Beattys Overseas

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At 8:00am, I took a coach bus to the northern town of Port Douglas, then boarded Quicksliver's Wavepiercer at 9:00am for the 50 minute ride out to the pontoon Great Barrier Reef station. Here I am on one of the pedways while all the other moronic tourists people on the daytrip are snorkeling away....

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The Quicksilver daytrip was an excellent introduction to snorkeling in the ocean within a contained and monitored area. 

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All the moronic tourists people on the daytrip push & shove while getting into the stinger suits....  Alien-like, huh?!

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The tour company had to insist that all swimmers wear these lyrac bodysuits, as it's currently jellyfish season (Aussie's call them "stingers"), and these suits apparently can absorb the sting of a jellyfish.  We all wore them because nodoby wants to get stung, but had to take photos

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Paul & Lorna are on this daytrip as well.  HOWEVER< they took the fancy transport to the Reef station via touring helicopter.  Here they are landing.  I was so jealous!

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Hodges on the Great Barrier Reef

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The teeming masses of moronic tourists snorkelers get ready to go see some coral & fish

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We, too, put on our stinger suits and take photos!  Everyone's allowed to be a tourist!

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Hey Mom, look at me - breathing underwater without a panic attack! 

Honestly, this was a wonderful experience and one that I wish I had done a few times before I ever went to scuba school.  After 20 mins of snorkeling and seeing the amazing Reef so close to me, I removed the lifejacket and took a few dives down.  No, not scuba dives!  I'm leaving all scuba to John for now.... 

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The equipmetn lined up on John's overnight dive boat

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(l-) ProDive instructors Tim and Warren with student Brian

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ProDive instructors Annalise and Warren.  Both, incidentally, from France!

Dive briefing with Warren

Before and after every dive, the Dive leader conducts a briefing.  Here, before Warren and Sam (at head of table) the group buddies up, learns who is where in the formation and what route we expect to take.  Plus, we all get a chance to listen to Warren confuse us by pronouncing the word air, "Hair" in his lovely French. 

As in "If you take off your mask underwater at 16 meters (48 feet down), which you are required to do numerous times, make sure to keep breathing your Hair".  This caused some hands to constantly raise...

My first underwater pic

Believe or not, this guy is almost 12 meters long and a definite maneater.  Seriously.  I took the shot from 75 feet away is all.

Angel Fish

So named, as I've learned, from its ability to send you to the Angels with one ferocious bite.  Look how close I got!

The Real Thing

The champ getting ready to head into the ink, as we divers like to call it.  At least I do.

Going In

too bad the camera didn't catch my Cousteau-like forward head over heels dive in.  You would have enjoyed it as much as Warren did when I always ended up sideways..

Remember FRD's 1st Innaugral Address? Nothing to Fear...

You better believe we have nothing to fear.  I ate that dive up.

Happy Happy

I was trying to get my heart to stop pounding.  It's spooky down there!

The Graduates

My dive group, sans Whitney.   Thea and Paul from Denmark on the left (Paul's wife Gita was aboard snorkeling), Joanna From Vancouver Canada in the center and my man Hitesh from the UK.  You need to guess which guy he is.  All good divers, all great folks.  Lots of laughs!

My dive buddy

My lovely friend and dive buddy Ma'yan from Isreal.  She saw me take my hands off the descent rope, for almost two seconds.  I like to live on the edge.

Moonlight

I took some shots from the top deck.  They don't do the sky justice.

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