CAIRNS TRIP-DAY 2

This is Day Two of our Cairns Trip. Today we went out to the Great Barrier Reef.
We woke up early and went to the Marlin Marina to catch our boat. We were heading to Michaelmas Cay and the outer Great Barrier Reef. We would look at some seabirds, snorkel, have lunch, then head back to Cairns. It would be fun.
While waiting for the boat, I spied a brown honeyeater feeding and took a picture of it.

A brown honeyeater
The boat ride to Michaelmas Cay was quite long. We travelled with Passions of Paradise. On the boat ride, we learnt some snorkelling tips and I saw a crested tern flying. Our first stop was Michaelmas Cay. At the cay, we immediately saw millions of birds. Common noddies, sooty terns, great crested terns and brown booby birds flew around us, squawking. At the back of the boat, I observed some large giant trevally swimming around. We took a small, glass-bottom boat to the isle. On the isle, I photographed seabirds until it was time to go snorkelling.

Common noddies perching on a protective rope

A sooty tern feeds its baby

A brown booby bird perches on the rope
Then we went snorkelling. We saw heaps of fish, sea stars, two giant clams and beautiful coral. I saw a parrotfish that I couldn't identify, please help!

The mystery parrotfish

A giant clam

Then we moved on to our next dive site, Paradise Reef, a reef that is only accessed by this tour company. At Paradise Reef it was amazing. Fish of all colours were everywhere. On the bottom, I spotted a black sea cucumber. My favourite fish that I saw was a giant wrasse.

The giant wrasse, swimming over Paradise Reef

A Barrier Reef anemonefish, a relative of the clown fish. In other words, Nemo's cousin.

Then we headed back. It was getting late. At the Marina, I spotted a seven-spotted archerfish.Then we headed to the Motel, had a swim in the Esplanade's lagoon pool, ate some dinner and went to sleep.

A seven-spotted archerfish swimming in the waters of the Marlin Marina.