This is the last day of diving with 3 scheduled dives before we head back to Cairns. All three dives were on Flynn Reef, the first at the Pools and the other two at Coral Gardens.

The first dive of the day was at 6.30am just as the sun rose above the horizon, still the best way to wake up in the morning. This was a good dive and we only strayed off course once! We saw a few barracuda circling something on the sand, a couple of leisurely turtles having breakfast and a couple of metre long white tip sharks. The white tips were amazing, the first swimming underneath us and the second swimming past us to the side. Amazing.

Back in from the dive and it was time for breakfast whilst the moved the boat, a quick briefing and back in the water. This site was amazing and, once you’ve seen it, you really appreciate the name Coral Gardens. It was absolutely stunning. We strayed slightly of course this time, ending up in some very shallow waters, maybe a metre and a half in places. This was too shallow to dive but the Corals were beautiful. And the site was teaming with fish from huge parrotfish and wrasses to tiny damsels and colourful butterfly fish. And of course the now obligatory turtle.

Back on the boat we had time for a quick snack and dive briefing and then back in the water for the final dive of the trip. Unfortunately my buddy wasn’t diving due to a problem with his ear so I joined a French girl and American chap for what turned out to be a really relaxed dive. And the spot of the day were my first Nudibranches, a couple of blue ones and a couple of yellow ones. This was such a slow, laid back dive it was fantastic. And you really do get to see more this way. After 45 minutes diving we surfaced without getting lost to calls from Jo the cook. Lunch was served.

After such a relaxed dive it felt like stepping into a war zone on the boat all the kit was rinsed and packed away. Lunch had to be served, eaten and the kitchen tidied away ready for the trip back. Although it was now sunny, the water was a little choppy on the way back but the engines were cut about an hour into the journey and we were treated to the sight of 3 humpback whales about 40 metres away. What a way to end diving on the Great Barrier Reef.