Cairns (Pronounced Cans) and the Great Barrier Reef

I'm in Cairns until it's time to leave for Bali Indonesia. I have time to kill and it's a little city/town built on the beach. But it has no beach. Just mud. It actually looks quite a lot like BP is drilling oil near by. I've heard the Great Barrier Reef is a must, so I make a reservation with a company that will take me out there. I board the huge ferry and head out to Green Island. I've decided to do the glass bottom boat and go snorkel after.

The glass bottom boat is really neat. It's a cloudy windy day, so we don't see everything to it's fullest, but the fish are huge and colorful. We see fire coral, a giant clam, and even a female shark called Walter. Everything looks so neat from the boat. The boat driver says I have to go snorkel and that I have no choice.

When he drops us back off at the beach I lay out on the sand for a while trying to catch some rays through the clouds. In a fit of ambition I stand up and decide it's time to take the dreaded snorkel equipment out for a look around. I squeeze my mask on, bite down on the mouthpiece of my snorkel, jam my feet into my flippers and head off into the water walking backwards. Wooh water's a bit cold. I slowly get used to it and finally get my face into the water. I'm in the shallow part that extends about 50 meters into the ocean. Breathing erratically out of both nerves, and just being cold, I peer around looking for any form of life and dreading seeing anything really. I know I'm nervous about this, but didn't realize that I'm actually terrified of sea life. I see something OHMYGOD! I scream through my tube and stand up. I'm horrified. A lady who doesn't speak english calls me over to look at something. I reluctantly dip my face in the water to see some kind of little sting ray. I smile but I'm absolutely distraught. Okay, it's time to head for deeper water. I think I can I think I can. I make my way over to where the ocean floor drops down to be about 6 meters deep. I stare into the abyss and contemplate my fate. I stand up. It's cold. You can do this Madissen! I crouch back down into the cold water. I stand back up. I don't know what's colder, the air or the water. I continue with this charade until I'm in tears. I hate sea life. Finally I decide I'm on a World Tour where I pretty much don't have to do anything I don't want to. Why would I subject myself to such torture? Fuck it, I'm outta here.