I forgot to mention how hot and humid it was in Cairns in my last post. I instantly began sweating as I stepped off of the plane in Cairns. Now let me tell you, I can honestly say that the day we went to the Great Barrier Reef was the hottest day I have ever experienced. I am writing this post a week and a half since being in Cairns and I can still remember the humidity of that 90+ degree day... Thankfully, we were on the ocean and there was a slight breeze as we headed for the reef. However, unlike the shaded Rain Forest Station, I was constantly under the beating sun. Granted I could have gone into the cabin, I got carried away with the fact that I was no longer in the cold New England weather and refused to go inside and chose only to leave the warm sunlight for diving and eating.
That day out at the reef I ended up getting a sunburn for the first time in my life on the top of my head and feet. Our guides warned us that you burn in just 7 minutes of being in the sun without protection in Australia, and they were not lying. Okay, I never thought that they were lying, but 7 minutes sounded like quite an exaggeration to me and since I didn't tend to get bad sunburns I thought I would be safe. At first I put my sunscreen on only the spots that I would sometimes get pink, like my cheeks, chest and shoulders. But just after those 7 minutes I knew I needed to put that sunscreen all over my body. (But I guess I still didn't think to put it on top of my head and feet.)
Aside from the weather, the Great Barrier Reef was breathtaking and I hate to say that the pictures posted below will never be the same as actually diving or snorkeling there.To get the pictures I shared an underwater camera with my friend to save money so we switched off taking pictures half way through the dive. I had the hardest time concentrating on taking pictures when it was my turn to hold the camera while scuba diving, Along with remembering to equalize every meter down, our instructor had to keep adding more weights to me for some reason because I couldn't stay down with the rest of the group and constantly found myself getting lost a little bit above them!
As much as I wanted to have an abundance of pictures to look back at the reef I also wanted to enjoy it all in the moment without worrying about getting all of the perfect shots and trust me, its something you'll never forget once you see.
That day out at the reef I ended up getting a sunburn for the first time in my life on the top of my head and feet. Our guides warned us that you burn in just 7 minutes of being in the sun without protection in Australia, and they were not lying. Okay, I never thought that they were lying, but 7 minutes sounded like quite an exaggeration to me and since I didn't tend to get bad sunburns I thought I would be safe. At first I put my sunscreen on only the spots that I would sometimes get pink, like my cheeks, chest and shoulders. But just after those 7 minutes I knew I needed to put that sunscreen all over my body. (But I guess I still didn't think to put it on top of my head and feet.)
Aside from the weather, the Great Barrier Reef was breathtaking and I hate to say that the pictures posted below will never be the same as actually diving or snorkeling there.To get the pictures I shared an underwater camera with my friend to save money so we switched off taking pictures half way through the dive. I had the hardest time concentrating on taking pictures when it was my turn to hold the camera while scuba diving, Along with remembering to equalize every meter down, our instructor had to keep adding more weights to me for some reason because I couldn't stay down with the rest of the group and constantly found myself getting lost a little bit above them!
As much as I wanted to have an abundance of pictures to look back at the reef I also wanted to enjoy it all in the moment without worrying about getting all of the perfect shots and trust me, its something you'll never forget once you see.
If I wasn't in the water diving or snorkeling you would find me basking in the sunlight at the front of the boat.
All geared up and ready to go!
Taking on the Reef!!!