For a birthday/christmas treat, I booked us on a morning snorkel trip to swim with the turtles at Mudjimba Island (there is nothing I would rather do, than be in the water on my birthday).
We met our guide Alexis and skipper James at ‘The wharf’ in Mooloolaba. Worth a visit on its own, the wharf is home to Sea Life and a multitude of restaurants and cafes.
With only 7 of us on the tour (with The Pressure Project), it was pretty quick to get everyone sorted with wetsuits, fins and snorkels. It took about 30 minutes to get to the island, then we slipped over the side of the boat and entered the somewhat choppy waters.
At first I was convinced we would see nothing. The water was green and stirred up. Visibility was poor. Trying not to feel disappointed, I followed Lexi as she led as around the southern edge of the island and closer to the rock lined shore.
Being a strong swimmer and experienced at snorkelling, I began diving down 3-4m to get closer to the fish and corals. I was rewarded for my efforts, glimpsing plenty of butterfly fish, striped surgeonfish, wrasse and tiny little iridescent blue fish.
As I surfaced from one such dive, I heard Lexi shout “Turtle” and point. I made my way over to where she was pointing but sadly missed the turtle. I was struggling to remain calm and not green with envy!
A short while later, Miss 15, Miss Canada and I were lagging behind the group, when it was my turn to shout “turtle” and it wasn’t one but two beautiful green sea turtles. They were cruising around the edge of the reef and unbothered by us goggly eyed strangers. I think this is the point when I started talking into my snorkel!
As the tide came in and the water cleared, the remainder of the snorkel was nothing short of incredible. I saw four turtles, one a dainty little juvenile, many more fish, sea cucumbers, a blue starfish, brain corals, many beautiful coloured corals and a soft purple coral found only on the Sunshine Coast.
By the end, I was one satisfied birthday girl.
TTB
P.S. I left the GoPro at home! So annoyed, but it did make my snorkel easier.
The Travel Bee 