My first day in Australia was like walking through an epic fantasy, and it's been an adventure ever since. From Lamington National Park, to Auckland Point and the open Ocean to Heron Island, everywhere I turn I'm facing breathtaking views and wild encounters. This land is full of unique treasures and experiences that can't be found anywhere else. Today I had my first snorkel experience and saw more diverse wildlife in an hour than I could have counted. The thing that struck me most was the feeling that some of those creatures were studying me just as I was studying them. Here, you don't even have to actively seek out the wild animals because rays and turtles and sharks just come and go sometimes indifferent to your presence. On one encounter with a green sea turtle our eyes met and for a few moments we shared a mutual curiosity for one another until I remembered to return to the surface to take a breath.
I was a bit nervous the first time I got in the water on the shores of Heron Island. I was confident that I would see a lot of wildlife while snorkeling around the Reef. What I didn't expect was to see so much at once. Just looking through the water from the surface is like looking into a treasury through a keyhole - you only get a glimpse of the bounty beyond the door. The first thing I saw were big cow-head sting rays through colorful schools of fish. Beyond the sands of the shore there are colorful corals and anemones and more fish of all shapes and sizes. I forgot my apprehension and submerged myself in an alien under-water world. Suddenly a lemon shark was swimming lazily past me. I realized after he disappeared into the blue that I had forgotten to be afraid.
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