Day 34: Coral Bay (Snorkeling with Manta Rays)

Today, we fulfill a longtime underwater dream - an encounter with Manta Rays. Unfortunately, in the almost 20 years we have been diving, we have not been able to see these marine giants.

We have breakfast and pack everything together. At 9:15 am, we go to the reception of Bayview Camps, the meeting point for the tour (290 AUD for all 5). We take the bus to the boat ramp and then head out to the first snorkeling spot. There are about 20 people on board. After about 20 minutes of driving, we get in the water. Michi and I take turns snorkeling since one of us always stays with the kids on the boat. Compared to the Great Barrier Reef (where we were in 2016 with Samuel and Maxima on a platform from which we did snorkeling trips & boat tours), it is not possible for the kids to go snorkeling here. The sea conditions are too rough. Michi goes into the water first with the group and I get a private tour afterwards. The crew is very helpful in making sure we can experience as much as possible despite taking care of the kids (really great). The visibility is excellent and the coral landscape is very beautiful and diverse. Just like in the bay, there are the cabbage corals here as well. The number of fish is limited, but Michi sees two and I see a gray reef shark. We both had a great snorkeling experience!

Then we drive about half an hour further to the Manta Rays. During the ride, we receive a briefing about the process, behavior, etc. An airplane is used to spot the animals. We are not the only boat. The other providers are also at the same spot (here they could collaborate and share the costs for spotting). The activity on the boat becomes a bit more hectic. The first group (which includes us) gets ready and after a bit of forward/backward/left/right, we get in the water. Unfortunately, the visibility here is a bit worse and the sea conditions are even rougher than on the first snorkeling trip. Then it's my turn for the second sighting: into the sea, head under water, and enjoy the show. The Manta Rays do rolls right in front of us. Very powerful, even though they are 'only' Reef Mantas (with a wingspan of about 4-5 meters). Definitely a worthwhile experience!

Now we have about 1 hour break. There is food and then we head back to the Outer Reef. There we do a second snorkeling trip. On the way there, we can also observe humpback whales. Michi doesn't feel like snorkeling anymore, so I go in the water with the group. Unfortunately, this snorkeling spot is not as good as the first one. The visibility is not as good as in the morning. However, we do spot a turtle. I'm not mad when we get back to the boat. The water is also colder now and despite wearing a wetsuit, I got pretty cold during the whole snorkeling trip.

On the way back to the bay, Samuel and Maxima can ride with the captain at the top deck. They are very proud! The kids were super well-behaved throughout the entire tour and they really enjoyed it. We had some concerns beforehand, because the tour lasted more than 6 hours.

The rest of the day, we spend at the campground. We're just relaxing! After dinner (kangaroo steak with wedges), we go to the jumping pillow and the playground.

We are all pretty tired and exhausted from this great and exciting day!

October 15, 2018

Accommodation: Bayview Camping / Coral Bay (1 night 55 AUD, huge campground with small and therefore crowded pitches, the campground offers a pool, jumping pillow, and playground)

Weather: sunny & windy, 28 degrees Celsius

0 kilometers for the day, total of 4,954 kilometers