For many divers it is a dream to have the possibility to dive with whales. So when we heard that each year in the months June and July a large number of dwarf minke whales swim along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia our interest was raised. We decided that we would go and examine this phenomenon with our own eyes and went off to Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world. The entire reef is about 2000 km long and between 25 and 50 km wide. It is located in the Coral Sea east of the state of Queensland in northeastern Australia. The reef runs from the southern state of Queensland to Papua New Guinea. The area is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Australia. Because it is such an important nature reserve the area is declared a World Heritage in 1981. The enormity of the reef is perfectly shown on satellite images.
Swimming between the kelp is just like you have entered a fairy tale. The enormously long leaves of the kelp are kept floating thanks to the air cushions. As you come in deeper water you really stand in the shade of the kelp.
It’s our first evening in the south of Tasmania and we are surprised by all kinds of animals around our bungalow. We just cannot believe how many animals we see around here. Our bungalow is not standing in the middle of in the bush. But nevertheless so many wallabies (small kangaroos) and wombats gather around our house. We have become one with nature immediately. Nature we could not have imagined being so beautiful. But besides the airport and our little bungalow we have not yet seen anything of Tasmania yet.
