Stormy, Stormy Weather...
On the day of our Great Barrier Reef scuba dive tour, we woke up and could have bet our lives on it being cancelled. There was a severe weather warning out for the Cairns area as the rain and wind were so insanely heavy! But nope - we arrived at the dock and the boat team gave us our boarding passes and said prepare for a bumpy 1.5 hour ride out to the reef!
The Tour
We began by checking in at around 7:15am at the Reef Fleet Terminal before departure. We had the chance to meet all the people in the queue who'd also be joining us on the trip. Much to everyone's surprise, we were actually going ahead with the departure and dive. The 1.5 hour journey out to the Reef was incredibly bumpy (watch the video below to get an experience). I don't really get travel sick, so for me it was super fun. Maggie on the other hand was hating every minute..
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First Stop: The Scuba Dive
We were so lucky to be the only two certified divers on the boat, which meant we got to go straight in the water with our guide (no waiting around). Everyone else was either snorkelling or doing an intro scuba-dive. We really really recommend learning to dive prior to this reef. A lot of people were upset and panicked by the the rough waves and couldn't actually get in the water to dive. Learning in a swimming pool and then calmer waters first is a must in our opinions.
Marine Life
We managed to see loads of different types of marine life, here are a few to name:
- Sea Turtles
- Reef Sharks
- Rays
- Clown Anenomefish (Nemo)
- Blue Tang Surgeonfish (Dory)
- Parrotfish
- Maori Wrasse
- Lionfish
One of the highlights was seeing Nemo 🡱 Maggie was trying so hard to get in the shot and lost her balance because we were being chased by a friendly turtle and that big fat fish (picture below us) 🡳 called Wally and is a Maori Wrasse (Humphead Wrasse).
Just a quick note that these photos were professionally taken by a dedicated photographer on the boat. We had to pay per photo but feel like it's worth it for the occasion (scroll to the bottom of this post for costs).
Australian BBQ Buffet Lunch
After our dive we were treated to a buffet lunch. The Aussie spread included an Australian barbecue with fresh fish, steak, and sausages, plus a selection of pastas, salads, and prawns. It was very tasty but really didn't help with the sea sickness on the way back to land.
Second Stop: North Hastings Reef
In the afternoon, we were taken to North Hastings Reef where anyone who still had energy could snorkel or purchase an additional dive on board. We did think about it, but were so exhausted and full from our big lunch! We could also treat ourselves to a wine and spot of cheese for the journey back which was a nice touch from the tour guides. Another advantage of being the only certified divers was we had access to the top deck where we were pretty much left alone. Here's Maggie relaxing on the way back 🡳
Costs & Budget
🡪 Boat trip (including one dive & lunch): AUS$ 215 / £122.80 each
🡪 Extra fee to have a scuba guide (she pointed out the cool fish): AUS$ 10 / £5.70 each
🡪 Cost of the professional photos: AUS$ 55 / £31.40 total.
Final Thoughts
The whole experience was truly exceptional and worth every penny in my eyes. We won't ever forget this day and we'd highly recommend it if you're thinking about booking a dive at the famous Great Barrier Reef. The fact that we still went ahead without cancellation even though the weather was awful. Also, a delicious lunch was included, the staff looked after Maggie with sea sickness tablets and to top things off we got to see stunning marine life and learnt from the knowledge of the tour guides. We couldn't have been more happy ticking this off our bucket list.
