Two years ago, my brother and I visited Fitzroy Island on our trip up to the Great Barrier Reef. We’d heard that it was a beautiful spot to go snorkeling and was much nicer than spending an entire day on a boat on the Outer Reef. It really was a beautiful spot, and a great place to relax — which was exactly what I needed after having pulled some very long hours at work. However, we didn’t think much of the coral we found while snorkeling.
We spent the entire morning fighting the waves off Nudey Beach, where we’d been told the best coral was. It was a very rough day, and every wave seemed to pour even more water down my snorkel. Eventually, we decided we were too tired and cold to continue, so we spent the rest of the day enjoying the many above-ground options that Fitzroy has to offer…even after we turned in our snorkeling gear and were told that, no, the best coral isn’t on Nudey Beach, it’s just down the beach at those rocks!
So when my friend Johanna told me she wanted to spend her 25th birthday snorkeling and seeing the amazing underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, Fitzroy Island was not the first place I thought of. However, she really didn’t want to spend the whole day on a boat (possibly being seasick) and had heard Fitzroy Island was a good spot. I knew it would be the perfect place to spend a birthday, but I didn’t hold out much hope for what we’d see while snorkeling.
Oh boy, how wrong was I. I am so glad that I went back for a second visit rather than choosing somewhere new, because my brother and I really didn’t do the place justice on our first trip.
After we’d rented our snorkeling gear from the beach hut ($15 for fins & mask, $8 for just a mask, and extra for a stinger suit, which we didn’t need because it wasn’t stinger season), we headed down the beach to the rocks that had been pointed out on my previous trip. It took us a few minutes to will ourselves into the 21C water (which seemed awfully cold but warmed up quite quickly). Then we were off.
Soon, we were surrounded by colour — purples, blues, and yellows. There were some hard corals and some that slowly waved back and forth in time with the currents. Little fish flitted about all around them; larger parrotfish, shimmering green and pink, picked at the coral.
Eventually, we decided to see if there were other spots worth snorkeling, so I found a lifeguard and asked her.
This was the best decision of the entire day.
After making sure that we were all capable swimmers, she pointed out a buoy further down the beach and told us that we’d see some clownfish there. Then she suggested getting out of the water and walking to the far end of the beach to Bird Rocks. That’s where we’d be most likely to see a turtle. Since Johanna’s goal was to see a turtle, I knew we’d have to go there!
The lifeguard’s directions were spot on. Near the buoy, we found a sea anemone perched on the side of a rock. Playing in its glowing, wavy tentacles was a family of clownfish! I dove down to get a closer look and couldn’t help but think of Marlin from Finding Nemo as I came face to face with a clownfish, staring me down and daring me to get any closer to his beloved home.
Nearby was an area we dubbed the “Rock Garden” because it looked like someone had deliberately planted all of the coral there, it was that well-groomed and planned.
The lifeguard was also very right in suggesting that we walk to Bird Rocks rather than trying to swim. While I’m sure we would have seen even more underwater life along the way, I think I would have been too exhausted once I got there to really enjoy what I was seeing. I do recommend that, if you plan to swim at Bird Rocks, you are confident in your swimming abilities. The waves are a bit stronger here and you could easily find yourself being pushed into the rocks if you’re not careful, and there’s not a lot of places to stop and tread water because there is so much coral.
Don’t worry if you’re not a strong swimmer — the water is so clear that you can rent a kayak and look down at the coral from above, just to get a sense of what a huge ecosystem exists there.
Bird Rocks had by far the best coral of the three spots we visited. The coral literally carpeted the rocks and the sea floor. Fish flitted about everywhere — from giant angelfish to schools of brilliantly green little guys. We must have spent an hour just swimming from one spot to the next, often not even having to dive down to get a close look because it was that in your face.
Eventually, we decided it was time to go back. Johanna powered away quickly to try to warm herself up a bit, so I had very mixed emotions when a shadow turned into a green turtle before my eyes. I popped up to the surface, yelling for Johanna, hoping in vain that she would hear me. Sadly, I couldn’t even see her, much less get my message across.
Swimming with a turtle is such a relaxing experience. They really do seem like they have not a care in the world, just slowly moving his flippers through the water. It’s like they are out for a Sunday afternoon stroll, except it’s underwater. And like many other turtles, this one was not even a little concerned by me following him.
So all in all, I was completely surprised by what a vast underwater world I had missed on my previous trip. And now, when people ask me where to go on the Barrier Reef, I will most definitely be recommending Fitzroy as an alternative to the more expensive Outer Reef trips.
Have you ever gone somewhere that seemed completely different on your second visit?