Great Barrier Reef – Part 1

MacKay Reef

We are up early for our first snorkel tour on the Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Safari. We rent wetsuits for the occasion.

As Cape Tribulation has no marina, we walk about 300 metres from the tour office along a path through the mangrove forest to Myall Beach and then wade into the water to board our boat. It takes us about half an hour to reach  MacKay Reef. The boat is moored not far from a small sandbar which is the only part of the reef poking above water.

I wear a life jacket and John uses a noodle for extra bouyancy while snorkeling.

The corals are lovely; some look like large mushrooms and others bright purpley blue. Some coral has thick appendages and other delicate and spindly.

There are such a variety of fish but my favourite are the brightly coloured parrotfish. We even saw a nemo (clownfish). And there were a number of seaturtles. They look so chill and cool as they glide through the water.

We are out for quite awhile. There is so much to see. The water gets a little rougher and going against the current to get back to the boat is a bit of a challenge.

Sandbar

Our boat moves a short distance to the sandbar. The waters around it are a brilliant aqua colour. Some resting gulls are disturbed by our arrival and take off for a more private resting ground.

We go out snorkeling again for awhile, then hang out on the gorgeous sandbar. Click here for a short video of our surroundings.

Cape Tribulation Look Out

Once we get back to land, we grab a quick snack and headed out to Cape Tribulation Lookout and Kulki Boardwalk. The beach there is so gorgeous however swimming is not recommended because of the salt water crocodiles. Signs warn of crocodile sightings within the last seven days.

Designing Crabs

We take a long walk on the beach while enjoying the designs made by crabs cleaning out their holes.

Each sand pattern thrown out of the hole is unique to each crab. Its as if you see their personalities in each piece of crab art. Some are delicate and whimsical. 

Some are organized and simply precissioned.

And others look like the crab just barfed it up out of his hole.

Evening on the Cape

We head back to our cabin to relax and chill before supper .

We have supper at a beachfront restaurant and head back to watch the Flying Fox Bats nightly show.