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Published: August 17th 2014
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The Kangaroo Explorer
This is the sight that became familiar until I learned how to navigate back to the boat underwater. You must listen for the engine. Kangaroo Explorer
Australia Barrier Reef
One day after the Spirit of Freedom live aboard trip, Cairns Dive shop picked me up at 7:50 am and delivered me to a boat that would act as our ferry to the shops dive boat, Kangaroo Explorer. The Explorer is a substantial size boat, not as nicely appointed as the Spirit, but I felt more at home, probably because I had the two bunk room to myself. It was a very small room, but quite adequate.
We had a short introductory session with the boat director and were soon suiting up for a check out dive. I could not bring my camera because the dive masters were dealing with several people and didn’t know how much experience any of us had. It made some sense, although I had just returned from four days of diving on the other boat. We all went down together on the anchor line at the bow of the boat. Lingering on that line was an adorable 6” squid with big blue eyes. No camera. The DM, Mel, crossed her arms in front of her face in apology for me missing that
Coral Residents
I haven't found the name of these yet but I am still looking. They float above their coral home, teasing you. As soon as you raise the camera they tuck away inside the coral fingers like it is a slurp gun. photo. It was kind of cute.
It was cold; too cold for a three mil wet suit. Since that first dive I have been wearing my three mil long wet suit topped with one of their 5 mil long sleeved shorties. I am comfortable in that. This boat has no guides; only two dive masters who run introductory dive classes. Being a single makes diving more difficult. I continued to have short shallow dives with new divers. It was a bit frustrating.
The reef is pretty where it is shallow…there are wonderful pastel corals, pinks, baby blue, celery green in many shapes and sizes. Tiny fish in brilliant colors swim among the coral. We had extremely strong winds and lots of big waves so it was difficult to enjoy the shallows. I haven’t seen a single moray or octopus but there are small schools of mid to large size fish. Some divers have seen a turtle but I haven’t seen a single shark, although the dive masters continue to suggest that there might be a shark in some of the passages. There are some swim throughs but I haven’t been able to enter them
Soft Corals
Look! There is color. I am so glad my strobes are working and I have light in my photos. because the other divers have been low on air. On one dive I was trying to get a photo of a large baramunda when Journey, a young diver pointed below me. I was so excited, he had discovered a six foot wobbegong shark. He was resting on the bottom, completely exposed, but still he was difficult to see because he was so well camouflaged he blended with the rocks and coral. Journey saw his tail first, then the rest of him. I am so happy to have had an opportunity to take a photo of him.
We have the best chef on board. Libby looks like she is fifteen but she is a pastry chef from England. She cooks curries and cous cous and makes lovely salads, and great desserts. I am steadily gaining weight.
The transport vessel was still not repaired when my three day dive trip ended so we were shuttled to the ferry in our inflatable tender. I had just changed clothes and was completely soaked when we finally got to the other boat for the hour ride back to the marina. We arrived about five thirty so I went to
the Night Market and I got a great twenty five minute Thai massage for fifteen dollars. I didn’t take my luggage out of storage and on the way to the hostel I realized my food was in it so I stopped at a pub and had a steak and great fresh vegetables. When I got to the hostel it was already 8:30 pm and I had to run to the pharmacy before it closed. I wanted to get the elastic wrist bands for nausea because the weather forecast continues to be dismal. I found another towel in the discard clothes bin, but I also bought another for the boat. The next morning I walked to the dive shop to start my eight day volunteer stint on the same vessel.
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