The Reef Magic boat takes 90 minutes from Cairns to get to the Reef.
My first visit to the Great Barrier Reef was more than 35 years ago. Back then, I was with a small boatload of enthusiastic ‘young’ tourists who took a rocky three-hour journey to the outer Reef. It never crossed any of our youthful minds that there was any other way to experience the wonders of the Reef than to get wet.
As I snorkelled in paradise, I was blown away by the vivid colours and textures of the coral, the huge variety of beautiful fish, and the stunning visibility to experience it all. We swam alongside giant Maori Wrasse fish and darted down through the shallows to the sea floor to get close-up views of giant clams and waving anemone.
It was unforgettable.
Despite vowing to return as a certified diver (or at least a seasoned snorkeler), a second journey sadly never happened … until now. On a recent trip to Cairns, I was determined to experience the Reef again. However, having not been swimming in many years, I was eager to avoid taking the plunge.
A glass bottom boat tour looked like the best option, although I worried that it might not be possible to have a meaningful experience at the Reef, and stay dry. I braced myself for disappointment.
I took the trip organised by ‘Reef Magic’, which started with a scenic 90-minute boat trip through electric blue waters to the outer Reef. When we disembarked on a giant pontoon, we were offered a myriad of options to experience the Reef.
If you are keen to get wet, you can dive or snorkel. If you are looking to get a bird’s eye view, you can take a helicopter trip. If you prefer to see the Reef without taking off or diving in, you can take a glass bottom boat trip and/or a semi-submersible boat trip.
The last two options seemed like the best ones for me and, during our four or so hours on the pontoon, I took both of these tours twice. And it was amazing. As soon as our glass bottom boat was launched from the pontoon my fears about being disappointed vanished.
The colourful fish were still out there, coral with electric blue edges popped up at the window, giant clams littered the sea floor, and yellow tail surgeon fish, parrotfish, butterfly fish and many others darted around our boat as a group of sea cucumbers mooched around on the sea bed.
An added bonus was that the skipper told us about all the creatures we were seeing, how they evaded predators or attracted prey and the importance of each species to the other. The time flew by and each time we peered through the glass, something new appeared.
As our boat made its way back to Cairns, one of the marine biologists on board gave a talk about some of the challenges the Reef faces with a focus on the Crown of Thorns outbreak. At the end of the day, I felt the same sense of awe I had so many years ago when I first snorkelled on the Reef.
Whether you see it from a glass bottom boat, a helicopter, or through a snorkel or dive mask, the Great Barrier Reef is truly a wonder of the world!
