Descending to the Great Barrier Reef from the sky
It is the biggest structure built by living organisms. Humans have nothing to match it ... a kaleidoscope of life, color, revision, danger and timelessness. I cannot begin to explain my emotions at seeing it spring from the ocean, of touching it, of being swept into it ... small and privileged all at once.
The Dehaviland Beaver and Speedo Ben
Getting there: Ben the pilot glides into a protected bay on the White DeHaviland Beaver Seaplane - a beauty from the '60s and Ian delivers us to 'pontoon side' on the WWL's launch a few bays up from home. We bounce into the air, headsets on, and soon are gliding over the Whitsundays to the edge of open sea at Whitehaven Beach for a quick champagne lunch dispensed by Ben wearing his official Speedo. The chicks loved it. Well, he did wrap up in a towel for lunch service, but frisked about his plane almost au naturale getting ready for the re-launch.
Next, we churn into the sky again (Ann experienced 5 seaplane takeoffs altogether, plus helicopters in Australia & Invercargill NZ, added to some flights in the DeHaviland Otter Twin in the Caribbean, a wild tree-topper with an Alaskan bush pilot, and even took off in Clark's Miss Burgundy Cessna - you can't ask for more fortitude than that). After 15-20 minutes of open ocean where I spotted a little white dot zig-zagging across the wind (probably an albatross or mollymawk), the GBR emerges rapidly as tan jigsaws of coral on an azure field, with the occasional green sea turtle, ray or big shark drifting in the shallows.
The GBR: We arrive at Reefworld by launch after landing in open sea. It is not Wallyworld ... far from it. It is a giant pontoon boat moored off a major 'platform' reef, with freshwater showers, changing facilities, all the gear you'd ever need, great viewing platforms, glass-sided subs for under-reef viewing, refreshments (including Champagne - search me why this is necessary), and sturdy rope guides all-round the reef to corral the snorkelers. It moves every 6 months to minimize enviro impact.
The tide is going out ... imagine turning a bucket upside down and pouring a gallon of water onto it ... and it is all flowing off the platform, pushing us out into the ocean. Wild.
So we snorkle the reef wall, Annfish and I. She is such a waterbaby. Immediately, we are surrounded by swarms of majors, needlefish, tangs, parrotfish, chromis, things I don't know, as they feed on and around the coral. Just awesome. I counted 16 morphs of coral and I don't know anything. There are probably a hundred species here.
Parrotfish having Anthozoan Sushi with Grits
Parrotfish are everywhere, and you can hear them grind away at the coral with their huge teeth. They are unafraid and exquisite.
Giant Clam
Azure mantle spots on a giant clam
For me, the stars were (surprisingly) the Giant Clams (Tridacna sp), and they are big enough to catch your foot in. Don't try it. Their mantles are speckled with azure and their siphons are as big as a fist.
Bunny and Tusky (far left)
Later we ran into a lined butterflyfish hanging around an amazing Graphic Tuskfish with four gleaming white vampire fangs. He came right at me and I stood (floated) my ground, but not without shivering a bit.
The Humphead / Napolean / Maori Wrasse
All too soon it was time to go, but there was a last treat. Most wrasses are tiny fish about 3" long max ... but the Napolean wrasse (so called in French Polynesia, but known as the Maori wrasse in NZ and Australia) is huge. Ours was about 5 feet long, 3 feet tall and a foot thick. We petted him (can you pet a fish?) as he was hand fed along the edge of the entry zone. Hard leather skin and a ton of weight. Surrounded by big tangs as well. Is it right to touch them? I can't say, but he was in the way of me getting out so ... Then we were out, champagned again, into the sky and off to another fine WWL dinner.
Comments (1)
That picture of the parrot fish rocks! Too pretty to throw on the barbi, but I bet he would taste good in a light coconut sauce with some of green lipped muscles and a nice chardonnay.
Posted by Bill Wilson | January 28, 2004 5:58 PM
Posted on January 28, 2004 17:58