Evan Cooper

With one dive left after a long week of adventure, I was running out of time… One creature was at the top of my bucket list, cuddlefish. It seemed like every time someone else saw one I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I started to worry it wasn’t meant to be. Then suddenly, rising out of the elkhorn coral garden was this curious cuddlefish! Pretending to be a part of the reef, I hovered in awe of its changing colors and gracefulness. It is a moment I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. These moments are what makes diving and the ocean so incredible and unlike anything else in the world. 🌊 🦑

On the Spirit of Freedom liveaboard, three days of diving were on Osprey Reef, a submerged atoll 68 miles off shore the northern Great Barrier Reef. This island lies in deep water, meaning there are coral walls thousands of feet high. Soft coral is very large, as well as the diversity of fish and other organisms. I saw grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks, and hammerhead sharks on multiple dives, including this grey reef shark above.