Great Barrier Reef

    One of the things I looked forward to the most about the trip was getting to visit the Great Barrier Reef. We took a ferry ride out to Lady Musgrave Island. Our tour guide told us that it was a pretty rough ride and he would give a prize to the first person to get sick. As it turned out, he was the only one that got sick. The rest of us made it fine.
    When we got to the dive site, the ferry docked and we slipped into our wetsuits. About ten people from our group, including me, had been SCUBA certified before we left. We gathered our tanks and equipment and took a short boat ride out. The coral was amazing. From the ocean floor about 35 feet down, the coral reached all the way to the surface and thousands of fish swam just feet away from us. Even those who hadn't been certified had a great time. They went snorkeling and found just as much great coral and as many beautiful fish including sea cucumbers, rays, and even a few sharks (they were about two feet long). Our time on the Great Barrier Reef was a huge highlight and something I'll never forget.