Great Barrier Reef - Myrmidon Reef

Patience is necessary when cruising for several hours across the Barrier Reef to reach the edge of the continental shelf. Sitting on the edge of the shelf is Myrmidon Reef.

The reef is within the Marine Park Green Zone, so no fishing is permitted in this area, making it an environment rich in marine life and a great diving experience. All sorts of fish can be found here: black and white snapper, shark mackerel, turrum trevally, and blue-spotted coral trout.

Much as I appreciate all types of marine life, the highlight at Myrmidon was the pod of bottlenose dolphins I encountered on the north side of the reef. These incredibly intelligent mammals are very social and playful and seem to have a permanent smile. Breathing through a blowhole at the top of the head, these gorgeous sleek, streamlined mammals can slice through the water at speeds of up to 14mi/h (23km/h). When they rest, they keep one eye open just in case a predator has something unsavoury in mind.

Dolphins are great communicators. They use a combination of echolocation, vocalization, and physical touch to get their message across. Gentle fin touching signifies affection, whereas a hard bump and aggressive charge typically says "back off." When they use echolocation, dolphins emit a sound wave that bounces off objects or other animals, revealing what is around them and how far and large it is. During a conversation, dolphins use different vocal pitches to recognise each other.

The best part about dolphins is that they like humans, and they've been known to rescue injured divers by pushing them to the surface. A great rescue story took place off the coast of New Zealand in 2004 when a small group of swimmers was suddenly encircled by a pod of dolphins. At first, the group thought it was nice to be so close and personal, but it didn't take long to realise something was amiss. Cruising toward them was a great white shark. The dolphins slapped their tails and created plenty of fuss until the shark turned away and left.

That's one great story I can get behind, but for now, I'm going to enjoy swimming with the dolphins and see how many there are. My total count came to 19; how many can you find? Check the underwater photography on Myrmidon.



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