After a great start to the week in Cairns, we visited Hartley’s Crocodile Farm on Tuesday to watch massive saltwater crocodiles launch themselves out of the water during the show was incredible. Aside from the crocodiles, the park also had different Australian wildlife such as koalas, Komodo dragons, and the inland taipan–the world’s most venomous snakes. It was an exciting experience and I was glad to see all the Australian wildlife.
On Wednesday, the weather wasn’t on our side, but that didn’t stop us from exploring Fitzroy Island. We got on a ferry to the island and as soon as we got off the ferry, we headed straight to Nudey Beach to snorkel. The beach was unique, instead of sand or rocks, it was made up of dead corals. We dived in the water and not so long after, we spotted sea turtles, a baby stingray, and even a few reef sharks swimming around us. Even with the overcast skies, the underwater world was alive and beautiful and made the snorkeling experience unforgettable.
After a long day at Fitzroy, I woke up early Thursday morning hoping to reel in something impressive. I went out to the Great Barrier Reef again to reef fish with some of my friends. After some patience, I landed a beautiful spangled emperor. However, the real excitement came when I nearly hooked a reef shark. Unfortunately, after almost 5 minutes of fight, the shark snapped my line before I could bring it into the boat. Even though I lost the battle, the thrill of the moment made the fishing trip more enjoyable.
