Day 63: Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef

AMAZING! Once in a lifetime experience. Never did we imagine we would snorkel in The Great Barrier Reef. The photos are taken with a Akaso 4K (GoPro knock-off). My first time using it. I didn’t even practice with it at home. Tip: Practice with the new equipment you purchase BEFORE you leave on your trip. It will show what you need and reduce your stress. I am happy with these pictures. I can see for real underwater photography you need the right gear, especially light. Included are pictures of people, the reef from our snorkeling, and coral from the glass bottom boat ride. Also the 2 videos are worth the watch.

When we woke up in the morning it was rainy … I mean RAINING! Donna and I said “We are going to get wet anyway - we are going!” We got on to a “ferry-like” craft and headed out to the platform. Which was more like a futuristic science fiction mini-city in the middle of the ocean. It was a full-service experience, for people at all levels. If you can’t swim you could enjoy the underwater walkway, or the semi-submergible, or the glass bottom boat. For certified scuba (or first timers) you could strap on an air tank and experience the reef. Donna and I first did the snorkeling off of the platform. This is a good way to get use to it, you see a lot. The weather broke, it was blue skies, perfect. After our first go at snorkeling - lunch was served. It was amazing excellent flavor great selection. It was at the quality level we are all getting very use to onboard the Neptune.

Then we did the extra “Snorkel Adventure” where they took about 20 of us out in a smaller boat to a different part of the reef in deeper water. There were more fish there and larger fish. The coral was gorgeous. Donna got a bit disorientated and went back tot the smaller boat. She got a bit sea sick - however, she “didn’t feed the fish.”

Because the schedule was pretty tight we missed the scheduled glass bottom boat tours. However, Captain Amanda - was able to work it out that once we got back from the “Snorkel Adventure” we went directly onto the Glass Bottom boat and have that experience — she was able to figure out the schedule to still get us back to the pier on time. Excellent customer service. The crew and staff on the ship and platform all provided the positive attitude, smiles, care, concern, and customer service we all experience everyday on the Neptune. We would do this again in a heartbeat.

On the ride back to the pier - everyone was exhausted - the ship was quiet - many of us tried to get in a few winks of a nap. Once docked, Donna and I walked from the ferry pier towards our Neptune home. We had some extra time, since we didn’t have to be back on board until 8:00 PM. Right off the port bow of the Neptune was Hemingway’s Brewery where we had Fish & Chips and a beer flight to sample 5 of their brews. We sat there finishing up our chips, Donna said, “We just snorkeled in The Great Barrier Reef.”

Everyday this journey feels like I am reading an adventure novel - instead we are living it.Read more