The stories of the Great Barrier Reef are being brought to life before passengers board Pure Snorkelling Adventures so they know where to look for Nemo and how to meet two underwater grand dames as soon as they hit the water.
Pure Snorkelling Adventures has launched Cairns’ only marine biology presentation available before passengers depart for the Great Barrier Reef with a 30-minute reef talk ensuring guests fully appreciate the marine life during their two hours of snorkelling.
Lead marine biologist Kiara Brown who has recently graduated as a skipper gives the interactive talk at 10.30am each day before the 40-seat vessel departs at midday for a fast one-hour afternoon trip to the outer Great Barrier Reef.
“We take our guests to spectacular Briggs Reef, 24 nautical miles southeast of Cairns, which boasts extraordinary coral cover and two giant clams that are large enough to be approaching 100 years of age,” Ms Brown said.
“These grand dames are side by side which is unusual. It’s as though they chose to spend their twilight years together so they can watch the world go by and judge everything that comes past them.
“They sometimes have surprise visitors. We’ve had an epaulette shark and the occasional humphead Maori wrasse cruise past, but more common visitors are flowery cod, wrasses and beautiful parrot fish weaving around the stunning hard and soft corals.
“Our guests really appreciate discovering our little clowns, the four types of anemone fish that can be seen at Briggs Reef.
“We have catalogued the false clown fish, better known as Nemo, the Great Barrier Reef clown with its white tail, the pink clown, and the cinnamon clown with its dark red and black body and just one stripe.
“A cluster of cinnamon babies hatched just last week, and these little cuties are only the size of my pinky fingernail.
“Our talk also helps guests to understand the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem and the importance of reef conservation before they join the marine biologist snorkelling on the Reef”
Pure Snorkelling departs the Cairns Marlin Marina at 12pm with only 40 people and is just $199 including afternoon tea and new quality snorkelling gear. Pure Snorkelling has an exclusive permit for Briggs Reef and 14 other reef sites including Sudbury Cay, Thetford, Moore, Upolo, Oyster, Breaking and Pretty Patches to use if weather conditions are more favourable in those locations.
Evening cruises have just been launched for groups in time for the festive season with Pure Snorkelling offering 90-minute private charters in the calm waters of Trinity Inlet. Food and drink packages are available for up to 30 guests.
Pure Snorkelling is a joint venture between two Cairns family-owned reef operators who together have more than 60 years’ combined experience showcasing the Great Barrier Reef with Passions of Paradise, Ocean Free and Ocean Freedom.
