Great Barrier Reef

Well, still no new pictures, but at least you get text!
Today we took a boat out to Michaelmas Key and it was fabulous! Everything I imagined snorkeling on a coral reef would be - and more!
Our tour package included a ride in a semi-submersible as well as snorkeling, and other amenities. We did the semi-submersible ride first and the guide did a good job of pointing out the different corals as we saw them. We got some good pictures as well and saw a turtle from the boat. That was nice, but the best was yet to come.
After a great lunch we headed to the beat and I donned my snorkel gear. I bought an underwater camera but it's not digital so I need to get the pictures developed. But the pictures cannot come close to capturing the experience of drifting silently, but inches above a living coral reef. The coral was amazing - very colorful, with different types mixed together and lots of fish, both large and small. At one point I was a couple of feet from a parrot fish that was feeding on the coral. If I held my breath for a bit I could actually hear the crunch as it bit off a small amount of coral. Fascinating!
I also saw lots of giant clams, including several that were 3-4' in size! It was fascinating to watch them, with all the little fish hanging around them. Other clams were buried into coral. I asked the naturalist and he said that type doesn't grow a shell so it buried itself inside a coral shell as protection.
The varieties of coral were endless. Large, small, soft, hard, green, blue, purple, brown, and many other colors. I no longer will even consider a snorkeling excursion in the Carribean sicne it could never compare to this experience.
So much I could write about, but so hard to relate it. This is a fascinating experience and I encourage anyone who comes to this area to give it a try. I hired (e.g. rented) a wet suit and I encourage you to do that as well. It helps you float and stay in the water longer without getting cold since water absorbs heat from you body much faster than air.
But I've rambled on enough for now. Pictures once I get home since I have to get them developed an them scanned in.