Australian authorities have issued new rules for swimmers visiting the Great Barrier Reef on a tour. Anyone whom tour guides determine is an “at-risk” swimmer will now be forced to wear a life vest while in the water. In addition, some swimmers will be required to be paired with partners.
In 2016, 10 people drowned at the reef, including four tourists.
On the 3-hour “Raft & Snorkel with Salmon” day tour, guests will take a boat up the Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and snorkel with any of the five species of salmon that spawn in the river. The season starts in late July with pink salmon, followed by chinook, coho and sockeye in August and, in September, the chum. Bears, beavers, seals and other wildlife may also be seen.
Available free for download, “The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Great Barrier Reef” covers coastal Queensland, Australia, from Bundaberg in the south to Cape York in the north.
Including maps plus info on hotels, restaurants and activities, the guide can be viewed or a PDF version downloaded at queensland.uberflip.com/i/850408-great-barrier-reef-drive-guide-2017.
An assessment of the Great Barrier Reef by Australian authorities found that 22 percent of the coral reef was dead from bleaching. The worst mass bleaching event on record, the results were announced on Oct. 14.
Coral bleaching occurs when symbiotic algae, which provides most of the nutrients for the coral, is killed or expelled; exposed to the elements and without its source of food, the coral eventually dies and turns white. There are many causes of bleaching, including rising water temperatures and exposure to pollution.
Travelers to Cancún can snorkel among sailfish in the wild, between Jan. 1 and March 31, with Cancun SailFish Tours (Cancun, Mexico; phone, in the US, 888/209-5583, http://cancunsailfishtours.com).
If whale sharks or manta rays are spotted, guests may swim with them. Tours typically take two hours from departure to return, including about an hour of swimming time. A private tour, departing earlier, offers two hours of swimming time.
Polar snorkeling and scuba diving at an additional $975 per person will be offered on all 2016 and 2017 Arctic and Antarctic sailings by Aurora Expeditions (Suite 12, Level 2, 35 Buckingham St., Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; phone +61 2 9252 1033, www.auroraexpeditions.com.au).
All necessary equipment will be provided, including a dry suit designed for polar diving, flippers and snorkel or scuba masks. Divers can expect to encounter sea anemones, urchins and arctic cod as well as surreal ocean ice formations.
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