The water is so clear on the Great Barrier Reef that it’s shockingly easy to see the sharks. When I spot my first one, a blacktip in the distance, I pretend not to notice, choosing instead to move casually in the opposite direction, my wide eyes disguised by my mask. I’d rather leave the pleasure of eyeballing the fish to the fearless snorkeller behind me.
Noting the shark’s indifference to my existence, though, I freeze instead of fleeing from the second one I see, which is gliding imperiously over white sand. By my third and fourth encounters I feel so used to their presence that I begin to see them as little more than brooding cousins of the dolphin. It may be hard to believe, but you soon become accustomed to these much-maligned predators.
Green sea turtles, on the other hand, are easy to fall in love with. They flap gracefully in slow motion, suspended like aquatic angels, appearing one by one a few feet from my face and set against a dazzle of tropical fish and rainbow swathes of coral.
Not everywhere is so gorgeous, however. Set off mainland Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is 16 times the size of Wales and the largest of its kind in the world. Some sections have been bleached by rising sea temperatures caused by climate change, so it’s crucial to know where to go.
I’m on the outer fringes of the northern precinct, an area that remains in good shape, on a seven-night cruise aboard the Coral Discoverer, a 72-passenger ship.
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Australia’s borders are closed for now so, like me, all of the passengers on board are locals, a mix of retired people and professionals. All the crew are Aussies too, which has allowed the ship to operate during the country’s ban on foreign-flagged vessels.
Coral Expeditions, a little line that has been based in the area since 1985, owns private moorings in a selection of the best sites, allowing exclusive access for its guests.
Osprey Reef is one such spot, a submerged atoll lying more than 180 miles from our departure port of Cairns. The scuba divers on board tell me they chose this itinerary for the chance to reach this isolated reef, which is famed for its big fish and dramatic drop-offs; it sits on a submerged mountain, the vertical walls of which rise over 2,000m from the ocean floor.
Conditions here are rough. “This is the reef that spawns cyclones,” says the expedition leader, Jamie, who has worked with Coral Expeditions for just shy of 20 years.
“Because it’s in the middle of nowhere it gets hammered by winds and waves, but it gets calmer the deeper you go, so it’s great for diving.”
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He’s right — we spend a whole adventurous day here before cruising southwest, back towards the coast to the Ribbon Reefs, a calm, 120-mile stretch of coral on the edge of the continental shelf, which we have entirely to ourselves.
Next we return to the mainland for a change of pace, calling at Port Douglas, 40 miles north of Cairns, for a tour of the Daintree rainforest. This is where two Unesco world heritage sites meet — the planet’s oldest rainforest on one side, and its biggest reef system on the other. As we cruise along the river here, flanked by ferns and emerald-green vines, our guide, Bruce Belcher, points out a prehistoric-looking crocodile slipping through the mangroves, its long, powerful jaws and jagged scales clearly visible from the boat. For the first time on the trip, I don’t feel like going for a swim.
At sunrise we go for a hike up to Cook’s Look, the highest peak on Lizard Island, following in the footsteps of the eponymous captain, who scoured the reefs for a route to open water. We finish with a refreshing dip in a deserted bay, where we snorkel over giant clam gardens. Closer to the Queensland coast, at Fitzroy Island, our options are no more taxing: kayaking, relaxing on the beach or wandering up to a lighthouse.
More than 900 islands and cays make up the Great Barrier Reef, formed some 10,000 years ago when sea levels rose and the outlying mountains were sliced from the mainland. Some are as small as your average roundabout. White-sand Undine Cay is, according to our dive guide Seb, little larger than a dollop of “parrotfish poo”, and it’s here that the crew sets up a bar for sundowners. Barefoot, we sip chilled glasses of wine beside the shore until we’re interrupted by thrashing — a hammerhead shark chasing a stingray.
Back on board, our immaculate little vessel has spacious cabins, outdoor bars, a lecture room, water sports equipment and a tender that is boarded from the aft deck. The dining room serves up an excellent variety of healthy cuisine, from fresh snapper to barramundi, Australian lamb to passion fruit pavlova, with wine served by cheerful waiters. Guests can also meet the captain, thanks to an open-bridge policy.
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Of course cleaning, social distancing and temperature-checking protocols are enforced on board, but the strict process of keeping the ship Covid-free starts before embarkation. A week prior to departure we all had to undergo a health assessment with a GP and then self-isolate as much as possible. After passing a swab test, we stayed in the same hotel for a night pre-cruise, and then took a private transfer to the wharf in the morning.
When we dock in Cairns for our reluctant disembarkation, the crew line up on the pier to say goodbye, without the hugs, of course. I can’t decide what I’ll miss most — the camaraderie, the freedom of being able to travel again, or the sharks.
Louise Goldsbury was a guest of Coral Expeditions, which has a seven-night Outer Great Barrier Reef itinerary from £2,720pp, departing November 24, including all meals with selected drinks, transfers, activities and one night’s pre-cruise accommodation. For more information visit audleytravel.com or coralexpeditions.com. Fly to Cairns. International travel restrictions are in place; check gov.uk for further details
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