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The FantaSea Ship
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Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the earth's largest living organic collective and the only one visible from outer space. Embark on the unique adventure of exploring one of the natural wonders of the world with fellow travelers from all over, on a FantaSea Cruise to Reefworld. Reefworld is FantaSea's docking station by Hardy Reef, one of the more than 3,000 reefs that make up the Collective, in what seems like the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. The Great Barrier Reef is dotted with beautiful islands and coral cays and covers 215,140 miles, roughly paralleling the coast of Queensland, Australia for more than 1,426 miles.
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Leaving Hamilton Island harbor
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We began our journey by boarding the large four-story FantaSea vessel at Hamilton Island, where we were greeted with leis and a fun crew. You have the option to sit inside or out on the decks. Once on board, we were served coffee and tea and given an introductory talk and video presentation so we knew what to expect. First we cruised through the Whitsunday Islands sipping our tea, breathing in the fresh air and taking in all the natural beauty. Then as we broke through Hook Island Passage the expanse of vast ocean before us let us know the journey was yet to begin.
Included in the FantaSea cruise is snorkeling equipment, a large underwater viewing chamber and a trip on a semi-submersible at regular intervals once you're at the reef. However, you can also schedule scuba diving trips, helicopter joy flights, and private snorkel tours.
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Reefworld docking station
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Upon arrival at Reefworld, we were immediately greeted by the largest Queensland Grouper I'd ever seen, which could be seen from the deck. We began with a trip in the small sub to get a feel for the reef, which provides the world's busiest and most varied marine habitat. The varieties of fish, coral, colors, urchins, clams, and other life is a feast for the eyes.
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Reef life
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Diversity of life in the reef is extensive with 2,800 species of fish, 400 different types of coral, 400 mollusks, 500 species of seaweed and six species of sea turtle. There are some dangers of the reef, such as jellyfish, lionfish, cone fish, the blue ringed octopus, sea snakes and stingrays.
Australia still mourns the loss of Steve Irwin, known as the Crocodile Hunter, in what is best described as a fluke incident with a stingray. The staff at FantaSea are more than prepared for these dangers and have created an environment to keep them at bay as well as keeping a watchful eye. Also, full but very light body suits called stinger suits are provided to offer some protection to the covered parts of the body, primarily for jellyfish stings.
For those who scuba dive, I'm stating the obvious by saying that there is no more spectacular diving place than the brilliantly clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef. However, for those of us who do not, this is definitely a place where you can get an experience of communing with marine life just by snorkeling, that you couldn't achieve in other waters unless you were a diver.
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Snorkel platform off of Reefworld
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The reef is a unique spot for a number of reasons, other than its natural and varied beauty, including the fact that it's close to the water's surface and represents significant ongoing biological processes and biological evolution.
After the buffet lunch that guests could eat in the dining hall on the vessel or take to the deck at Reefworld, we basked on the sundeck and then embarked on our private snorkel tour. Our guide, Tony, had a passion for and knowledge of the reef which made our experience rich and entertaining. To give us a sense of comfort and a feeling for the creatures in our midst, Tony retrieved a sea cucumber, about the size of a large loaf of bread, and brought it up for us to hold while giving insight into the scavenger.
Its rather leathery skin was an okra color with black bumps. Sea cucumbers extract oxygen from water in a pair of 'lungs' or respiratory 'trees' that branch off just inside the anus, located at one end, so when they 'breathe' they draw water in through the anus, then expel it. Certain cultures have begun eating the sea cucumber, but from all accounts I've heard, it's a cuisine I would skip. Tony also guided us to an area of the reef where we saw a 250 year-old enormous clam. It was two to three feet long, a couple of feet high and when it was open you could see its rubbery insides.
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The Sundeck at Reefworld
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Finding our way back from the clam, we encountered Wally, a four and half foot Wrasse fish. Being extremely friendly and apparently not only used to people, but especially fond of Tony, Wally allowed us to pet him and enjoy his company for a while. Wally, of course, was quite a feature, but another highlight was when Tony sprinkled fish food in our midst and dozens of colorful and varied fish instantly swarmed around us, feeding. I could feel their fins slapping my arms and even my neck, as they were near the surface and not in the least reluctant to be so close. Truly one of life's rare events.
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Wally the 4 1/2 foot Wrasse fish
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At the end of a day of sun and water, the crew doesn't let its guests go hungry. On the ride back, we were served afternoon tea, with cakes, fruits, cheeses and a variety of hot drinks. Throughout the day, one of the staff filmed all of us who were on the cruise and the day's events. Before our arrival, we were able to view an edited version of the day we had just experienced, which they made available for guests to purchase. This enthusiastic and conscientious crew certainly made this a most memorable day.
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