| 2017/08/07 |
Sunday – Day 7– Raine Island and GDR |
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Sunday morning dawned with the bright orange sun reflecting off the mirror like surface of the ocean as Captain Ross headed for 3 Reefs and our of our favourite sites, Turmoil. Ellis checked the current and reported that there was a slight flow on the wall towards the channel between the reefs so Ross maneuvered Spirit of Freedom into place and the divers jumped out of the port side door and swam over to the reef wall. Making their way along the sloping wall covered in beautiful coral growth, the current started to accelerate the divers towards the entrance and they started to fly along, staring at the massive gorgonian fans that covered the entrance way. As the channel narrowed the current started to swirl and the divers entering the “Turmoil Zone” where their skills were put to the test to make their way through the swirling upwellings and spirals and out the other side into the incredible coral gardens that covered the sheltered bay inside the entranceway. After a great start to the day it was time to head out to Raine Island and see the stunning sandy beaches of the most important Green Turtle nesting area in the world. The wind had dropped over the last few days but there was still a good metre of open ocean swell rolling through on to the only areas of the island that are outside of the protection zone. On the surface, away from the reef wall, there were about 100 turtles gathering with their shells glinting in the sunlight so the divers lined up, tense with excitement as Captain Ross brought Spirit of Freedom alongside the 180m wall and dropped the divers into the clear blue water. Numerous large Green Turtles were spotted in the shallows during the dives but the Turtles were very skittish and most disappeared as soon as they saw the divers. However several turtles cruised calmly alongside the divers allowing them opportunity to see the size of the mature turtles that return to the same location every year to mate and lay the foundations of their next generations. As we made our way towards the Great Detached Reef for the final dive of the trip at Perisher Blue we were treated to a pod of dolphins swimming alongside us and riding the bow wave for about 10 minutes. Sadly at 17:00 our diving had come to an end as we had to be able to fly back to Cairns the next day and once the dive gear was washed it was time to enjoy the beautiful sunset with a cold beverage. Our final night together was spent on the upper deck with an outdoor BBQ, a few drinks and lots of laughter and fun.
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