Post by fvf on Jan 22, 2007 9:58:49 GMT -5
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It's beautiful, an entirely different un-poluted world made of un-explored wonders. This summer I went to Australia. In addition to visiting historical places, and some of the most interesting museums on earth, we went to the Great Barrier Reef, we went snorkeling twice. Once in the outer reef and once in the inner barrier reef. The inner barrier reef was the most colorful and exotic. Therefor that is what I chose to write about.
We got to the Reef by way of a two hour long ferry ride. The place where we stopped was exquisite. We were in the middle of the ocean, no land insight. However there was a very large, floating platform. On one side there was snorkeling equipment. On the other, lunch, and up top, on the second floor, was a basking area. The sun was very strong and there were quite a few people laying on chaise lounges enjoying it. Below water level there was a viewing area with glass sides so we could watch the animals swim by. But, that's not were I wanted to be, I wanted to be in the water looking at the coral. So I went over to get flippers, goggles, snorkel, and a life vest.
Being in the water was, wow. There is no other word to describe it, just wow. My first thought hitting the water was, wow! This is way warmer than oceans back here. It felt realy good, it didn't take too awful long to get used to the warm, almost bathwater temperature. Breathing was a different issue altogether. I'd never snorkeled before, and boy was it hard! I kept getting salthingyer in my mouth, that stuff tastes nasty! Once I pretty much had breathing under control, I started floating on my stomache to see what I could. There was a flaw with this too though, I couldn't hear anything when I was floating on my stomache, couldn't see past the surface of the water either. So it was impossible to tell if I was floating right next to someone until I hit them. No-one was going fast, so running into someoone else wasn't a big deal, except that it startled the heck out of me, causing a quick intake of air, in this case water. Oh, but the things I could see down there!
It turns out, we were in a big net. At first that kind of bugged me, but the net was huge! At one point I decided to swim its circumference. That alone
took almost an hour. Once I decided to be okay with being in a big net I
started enjoying the view. There was every type of coral I had ever
imagined, and twice what I hadn't. Pyramids of orange, with yellow and
black fish swimming by. The ruins of a great city, in red, yellow, gray and
the occasional blue. Were portrayed in the homes of exotic fish. Tall
columns with a single spot of color on top. Under water archways leading to
the unknown and raised platforms of wonder were everywhere. That was only my
first glimpse.
The net was very loosely woven. Therefore a lot of fish could get through,
just about anything except sharks and whales. So it was still alive in
there. There were fish hunting and being hunted. Coral reaching out for food
and shocking things that got too close. Fish playing hide-and-go-seek with
the huge shadows floating on the surface. Giant clams with gaping mouths,
waiting ever so patiently for some unknowing, curious fish to swim by. Well,
those were just the things I could see, I'm sure there was also plankton
floating along below me, and predators hiding in the crevices, never to have
their presences revealed until too late. Amazing.
After I had swam around a little while, I noticed a trail of
bubbles, really thick bubbles that I could hardly see my hand through.
Hmmm... this could be fun! So I followed the trail of bubbles to its
source. There I found two personal little underwater boats. We had been told
about these on our way over, you could pay for a guided underwater tour. The
little personal boats were being led by a tour guide. She was pointing out
things I hadn't noticed before. After checking my watch and realizing
we still had three hours till we left. I decided to follow behind, in the
really fun bubble trail! The tour guide was showing them a lot of really cool
things such as the clam I mentioned earlier and fish hiding on ledges in the
coral.
Yes, it is an entirely different world down there and a beautiful one at that. So why is it that by 1969, we had been on the moon and had satellites in space, but we knew next to nothing about the substance covering almost two thirds of our planet? It sure seems like a shame, but at the same time, perhaps a blessing. Our world is over-run by polution and sin. For now, for just a little while longer, our oceans are safe. So it's a different world, maybe a doomed world, but in the present it's just beautiful. You needn't to look any farther than that.
We got to the Reef by way of a two hour long ferry ride. The place where we stopped was exquisite. We were in the middle of the ocean, no land insight. However there was a very large, floating platform. On one side there was snorkeling equipment. On the other, lunch, and up top, on the second floor, was a basking area. The sun was very strong and there were quite a few people laying on chaise lounges enjoying it. Below water level there was a viewing area with glass sides so we could watch the animals swim by. But, that's not were I wanted to be, I wanted to be in the water looking at the coral. So I went over to get flippers, goggles, snorkel, and a life vest.
Being in the water was, wow. There is no other word to describe it, just wow. My first thought hitting the water was, wow! This is way warmer than oceans back here. It felt realy good, it didn't take too awful long to get used to the warm, almost bathwater temperature. Breathing was a different issue altogether. I'd never snorkeled before, and boy was it hard! I kept getting salthingyer in my mouth, that stuff tastes nasty! Once I pretty much had breathing under control, I started floating on my stomache to see what I could. There was a flaw with this too though, I couldn't hear anything when I was floating on my stomache, couldn't see past the surface of the water either. So it was impossible to tell if I was floating right next to someone until I hit them. No-one was going fast, so running into someoone else wasn't a big deal, except that it startled the heck out of me, causing a quick intake of air, in this case water. Oh, but the things I could see down there!
It turns out, we were in a big net. At first that kind of bugged me, but the net was huge! At one point I decided to swim its circumference. That alone
took almost an hour. Once I decided to be okay with being in a big net I
started enjoying the view. There was every type of coral I had ever
imagined, and twice what I hadn't. Pyramids of orange, with yellow and
black fish swimming by. The ruins of a great city, in red, yellow, gray and
the occasional blue. Were portrayed in the homes of exotic fish. Tall
columns with a single spot of color on top. Under water archways leading to
the unknown and raised platforms of wonder were everywhere. That was only my
first glimpse.
The net was very loosely woven. Therefore a lot of fish could get through,
just about anything except sharks and whales. So it was still alive in
there. There were fish hunting and being hunted. Coral reaching out for food
and shocking things that got too close. Fish playing hide-and-go-seek with
the huge shadows floating on the surface. Giant clams with gaping mouths,
waiting ever so patiently for some unknowing, curious fish to swim by. Well,
those were just the things I could see, I'm sure there was also plankton
floating along below me, and predators hiding in the crevices, never to have
their presences revealed until too late. Amazing.
After I had swam around a little while, I noticed a trail of
bubbles, really thick bubbles that I could hardly see my hand through.
Hmmm... this could be fun! So I followed the trail of bubbles to its
source. There I found two personal little underwater boats. We had been told
about these on our way over, you could pay for a guided underwater tour. The
little personal boats were being led by a tour guide. She was pointing out
things I hadn't noticed before. After checking my watch and realizing
we still had three hours till we left. I decided to follow behind, in the
really fun bubble trail! The tour guide was showing them a lot of really cool
things such as the clam I mentioned earlier and fish hiding on ledges in the
coral.
Yes, it is an entirely different world down there and a beautiful one at that. So why is it that by 1969, we had been on the moon and had satellites in space, but we knew next to nothing about the substance covering almost two thirds of our planet? It sure seems like a shame, but at the same time, perhaps a blessing. Our world is over-run by polution and sin. For now, for just a little while longer, our oceans are safe. So it's a different world, maybe a doomed world, but in the present it's just beautiful. You needn't to look any farther than that.