Over one of my weekends in Sydney me and some of my roommates took a trip to Cairns. We booked a trip to go scuba diving in the great barrier reef. The Great barrier reef was one of the things I wanted to see the most while in Australia, as it is the largest reef in the world and is quickly being effected by environmental damage. I wanted the opportunity to see it before more coral bleaching occurred.

This was my first time scuba diving or even snorkeling in the ocean. The experience was a little scary at first as the tank is very heavy and breathing was not as easy as we are used to on land. It is also nerve wracking to look up from the bottom of the ocean and see how far down you are. Needless to say, I was a little nervous at first but my instructor was patient and reassuring. Once we were at the floor of the ocean looking around was one of the highlights of my trip.

The reef was not what I had expected. I expected there to be lots of bright and vibrant colors of coral, but instead I saw some of the effects of coral bleaching. The coral still had some color but it was not vibrant or bright. This really gave me a first hand look at the effects that humans are having on the environment.

All in all, the reef was still something I would recommend people to see when they are in Australia. It gave me an opportunity to see lots of tropical fish and the reef was still a sight to see. It was one of the highlights of my trip and it was an experience I likely would never have had if I had not gone abroad.