AAAAAAHHHHHHHH-mazing!!!!!!!!!
I am S.C.U.B.A. certified. I do like diving but with my really crappy motion sickness (thank you 2 pregnancies, meh). I was just okay with snorkeling. Just thinking about putting all that S.C.U.B.A. gear makes me feel heavy. I'm hoping with my weight loss I'll feel better in the future, but that's another blog.
We did a group dive/snorkel with a company called Calypso. The crew was amazing and I'll get into the reason why a bit later.
Yay, for me for taking motion sickness stuff the night before so it would be in my system and would be easier for me to absorb the morning dose. The trip out to the reefs was great! The sea wasn't rough, a little bumpy, but the crew was saying that the next day was going to be rough, just because the way the ride out was feeling.
Normally, when I dive or snorkel I would go without a dive suit or skin protection. I did with this trip, at first I wasn't but then changed my mind. I grew up with jellyfish on the east coast. But nothing like the ones that are on Australia's coasts. So I threw on a full body, light weight suit that felt more comfortable than my exercise pants, I even used the hand protectors, should've used the head cover though.
We did take pictures and I do have a CD of it, I just haven't downloaded it to the computer laptop. They are all from my husband's point of view, he was diving. The pictures are great.
We visited 3 different spots. I don't remember the names of the places, it was so amazing with all the life and the reef itself. You can hear stories and see pictures on how beautiful this place is but you really don't understand the beauty until you are actually there.
After the 2nd trip our wonderful hosts pointed out the fish that were looking for a treat. There was this large, blue lipped fish called a Rasse. I think they named him Angus. He was pretty friendly. I was at the point of taking off my fins at the platform when "Angus" came up. I hopped over to see if I could touch him, almost. But I was close enough that I got to see this amazing creature. Went back to an open spot to reclaim my fins and get out. I started feeling this burning/stinging sensation in the middle of my back that was growing in intensity. With help I had the suit pulled off of me and then vinegar poured on me. Still stinging but tolerable I went to eat. I was chatty and perfectly fine. Decided to stay on board for the 3rd location and that's when it all hit the fan.
I went to change and use the bathroom, walked up to the upper deck and felt funny. Then I became overwhelmed with extreme pain. That's when I started my vomiting, off and on (more on than off) for 15 minutes. I went through so many barf bags. I didn't know I could 1) barf that long and 2) didn't know that there was still stuff finding it's way up. Praise God there was no blood involved. I would've freaked out. All of my muscles locked up, I didn't want to move, talk, or look at anyone. I didn't want to breathe.
The amazing skipper started making phone calls, they were thinking of life flighting me off of the reef. Thanks to the flight doctor who was in constant contact with the skipper, he said that I shouldn't have been talking or sitting upright if I had been stung by the really bad jellyfish (can't remember the name but it is very deadly). I finally was able to drink a ginger ale which lasted me the entire trip back. All of the crew members constantly checked on me during that time. I haven't been able to think of the right thank you for these wonderful people.
Our trip was March 18, 2014 on the Calypso boat: Bubbles
The skipper was Tony Jones, dive supervisor was Matt Hunter, dive guides Richard Goodwin and Suz Garrett, and our host was Pete Walsh. Each person was amazing!
I highly recommend Calypso Reef Cruises for any of your Great Barrier Reef tours. Small, personal tours. Great people all around and funny.
*Because of what happened to me on the Reef, I stayed in our hotel room that night drinking water, lots and lots of water. I wasn't able to go to a special dinner that evening, I just wasn't moving or hungry. But I mentioned in the Stay post that the staff was nice, the front desk called to check on me because I sent my husband to the dinner. They called because my husband asked them to check on me. You don't get that often, most places would "forget".*
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