Arlington Reef

The Australian port of Cairns was our jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. I just had one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I went SCUBA diving in the reef. I have never been diving before so I signed up for the rookie SCUBA diving class aboard the Sunseeker. I was a wee bit nervous, but very quickly my instructor Iris put me at ease. She was patient and kind, and for much of the 30-minute swim she even held my hand. It was like flying under the sea. We saw giant clams, iridescent fish, a deep indigo-colored starfish, and a hundred other wonders too beautiful to describe. At one point a dark cloud covered us. I looked up and saw a densely opaque school of a million finger-length, metallic silver fish above us blocking the sun. We swam slightly upward, and, very gradually and gently, the fish made way for us as we ascended through the school. In a moment I was completely surrounded on all sides, and above and below, by sparkling flecks of silver as far as I could see. While I was doing this Glenda was on a guided snorkeling adventure with her instructor, a young lady named Taylor. Before that, Glenda and I went snorkeling together and found other wonderful views. I was not able to take photos under the water, but I was so absorbed by the kaleidoscopic wonders under the sea that a camera would have been a distraction. So go to Google and find the most colorful photos of all of the most beautiful aquatic life you can imagine, exaggerate the colors tenfold, put it in 3-D, illuminate it with shimmering light, and you may have some idea of what I saw today. It was magnificent—literally beyond words. Today is one of those rare days one remembers forever—a genuinely spiritual moment.Read more