An easy start to the diving day, up just before 7. This is obviously a good spot for ProDive to train people as it looks like we'll be doing both of our final dives here. The first dive, at the same location as the night dive is OK, the visibility has improved fractionally and when the sun appears from over the hill the brightness improves dramatically.
The second dive drops us at the edge of the bay for us to swim round. Within a couple of minutes whilst I'm absorbed in a school of what look like little parrotfish, Helen spots me drifting headfirst into a turtle. A green turtle in fact who must still be dozing so we watch him for a bit. He doesn't do anything. With the addition of bright sunshine the visibility has improved quite a bit although we don't see any other large pelagics (ocean going creatures). We certainly didn't see the long boring beach that we should have passed. Yet another nail in the coffin of ProDive dive briefings. Still, we do get a tow back which means from never being retrieved [after a dive] before we've been "rescued" on over half our dives this trip. The boat then chugs back to Abel Point Marina past the Whitsundays. 
Not surprisingly the car is roasting and gets a good ten minutes air con before we can get in. We return our rented gear to the dive shops though I'm sure I signed a third blank VISA somewhere which hasn't been ripped up. That done, it's time for a beer in the Australian bar way, a jug (specifically 1140ml) or two. A quick snooze before joining the boat people for some allegedly free beer at one of the bars which obviously specialises in that it has reserved several long tables for various returning boat companies. Our crew haven't turned up and we discover that the free beer is related to buying food. Ho hum. Another couple of jugs later and it's time for bed.
Airlie Beach YHA S20.26968 E148.72034 Elev. -16m!
Copyright 2003 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.