no comments | Today the morning was a visit to an unnamed reef in the Great Barrier Reef National Park that surfaces only at low tide before submerging again into sea. So, they have happily named it Orion Reef and include it in their itineraries when in the area for snorkeling opportunities. This is another “path less traveled” destination and also a good example of expedition cruising.
I think it’s fair to say that the conditions were not ideal on this particular morning. This wind had whipped up the seas making it a bit more difficult to board the Zodiac (jump on when the sea rises it up) and an absolute E ticket ride, for those of you old enough to remember when Disneyland had the most exciting rides duly designated this way. It took about 25 minutes into the wind to reach this small sandy dot of land as the seas surged, lifting the Zodiac and its merry band of adventurers up, down and all around. When we arrived, we were wet to the skin with big smiles on our faces. Most were smiling as they had a great time on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (sorry, another Disneyland reference) with a few nervously smiling, thankful to have arrived …. anywhere. Unfortunately, the wind did not allow for optimal snorkeling and many chose to wade in the shallow water and comb the sand for interesting shells and discarded coral. While these could not be removed as souvenirs, it was still nice to see them. The more experienced snorkelers and divers went out beyond the reef over the canyons and were rewarded with many sightings of Spanish Mackerels the size of Mick Fogg, one of our Expedition Team, Reef Sharks and a pair of mating Squid. Luckily, they took great photos that were shared with the passengers later that day. The trip back to the ship was with the wind this time and a much smoother, faster ride back. My roommate Linda and I raced back to our stateroom to try to beat the other into the shower but we were hopelessly tied at the finish line. So, we drew for the highest card (as we’re unashamedly competitive) and I won! I never had a shower feel better in my life.
Follow Judy Parker through her cruise with Orion Expedition Cruises.
Read more from Orion Expedition Cruises from SDNN’s blog Onboard the Cruise Experience.
Tags: adventure, Great Barrier Reet, national parks, Orion Expedition Cruises, Orion Reef, path less traveled, SDNN, snorkeling, Spanish Mackerels
