February 2018 on the Great Barrier Reef

That Blue and Lime Line

By Captain Trevor Jackson

The wheelhouse of Spoilsport stretches widthwise right across the whole vessel. Long and thin and wide, it resembles what would have once been known as a “Bridge” in ye olde nautical terms, rather than a wheelhouse, which you might find perched atop a fishing boat or tugboat. Windows which face the sides of the boat are the end caps of this bridge and it is here that I often find myself staring out to sea after an overnight crossing to Osprey.

As the crew busily prepare the deck for the first dive, I stand there in wonder and simply take it all in. The dramatic azure soaked cliff edge often lies directly underfoot; a stark contrast of pale lime green, and then, whoosh, it drops off to almost blue-black. Here the deep meets the shallow like a brisk slap across the face. There’s no warm-up, it’s just a defining “WHACK”!!!! At the joining face of these two contrasts, all manner of marine life, large and small, congregates and merges to the surface. Sharks and bait balls, reef fish and mantas. Collectively they marvel at the oceans abrupt halt as the reef stretches from a thousand metres up to ankle deep, in the space of a boat length.

I often stand at that window and just stare at it for ages, like it’s the greatest show on earth. It’s hard to describe what it’s really like but just last week my daughter asked, ‘what’s it like out at Osprey Daddy?’…. In an effort to simplify it so she could understand I replied, ”Well darling, it’s like a besser block in a bathtub’…….She didn’t quite get it, but the expression reminded me of what a spectacle Osprey Reef really is…100 miles into the vast Pacific Ocean, where terra firma crashes vertically into the depths, where even the fish seem in awe. Where we can perch the boat right above that slap in the face …….and stare disbelievingly at ….that blue and lime line.