Reef: Day 2

A very small portion of the Great Barrier Reef

Looking out over the reef

Up close with some coral

Some more coral

I am the diver who is outstretched with the blue fins farthest to the right

Today was our second of three days exploring the Great Barrier Reef.  Today, however, I SCUBA dove on all three locations.  I am not certified, so I could only go down 12 meters (about 40 feet), but I didn't miss much because coral grows mostly near the surface where there is plenty of sunlight.

On the first dive, I got to see and touch a giant clam.  The flesh felt like rubber, and all I can say was that I am SO GLAD that it didn't close on my fingers!  We also saw paddletail snappers, black-spotted puffers, swarthy parrotfish, forcepfish, sailfin surgeonfish, schooling bannerfish, and many more.  We couldn't get pictures of these, so you might want to look them up on Google Images.

On our second dive, we saw many of the same fish with the addition of goatfish, which filter sand through their gills and eat the algae.  Also, just about everywhere (including the other sites) were small, multicolored, frilly things called Christmas-tree worms, which you can read about in my brother's blog (http://savathurbersblog.blogspot.com).

The third dive was again the most interesting.  The highlight was definitely getting to hold a sea cucumber (which the dive master said was okay).  I know a sea cucumber doesn't sound very interesting, but between the small suction cups and the fact that...well...it's a cucumber that lives in the ocean, it was absolutely amazing (NOTE: a sea cucumber is not an elongated, green vegetable).  After the cucumber, we swam around for a little while longer, and enjoyed the colorful scenery.