The Great Barrier Reef
An American visiting Oz, Ian Cole, was snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef last Saturday when he was left behind by tour boat operators. The crew either forgot to take the all-important head count, or they counted wrong, and they left without him.
When I was planning to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, I knew it was going to be at least an hour’s cruise into the wide open spaces of the Pacific Ocean. I heard true stories about tourists being left behind and never seen again. It’s rare, but it happens, and I didn’t want it to happen to me. When I heard about Ian, that he was left behind this past weekend, the possibility that it could’ve been me was all too real. It was for this same reason that I was advised to seek a small, “snorkel only” boat that takes twenty people max. That’s what I did, and I had a great experience. There are sharks out there people! And it’s a long way to swim to shore. Impossible really.
This story has a happy ending. Ian was able to swim to another boat nearby and catch a ride back, but it wasn’t without his moments of sheer panic and fear. The buddy system goes a long way to do our part in staying safe. Look up often enough and you or your buddy will see when others are boarding for the ride home. Australia is a beautiful country. The Great Barrier Reef is spectacular. Go. Swim. Dive. Snorkel. It’s easy to get lost in the beauty of the reef, but please keep an eye on the boat!
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