Great Barrier Reef (Part 3 in Australia)

In the morning, we headed to the harbor in Cairns to take a boat to Green Island, an island near the Great Barrier Reef.

There, we first boarded the 'Semi Submarine', a boat with glass windows in the lower part. This allowed us to observe the corals and fish of the underwater world without getting wet. Some highlights were the schools of fish and a sea turtle.

Then we had some time to explore the island. There were beautiful sandy beaches where swimming was mostly not possible due to the jellyfish...

On the island, there was also a boardwalk through the rainforest, where we could walk in the shade of the plants and learn about the history of the island.

Along this path was the Melanesia Museum, where we could see sea turtles and various crocodile species, mostly saltwater crocodiles, which can also be dangerous to humans, which is why swimming is often prohibited.

Some crocodiles ended up in captivity because they were too dangerous for humans. One particularly large specimen used to overturn smaller boats to get to its lunch... Now it lives in an enclosure, where it has reached the proud age of 110 years - something it might not have achieved in the wild...

After lunch, we took a ride in a glass-bottom boat, through which we could see the corals on the seabed very well. A stingray glided right under our boat.

To see more fish, they were also fed next to the boat, which not only attracted the fish to the surface but also some seagulls.

After an iced coffee and a final walk on the beach, we headed back to Cairns by ship.