Wearing fins in the Great Barrier Reef

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One of Australia’s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef, is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef system. It is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, stretching for over 2,600 km.
Located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, one can avail of a variety of boat tours, cruises and water sports. The most popular tourist activities on the outer part of the Great Barrier Reef are snorkelling and diving, for which pontoons are often used in areas enclosed by nets.
Reaching the Reef Booking Centre in Cairns, I was all set for the cruise to the Outer Barrier Reef prior to which there would be a demonstration of snorkelling and scuba-diving. Meg, our coach-cum-life-guard, had a hard time getting my name. I said that if she could pronounce ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger’, she could pronounce my name too. And that’s how I became ‘Schwarzenegger’ for the remainder of the cruise!
Meg asked us her five questions — above 65? Non-swimmer? Back or respiratory problems? Heart surgery? When I said yes to all, she said there was an extra fee to be paid!
We reached the Outer Barrier Reef in about an hour, and then were shifted to an anchored pontoon. Looking down into the ocean through the glass-bottomed boat and the submersible was nothing short of magical. The water was clear and warm, and with Meg’s skills at hand, I was able to manage my way through the sea. The sheer grandeur of the coral reef and vibrant sea life — from the tiny Angel Fish to Coral Trout (besides a sea turtle) — took my mind away from everything else.
After a sumptuous lunch, Meg, who was also a marine naturalist, had a discussion on reef ecology. She displayed marine touch tanks, where we could touch some of the reef’s unique marine creatures. I learnt that corals could be male and female; and that for just one day, (the seventh day) after the full moon in November every year, the entire ocean turns pink with whale-sperm, marking the beginning of the breeding season. The outdoor trip ended and we sailed back with the fondest of memories!