On our second day in Cairns, we took a cruise on a 104 foot catamaran called Ocean Spirit to a small bit of sand in the Great Barrier Reef about 27 miles northeast of Cairns called Michaelmas Cay. The cay is actually a national park and bird sanctuary and access is limited to a small number of people per day. There were only about 28 people on the boat with us although it could have held about 100. I scanned this picture from the promotional brochure for the tour we took.
Although the sails are up in the picture, we actually motored out. I guess it would take quite a lot of attention on the part of the crew to sail that far in the time allotted for the journey. During the two hours or so it takes to motor out, we enjoyed coffee, tea, muffins and focaccia, filled out questionnaires about our medical conditions and swimming abilities or lack thereof, and listened to a marine biologist's presentation on the Great Barrier Reef.
It was sort of surprising to arrive at the cay - such a small accumulation of sand so far out in the water. Birds stood around on the beach or glided through the air.
The first activity after arriving was feeding the fish and opportunistic gulls.
Next we crowded into the semi-submersible for a glimpse under the surface of the water.
After a surprisingly good lunch, it was time to struggle into one of the lycra suits designed to protect snorklers from stingers (potentially lethal jellyfish). Since it has been quite a few years since my last snorkeling adventure, it was recommended that I wear a life jacket. I didn't venture very far from the cay so I didn't see much marine life, but it was lovely floating on the surface of the water just enjoying my moment in the Coral Sea.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a good sailor. There are a wide range of snorkeling tours offered in Cairns on various sorts of boats. I chose this tour because it offered the possibility of getting off the boat and being on the beach for awhile instead of just bobbing up and down on the water all day.
Because Michaelmas Cay is a protected bird sanctuary, most of the small beach is roped off. During the summer nesting season, up to 20,000 birds have been observed, but the number on this day was much less.
We spent four hours at Michaelmas Cay and then it was time to return to Cairns, but first passengers were offered glasses of sparkling wine. Walt had been reluctant to go out on the Great Barrier Reef, but in the end, he said it was his favorite activity of our trip.
