Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

I’ve never been a strong swimmer and am prone to motion sickness, but for this milestone birthday I boarded a tiny seaplane, hopped onto a flimsy glass-bottom boat, and snorkeled around the Great Barrier Reef. The plane swerved and weaved across this beautiful terrain below, flying over the famous Heart Reef and hundreds of lush unexplored islands. It was truly magnificent ~ an eye-opening experience I will always cherish.

Oh the wondrous things we saw under the sea … all the vibrant colors and strange looking creatures. The photos don’t do the place justice. It was slightly windy that day making the water less clear, but we loved it nonetheless and wished we could stay forever.

Intruder alert! This particular shell was at least two feet long and I wanted badly to sneak it home as a souvenir. (Just kidding World Heritage Site watchdogs, I would never do that.) Snorkeling tip: Watch where you’re going and beware of sharp reefs. I have reef scars as a souvenir instead.

Pardon the intrusion, fishes, but you are all spectacular. Hope to see you again soon. Peace out.