August 6: Whitsunday Waters Wow
When planning key spots to stop on my lap of Australia, I marked visiting the Whitsundays as a top priority since this archipelago of 74 tropical islands is known for its turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and flourishing fringe reefs. When it came time to figure out the details, I decided that a scuba diving tour would help me to see the splendor both above and below the water. What an amazing experience!
Our small group of eight divers met at the Airlie Beach Boat ramp at 7:15 in the morning and headed out shortly thereafter for a 50-minute ride to Butterfly Bay. With the sun low in the sky and the cool breeze on our faces we skimmed above the waves under bright blue skies with puffs of white clouds watching the sun rise in the sky. Lush green clusters of tree-covered land masses appeared on both sides of us, sporting rocky brown cliffs and light-colored sandy beaches at their bases.
After mooring the boat to our line in the water, we donned our wet suits, weight belts, and BCDs loaded up with our regulators and air canisters and tipped backwards off the stern of the ship to descend to the ocean floor. Although the visibility was 10 meters, we were still able to see pink and purple coral, and all kinds of shimmering fish in hues of green, yellow, blue, and orange. Silver-skinned barracuda swam in front of us as we explored the surrounding reef for almost an hour under water.
Resting back at the boat and warming up with several cups of hot beverages, we moved the boat to Black Island and geared up again for another stunning foray into sea waters rich with all kinds of life, this time without a mooring line. I was mesmerized by all the sizes and shapes of sea anemones with orange, green, yellow, pink, and purple tentacles gently swaying in the current. It was tempting to reach out and softly touch them, but I did not as it is so important to preserve this natural treasure for others.
On our ride back to Airlie Beach as well as on our outgoing voyage, we saw several Southern Humpback whales breaching, spouting, and flipping their tails in the white capped blue waters. These glorious, magnificent mammals abound in this area this time of year.
Warming up on the boat afterwards as well as with a hot shower back at my hotel, I reminisced about all the beauty I’ve been privileged to see in the Great Barrier Reef Region. It never occurred to me to learn to scuba dive while on my summer’s motorcycle trip, but it turned out to be such a wonderful investment in more fully experiencing one of the world’s seven natural wonders.
