RETURNING TO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF: REVISITING OUR FAVOURITE DIVE SPOT

Back in 2013 we went on our very first holiday together with Jess's parents to Cairns, they loved it so much they ended up moving across (no joke!). During that trip 3 years ago we scuba dived for the very first time, put it in our top 5 reasons to visit Cairns and named it as one of the best diving spots to have in Australia.

So you can see why we decided to return to the reef, this time with our scuba certification in hand!

Who we went with: Deep Sea Divers Den

This time around we were invited out on the reef with Deep Sea Divers Den on their ReefQuest boat. We did three certified scuba dives, had all our gear included and a buffet lunch all covered in the price. The crew were really down to earth and had no issue answering our questions - especially when we hadn't dived since Africa in January - 11 months ago.

If there is one thing to take away from our day of diving ws that this company knows how to have fun: think those funny flight safety messages but on a whole other level. Take a sneak peek at their welcome brief to get an idea on who you are sailing with. We were in hysterics on the boat as we watched it for the first time.

Returning to the Reef

So the big question: was it worth heading out and returning to the outer reef? First of all I will jump at any opportunity to scuba dive, one of my favourite ways to see the world and secondly yes it was well worth it!!

Being away from the confines of having to be attached to your introductory crew and able to explore the reef as a qualified scuba diver meant we were able to see so much more. We went at our own pace which may not have been a good thing as I swear I used up most of my air taking too many photos with Nemo and his friends.

Exploring the Great Barrier Reef by Scuba

Okay maybe the biggest question is what we saw and yes we saw more than just Nemo. We spotted a school of bumphead parrotfish, plenty of live clams, of course clownfish and even the very dangerous trigger fish - who were currently in mating season.

We spent two dives at our first locartion, Blue Lagoon, and the final being at Angel Bommie. I honestly can't decide which was more beautiful but the highlight would have to be our final spot when we followed the huge school of bumphead's.

Underwater Camera Rental in Cairns

Ever since my sister upgraded to the latest GoPro Hero5 for Christmas I have seen the greener grass and desperately want to upgrade. However in the meantime the guys at Snapshot Cameras lent us a Canon G16 with underwater housing.

I will tell you right now the footage that came from that little point and shoot was so much better than our GoPro 4 footage.

Video: Our day out on the reef

We filmed our adventure out on the reef, so make sure you check out our video below. Also if you are new around here we would love for you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dh_KFkYVC8

You can book a certified Scuba dive day trip (including 3 dives) on ReefQuest to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for AUD$280 per diver.

Stephen and Jess signoff

Flying The Nest was welcomed as a guest of Deep Sea Divers Den, however as always all opinions are our own.

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