Picked up from the ProDive shop at 6.20am, we were on the boat within 15 mins and set out shortly after. No more than 30 minutes into the journey and the engines slowed. Everybody on deck to watch 3 humpbacks playing, seeming to us as their audience. They rolled fins, slapped tails, blew their breathers and humped their backs! They cut across the bow of the boat and were joined by at least 2 more whales. Then 3 swam under the boat and we were flanked on both sides. Spectacular.

Once the humpbacks moved on, we too carried on with our journey, heading to the reef. The sea was apparently calm but one or two of our number made use of the sick bags! I was ok, though glad it it was no rougher.

On reaching the reef it was time for breakfast with a help yourself spread of fresh fruit, croissant, fruit breads and coffee. Just the ticket before prepping for the first dive. And an interesting dive it was. I was not entirely comfortable with my buoyancy and breathing, requiring yet another weight. That’s 12 kilos now. But half way through the dive things began to come together. And I’m chuffed cause the first fish I saw and ID’d was a Bumphead Parrotfish. I can tick that one of the list.

Dive 2 was much better as I began to relax my breathing and control my buoyancy. I think, with practice, I might get used to this new underwater world.

The last session of the day for us was a bit of free time snorkelling. My legs are killing me and I feel pretty tired so I’ve given it a miss as have a few others. I now have peace and tranquility for a while so I’m going to try and ID some more of my fish sightings.

Fish ID’d so far: Bumphead Parrotfish, Sea Slug, ChristmasTree Fish (blue), Scaly Damsel Fish, Spotfin Lionfish, Scissortail Sergeant Fish.

After two days of pool dives and theory and now I’m about to see the Great Barrier Reef for the first time. In a couple of hours Pro Dive will pick me and the other 11 students up for 3 days on a live aboard. Apparently another group out on the boat yesterday saw a whale shark which swam right past them. That would be absolutely amazing. There is also a possibility of seeing humpbacks on the way out to the reef and even minke whales.

We have quite a mixed group including Germans, free-diving fisherman from the Torres Strait, a guy from Hong Kong and a girl from Brazil. Quite a mixed bag but a really good group. We have 2 instructors, Scott and Lisa, meaning small groups of 6 six students. Lisa is English takes the group I’m in while Scott is Australian and takes the other six.

Apart from our group of 12 students doing the open water course, there will be 31 people on the boat including some advanced open water students, pleasure divers and snorkelers. Should be a fun few days.

Hoping to get a few pictures posted of the time on the boat but no underwater camera for me yet as I want to concentrate on the diving.