Shark Attack! Just joking... I dived the Great Barrier Reef and survived.

Just got back from an AMAZING few days living aboard a boat out on the Great Barrier Reef.  And to top it off, I am now a certified diver!  And I didn't kill myself or anybody else in the process.  Yes- vacation has officially begun.

Our days pretty much started at the crack of dawn.  At which point we got geared up in cold, wet stinger suits and on top of that we added 5mm wetsuits that were a pain to get on.  Then plunged into the water from the swimming platform.  We'd go out for about a half hour, come back, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat dive, eat then sleep.  Then begin again the next day.

One of the highlights of the trip was the "Night Dive".  As if this doesn't sound scary enough to a new diver, the instructor gave a briefing about giant moray eels attacking our glow sticks (we were each assigned a group color so we could find eachother).  Apparently the eels preferred the pink color of glow stick - and yes, I was in the pink group.  Then he briefed us on shark attacks, and how we needed to create a circle if they start attacking. Of course... all of this was a big fat joke he was playing on us newbies.  Needless to say this put everyone on edge, because it was the kind of joke that left you wondering if there was some truth.  OH AND HERE'S WHERE IT GETS CRAZY.  As we were prepping for the night dive, about three or four 6-foot long sharks were circling the back of the boat feeding.  The same place where we were going to enter in a big thrashing motion as we jumped into the water.  Digby the dive supervisor wished me well as I jumped off the back, and mentioned that his might be the very last face I would see. Lucky me. With flashlight in hand, I descended into the depths of the GBR, watching the sharks swim by and hoping I would make it back safely.

Turns out that the biggest danger was turtle watching.  Who wouldda guessed.  There is a big sea turtle named Brian that sleeps down there in a cave and we went to visit.  Of course in the dark, about six of us got into a twisted pile, and fins and arms were flailing in a tangled mess.  My approach was to hold onto my regulator and mask for dear life.  I was not about to try practicing any mask removal skills in the DARK.

Finally the dust settled, people separated, I found my dive buddy and we got moving again.  Despite all of the dangers, I managed to get through the dive safely.  I felt like quite the explorer down on the bottom of the ocean with my flashlight.  Not knowing what was lurking around the bend.

So here I am back in Cairns.  With a funny sunburn, some new bffs, and a hankering for a refreshing beverage.  So I'm off to the bar.

And tomorrow begins a new adventure... driving in Australia.  I am renting a car for the next few days and going exploring the rainforest up towards Cape Tribulation, then down as far as Townsville.  Til next time... Jenny