Agincourt Ribbon Reefs

Since we were without wheels after giving up Fran, we didn’t have too much planned for our last week in the country. We just enjoyed the city, the sun, and living a care free life. Everything that could have caused issues leading up to our departure had gone smoothly and this was great because we really were able to enjoy a stress-free final week. We had decided in advance to hold off on our trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef in order to add some excitement to our vehicle-less days. We decided we would leave ourselves a nice 2-day window between diving and flying so we reserved 2 spots on the reputable SilverSonic vessel on July 16th, departing from Port Douglas. The general rule for diving in Australia is that the outer and more northerly areas of the reef are most stunning and pristine. We really wanted this dive to be the experience of our lives so we opted for what appeared to be a more high-end option taking us to the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs. Since the weather had been great for a couple days, we were sure visibility would be high so we decided to rent an underwater camera. Our day started with a luxury coach trip to Port Douglas about an hour away from Cairns. It was such a relief to take part in an ultra organized tour, polar opposite to much of the tours we participated in, in Asia. The vessel was huge which kept it from feeling overcrowded and maintained a nice smooth ride to the outer reef. The area where we would be diving, Agincourt Reef, is located along the continental shelf which translates to incredible diversity of life and pristine conditions. We decided to make the most of the day so we would do the limit of 3 dives over the course of the day. Taking in 3 different locations, we were thrilled with the quality of the experience. This was by-far the most pristine underwater world either of us had experienced. This met even the highest of expectations and over the course of the three dives we saw countless varieties of fish and healthy, colourful coral. The last dive of the day was truly a highlight as we partook in our first drift dive. Since we were located on the outside edge of the reef for our final dive, the swells were approaching 3 meters in height. Equipment and people were strewn about the vessel as we were gearing up. Anxiety levels peaked; the certified divers jumped into the insanely strong current before the boat relocated to a more tranquil area for the others. Upon entry we had to descend quickly to avoid being swept out into the deep blue by the ferocious waves. The first 100 meters were tough because we were fighting the natural underwater current. Our bodies became tired swimming against the tow but once we rounded a massive reef pinnacle we were able to relax and travel with the current for the remainder of the dive. Just as we rounded the coral mass into the “safety zone”, 2 large green turtles swam along side our group. We watched in awe as they went about their business with such grace. Being on the edge of the reef, we were warned to keep an eye on the deep dark blue because these kinds of location can attract sharks. Lucky for us, no man eaters approached by we did see 2 moderately sized reef sharks which was excitement enough. These dives were awesome! Totally warn out after an action packed; we were ready to sleep like babies after the bus ride back to our bed.