I had a nice lie in this morning if you can call waking up at 7 and lazing around in bed until 8 a lie in. The fact it was raining this morning as well and the fact you can't really go anywhere other than the boat meant I made the most of the time in bed. I did however get a slight soaking when they opened the hatch by my bed which signaled the time for breakfast. Breakfast this morning consisted of a fruit salad with cereals, bread and preserves. There was no toaster on the boat however which meant I was basically having jam sandwiches for breakfast!
Our captain set off swiftly after breakfast this morning and before long we arrived at our first stop, Luncheon Bay which was another part of Hook Island. The plan of action this morning was to get everyone their free dive done, as well as spending the rest of the time snorkelling and relaxing on the beach. I was put into group seven which was the last group meaning I had a little wait before my go as each diving session took about half an hour!
After getting transferred to the beach, which was a shingle beach full of shells and coloured rocks, I got straight into the snorkelling. I breathed in water to start with but I soon got the hang of it and managed to stay long periods looking in the clear waters. I didn't see the colourful corals I had envisaged, instead seeing these brown corals surrounded by colourful fish. Apparently the fact people look at these areas so frequently means that everything gets stirred up, and the limited sun didn't help either.
After a while exploring the reef, following random tropical fish every so often I returned to beach. I realised here that the water was actually really warm whilst laying on the stony beach. It started raining after a while and our captain decided to postpone my groups dive until after lunch, which was probably a good thing as rain makes the visibility in the water worse. Our captain let us jump off the boat when returning, although he chucked loads of bread at us which made these bat fish come frantically to the surface!
Before long lunch was ready which consisted of proper sausages, pasta, bread and salad. I was once again satisfied as we continued sailing through the high winds and now sun to Blue Point Bay just off Hayman Island. After another transfer to the beach it was time for my introductory dive where after a quick safety brief I was taught how to firstly use all the equipment, and then breath under water. This was just done in shallow waters. I was then shown how to take the oxygen piece out my mouth and reinsert it, as well as how to empty my goggles of water underwater.
This now meant I was ready for my dive, and using this button on my jacket, I was deflated and sank to the bottom, mainly because the tank was so heavy and that I was wearing a weight belt. I could inflate and deflate my jacket again at any time to control my level in the water. I found the breathing a little weird at first but I soon gained confidence and followed my guide round this rocky area full of discoloured corals. It was amazing being amongst the fish rather than looking down on them. After about 20 minutes under water my oxygen ran out which meant we went back up. I apparently went down 8m at the deepest, although my guide told me I wasn't very good at staying at one level which was a fair comment considering he kept pulling me up and down. He also told me I shouldn't have sat on the bottom. All in all though I did pretty well for my first dive.
When ditching all my diving equipment, I went out snorkelling round the area and this time saw some blue and purple corals as well as these rainbow jellyfish and other colorful fish. I was disappointed not to see a clownfish though, and Elvis who the captain said was some massive blue fish. The water was also far shallower in the places compared to the last reef which meant I had to be careful of the rocks below.
After a short time relaxing on the stony beach which was even more painful on my feet than the last one, it was back to the boat where our captain decided we would stay at Blue Point Bay for the night. He however took us out to sea a bit claiming it was dump sewage before returning a couple of buoys across to an area out of the wind. We passed another boat which docked up next to us, creating a bit of banter. It was nice however as we once again got a sunset into the sea horizon, this time with dolphins jumping out the water. We could also see the mainland once dark with the faint lights of Airlie Beach, and the occasional flash of lighthouses stretching right up the coast.
Dinner this evening was steak with potatoes, vegetables and garlic bread, and the fact there was enough for me to have another steak for seconds shows how well we were being fed. I once again spent most the evening on the lower deck due to the chill outside, reading a book about the Whitsundays before playing cards once until everyone one by one headed to bed. I eventually followed and was soon fast asleep.
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