Catamaran to Green Island

Today, we first took a catamaran to Green Island, about 45 minutes from Cairns on the Coral Sea. The water was very rough due to the effect of the recent category 4 cyclone Debbie.

Green Island

It was raining off and on on Green Island, which is a resort island with hotels and water sports. It is a coral cay and is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park World Heritage Area. We took a walk in the rain forest in the rain. Very fitting.

Green Island Beach

Just when the rain stopped and you thought it would be very pleasant to sit in a lounge chair on the beach and to soak up the sun, it started drizzling.

The Great Barrier Reef

After visiting Green Island, there was an optional tour to the outer Great Barrier Reef. The sea was even rougher from Green Island. The crew walked around with paper bags trying to determine who would be getting sick next and many people did. Dana, our tour director, wisely warned anyone who became seasick to buy seasick medicine and to take it before going on the boat. Our group did fine. I don’t get seasick and also had no problem with the rock water.

Photo: The boats would hook up to a pontoon from which you could view the reef in several different ways. This boat, of course, is not ours but was close by to where we docked.

Hooked Up to a Pontoon

The boats stay hooked up to the pontoon as they have toilet facilities and the pontoons do not. We had a buffet lunch on the pontoon.

On the Pontoon

There are a number of ways to view the Great Barrier Reef: mainly aboard the semi–immersible submarine in the photo, snorkeling, and scuba diving. I took the semi–immersible submarine.

Great Barrier Reef

To view the Great Barrier Reef from above, you can take a helicopter ride which will show, as this photo does, taken from the pontoon, the difference in the color of the water above the reef––green in a blue sea.

For a slideshow on our trip to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef, go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/green–islandgreat–barrier–reef/

(Slide Shows, Australia/New Zealand, Australia, “Green Island/Great Barrier Reef”).

Great Barrier Reef

Scientists believe that the world’s largest coral reef is in its terminal stages, caused mainly by climate change resulting in warmer water temperatures. The recent category 4 cyclone Debbie is believed to have caused further damage to the reef. The reef near Cairns is now over 60% bleached. Some other areas do not have as much damage to the reef. The photos I took of the reef from the semi–immersible submarine do not look like the photos that you have probably seen that show very colorful coral and fish. There may be still areas where that is the case, but many areas are closed to both tourists and fishermen in order to prevent damage to the reef. Ten years ago and especially 25 years ago, from people I have talked to, there was much color in the reef in the tourist areas.

For the slideshow of photos of the Great Barrier Reef seen from the semi–immersible submarine, go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/great–barrier–reef/

(Slide Shows, Australia/New Zealand, Australia, “Great Barrier Reef”).