This post was written in response to The Weekend Community's Weekend-Engagement topic.
The Great Barrier Reef: My Experience with Nature
When I was in college my university offered a two week 'International Business Experience' trip to Australia. We visited Cain's, Canberra, Gold Coast and Sydney of course. I'm not quite sure why my university labeled the trip as a ' Business Experience' because it was just a two week vacation. We went surfing in Gold Coast, watched parliament debate in Canberra, clubbing in Sydney, and, my favorite, snorkeling in at the Great Barrier Reef.
What is the Great Barrier Reef?
A quick wiki search will tell you that Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the largest coral reef in the world stretching over 2300 kilometers. It's located of the coast of Queensland Australia near a city called Cairns. It is home to a variety of species and organisms and it is listed as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World'. the reef was even feature in the Blockbuster hit, Finding Nemo!
My Experience
I remember staying at a Hostel in Cairns and waking up early to catch our tour boat. We were given the option of snorkeling only or diving and snorkeling together, but I was too much of a chicken to go diving. This is a huge regret of mine, because diving in the Great Barrier Reef was the opportunity of a lifetime. I remember our guide giving us the rundown of what to do and what not to do. One rule that stuck out was don't step on the reef because you can damgage the reef and there are corral and urchins that can be poisonous. I made a mental not and continued to listen to the warnings. I didn't want to be that guy that had to get get some sailor's remedey, like pissing on a foot, because I stepped on a spikey corral.
After the instructions and suiting up in our wet suits it was finally time to get in. I can remember my first jump in the water and thinking how cold and salty it was. I immediately realized why we had to wear a wet suit. The water was cold and the current was pretty strong. The wet suits gave my classmates and I an extra layer of protection from the cold temperature and the threat of drowning from exhaustion. I put on my snorkels and peared into the world of the great Barrier Reef.
I was amazed by what a saw! This particular reef was huge and seemed to go on for miles. There were fish of all sizes and all different types of corral.
You could see star fish, urchins, and coral all thriving in their natural environment. I even saw fish that resembled the popular characters, Dory and Nemo, from the 'Finding Nemo' franchise.
Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the color of the corral. I was expecting the reef to be much more colorful than it was. Not sure if this was because of 'bleaching'(a process where coral becomes white because of an external stressor)
At one point I could see my classmates ,the opted in for diving, on the reef floor below me. I would be lieing if I said I wasn't a envious of their courage.
The time I spent on the reef was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I look back over my time there and am filled with great memories of my amazing experience in Nature. Hopefully I get the opportunity to return again someday.
