Great Barrier Reef near Cairns

Today, all I can say is that it was amazing. We snorkeled at the world's largest coral reef. Stretching over a length of about 2,000 km, the Great Barrier Reef extends from Papua New Guinea to Gladstone on the coast of Queensland. This natural paradise, known as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', covers a total area of over a quarter of a million square kilometers.

At 7:00 am, we were picked up from the hotel and took a 30-minute minibus ride to Cairns harbor. We then sailed for 1.5 hours into the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran. Of course, there was a detailed briefing on how to behave at the reef. About 30 people went diving and 30 went snorkeling. I was skeptical because swimming in the ocean is not really my thing. But I wanted to give it a try. So, I put on a wetsuit, goggles, fins, and a snorkel, and then went directly from the ship into the 26°C warm sea. It felt like I was swimming in a large, beautiful, colorful aquarium. The reef with its corals, starfish, and plants comes up to 50 cm from the water's surface. There are colorful fish of all sizes and shapes that live in harmony with the corals. The diversity is amazing. I kept discovering new things all the time, just floating around and observing up close. We spent one hour at two different reefs - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. And we didn't even see the best spots, as they are not accessible to everyone. I feel so happy and grateful to have experienced this. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos.