16.01.10 Quicksilver Cruise to Flynn Reef

After our disappointment at not getting to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef because of the stinging jellyfish two days ago we decide to give it another go and book to go out on another cruise to reef sites further out, hoping that there won't be any jellyfish there. The larger cruiser makes easy work of the offshore waves and we power through the water, covering 36km to get to our first of three dive sites of the day on the outer reef. When we ask about whether there's been any occurences of jellyfish on the sites we're told there have been and not just the blue bottles. Kurandji jellyfish have been spotted also and they pack a sting that'll put you in hospital for two days. We're quite worried from this news but we're all given stinger suits to wear in the water which prevent jellyfish from being able to sting you through the stretchy lycra. The suits have got mittens, hoods and come right down under the feet so we're pretty safe. And, much to our relief, today there doesn't seem to be that many jellies on site so our snorkelling experience is 100 times better than it was a couple of days ago. The reef is more pristine out here also and the coral is very impressive. We're able to float above the shallow waters of the reef with fabulous viewing of the sun-illuminated coral formations housing and providing food for thousands of little fishes. Butterfly fish with different stripey patterns of yellow and black swim around in pairs, occasionally turning on their sides to show us their colours. Rainbow parrot fish use their sharp little beaks to bite off the coral and it's possible to hear the cracking sound they make. Many other types of parrot fish can be identified by the way they use their side 'wings' to 'fly' through the water. We both like the little black tiger fish which sit motionless on the coral's edge, their bulging eyes making them distinctly different from the other fish.

underwater pics- the red unfortunately doesn't come out underwater

The coral itself is not as bright in colour as that swim around it, apart from the fuschia pink flower-shaped coral, but it's strange and wonderful formations are very impressive. There's fluorescent blue and white finger coral which looks a bit like deer antlers, big balls of smooth coral, undulating wave-shaped coral with frills on the edge and formations that snake up and down to make up a tight nit pattern on the reef. Polyps, which are micro-organisms that attach themselves to the coral make it look hairy as they all dance in the underwater currents. Some of this coral is extremely slow-growing and just by looking at the sheer size of some of the individual organisms you can tell that they're hundreds if not thousands of years old. We're excited when we spot two clown fish swimming in and out of a pink anemone. They are part of a symbiotic relationship with the underwater plant, giving each other protection. The anemone has a stinging power as a defence system but offers a certain immunity to the clown fish who in turn live in the anemone and will protect their home from predators. It's actually wrong in Finding Nemo though, when all Nemo's brothers and sisters are eaten by the barracuda and only his dad and himself survive. His dad would in fact turn into a female fish and begin sexual relations with him to produce more of their species. Wouldn't really work for a kids film though would it? Maori wrasse are large, fat-lipped fish displaying intricate blue green patterns on their purple skins which are reminiscent of traditional Maori tattooes, hence the name. As in much of the animal world, it's the male fish in the ocean that are the pretty ones, displaying the most colour and pattern. Three snorkelling sessions later and we're psyched by our experience on the reef. It's been a great day and such a serene yet stimulating visual experience.