Rare Animal Sightings: Dolphins, Sting Rays, and an Albino Aussie
Ahoy! Just returned from a great 3 days at sea aboard the Atlantic Clipper party boat. It was raining and overcast when we boarded, but the next 2 days were amazing weather... amazing because the sun was out and it is currently rainy season! We got really lucky.
The first day on the boat we went to Hill Inlet on Whitehaven Beach (one of the 71 islands that comprise the Whitsundays). It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. A beautiful
white sand crescent beach with crystal clear water. Just as we prepared to head down to this picturesque beach... MY CAMERA BREAKS! Yup, the nice one I got for Xmas just died... lens wouldn't close, and thus no more pictures. (Kristina - I feel your pain when this happened to you on the Inca trail. Tom - Why did we ever buy anything other than our trusty Sonys? Mom - I'm sending it back to you... give the people at the store hell for me!!) But, as the Aussies say, no worries. I used a girls camera that had the same memory card as mine, and I'll just use a disposable for the last few days of the trip before we can use Mars' camera in Adelaide. Anyway... So I was on this amazing beach and everyone was wearing stinger suits. I didn't want to put one on, so I just waded out knee deep into the water. As I was standing there, what I thought were the rocks all around me under water started to move... and I realized I was standing in the middle of a group of about FIFTY STING RAYS! They just swan around like nothing was wrong, and I eventually called Mars over to see them without getting stung! Awesome! We then went to another beach and I did some fantastic snorkeling... really cool coral and some very rare fish species. When I was snorkeling one of the crew members came by in the boat and (unknown to me at the time) threw fish food on top of my head... one second I was just swimming along observing, and the next a massive swarm of fish were all biting at my hair! It was really cool (and shocking)! Then we returned to the boat and went off the water slide and jumped off the roof (I couldn't back flip due to a big lip on the side of the boat, so don't worry... this time!)
At night it was all social time. There were people from all over the world, but the Canadians had a significant majority. We started the last night of drinking staring over the boat as a pod of 4 dolphins swam and played for hours by the side of the boat (The boat's light attracted fish). They are so beautiful! Then we played a game called "Eat My Box". Basically you put the cardboard
shell of a box of wine (called "Goon" here) in the middle of a circle and everyone takes turns trying to pick it up with their mouths... if anything other than your feet touch the floor, you lose and get "spanked" insanely hard with a scuba flipper!! It was hilarious and Team Canada took the gold with 4 of us making it all the way to the end (Mom - Finally we learn what all that $$ spent on dance lessons was for!). One of the crew members that gave the hardest flipper paddles (Russel) was the whitest Aussie that we've ever seen. When asked about it, it went like this: Us: "Russel, you should get your Aussie passport taken away you're so white." Him: "I just got back from 11 months living and working in Canada." Us: "Enough Said."
We are now back in Airlie Beach and getting ready to meet up with all of our friends from the boat for an after party. Since we are taking a 2am bus (11 hour trip up to Cairns) tonight, we don't have a room and spent all day at the man made lagoon in the middle of the town (see pic). I swear, the temperature today was like standing on the surface of the sun, with 1000% humidity
thrown in for fun!!!!!! And if I'M saying it, you know its hot! But still way better than being in snow!
Anyway, we are off to the bar to get enough booze in us that we will pass out for the majority of the bus ride, but not so much that we want to puke half way into it... it's a precarious balance :) Thanks to those of you who actually got to the end of this very long post. Will post again once we are back from the Great Barrier Reef!
The first day on the boat we went to Hill Inlet on Whitehaven Beach (one of the 71 islands that comprise the Whitsundays). It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. A beautiful
white sand crescent beach with crystal clear water. Just as we prepared to head down to this picturesque beach... MY CAMERA BREAKS! Yup, the nice one I got for Xmas just died... lens wouldn't close, and thus no more pictures. (Kristina - I feel your pain when this happened to you on the Inca trail. Tom - Why did we ever buy anything other than our trusty Sonys? Mom - I'm sending it back to you... give the people at the store hell for me!!) But, as the Aussies say, no worries. I used a girls camera that had the same memory card as mine, and I'll just use a disposable for the last few days of the trip before we can use Mars' camera in Adelaide. Anyway... So I was on this amazing beach and everyone was wearing stinger suits. I didn't want to put one on, so I just waded out knee deep into the water. As I was standing there, what I thought were the rocks all around me under water started to move... and I realized I was standing in the middle of a group of about FIFTY STING RAYS! They just swan around like nothing was wrong, and I eventually called Mars over to see them without getting stung! Awesome! We then went to another beach and I did some fantastic snorkeling... really cool coral and some very rare fish species. When I was snorkeling one of the crew members came by in the boat and (unknown to me at the time) threw fish food on top of my head... one second I was just swimming along observing, and the next a massive swarm of fish were all biting at my hair! It was really cool (and shocking)! Then we returned to the boat and went off the water slide and jumped off the roof (I couldn't back flip due to a big lip on the side of the boat, so don't worry... this time!)
At night it was all social time. There were people from all over the world, but the Canadians had a significant majority. We started the last night of drinking staring over the boat as a pod of 4 dolphins swam and played for hours by the side of the boat (The boat's light attracted fish). They are so beautiful! Then we played a game called "Eat My Box". Basically you put the cardboard
shell of a box of wine (called "Goon" here) in the middle of a circle and everyone takes turns trying to pick it up with their mouths... if anything other than your feet touch the floor, you lose and get "spanked" insanely hard with a scuba flipper!! It was hilarious and Team Canada took the gold with 4 of us making it all the way to the end (Mom - Finally we learn what all that $$ spent on dance lessons was for!). One of the crew members that gave the hardest flipper paddles (Russel) was the whitest Aussie that we've ever seen. When asked about it, it went like this: Us: "Russel, you should get your Aussie passport taken away you're so white." Him: "I just got back from 11 months living and working in Canada." Us: "Enough Said."
We are now back in Airlie Beach and getting ready to meet up with all of our friends from the boat for an after party. Since we are taking a 2am bus (11 hour trip up to Cairns) tonight, we don't have a room and spent all day at the man made lagoon in the middle of the town (see pic). I swear, the temperature today was like standing on the surface of the sun, with 1000% humidity
thrown in for fun!!!!!! And if I'M saying it, you know its hot! But still way better than being in snow!Anyway, we are off to the bar to get enough booze in us that we will pass out for the majority of the bus ride, but not so much that we want to puke half way into it... it's a precarious balance :) Thanks to those of you who actually got to the end of this very long post. Will post again once we are back from the Great Barrier Reef!
wow, those beach pictures look amazing. I've never seen anything like that before. I'm really feeling the urge to go now, but by the time i get there it'll only be like 20 everyday. Oh well that's like summers here in Canada so it should be good.
ReplyDeletehey ladies- I love the sand on whitehaven it was so bouncy.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the GBR.
Cindie
Hi Girls:
ReplyDeleteHaven't you figured out you are both too OLD to partaaaaay every night?????????
Have fun at the reef.
Kim ............only you with the camera...2 Kimisims......... (poop &camera)but many more to go, I'm sure!
Love Aunt Gale