef, whereby they are able to run their tours, whilst also being responsible for preservation and protection of that said area. If there is found to be damage as a result of tourism, that company is held responsible. Finally some personal responsibility, and love is being demonstrated!! And the crew, Lisa, Richard and Bruce most definitely oozed passion and love for what they do, both out in the water and educating people about life in the ocean. It was so great to see people actioning their desires and living it!! It made for a magic experience out on the reef- we can highly recommend this great little company for those who have have a desire to snorkel part of the Great Barrier Reef! Don't wait people! You won't regret it!
Not a cloud in the sky, and the 90min trip out to the reef was lovely- no sick bags required, Yay!! As we were at the end of the stinger season we were advised to wear the Lycra full body stinger suits- not overly flattering let me say, but hey better than being stung by a box jelly fish! We actually didn't see any, but it was worth wearing anyway to protect from the sun.
We had 3 hrs in the water- an hour at each site. Wow! The coral was stunning! So different from that which we had seen at lady Musgrave before Xmas. The fish were amazing, so many beautiful colourful forms of coral, giant clams, massive sea cucumbers. We were fortunate to see both icons- reef sharks and sea turtle! Can you imagine swimming with thousands of tiny shiny fish surrounding you! Move your hand and they all dart together, electric blue, the most spectacular silver!! This is an experience that HAS to be felt- words are severely lacking!!
We hired a digital water camera and managed to take some fab pics and video- so keep an eye out in the albums section for those vibrant gems!