Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse marine environments in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is a living growing ecosystem with the largest barrier reef in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established in 1975, and it is the world largest marine protected area in the world. It is approximately 348,700 square kilometres in area and approximately 2,300 kilometres long, running from just north of Bundaberg to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula.

The reef contains over 2,900 reefs which includes 760 fringing reefs, and 300 coral cays. There are also 618 continental islands, which were once part of the mainland.

As the world's largest coral reef ecosystem the Great Barrier Reef is home to approximately: 1,500 species of fish, 400 species of corals, 4,000 species of molluscs, 500 species of seaweed, 215 species of birds, 16 species of sea snake and 6 species of sea turtle and some of the largest populations of dugong in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef is an environment with many varieties of sharks. Small atolls harbor a vast array of nesting sea birds and green sea turtles; Raine Island in the Far Northern Great Barrier has the greatest abundance of returning green sea turtles for nesting. This location is also a great siren for Tiger Sharks looking for an easy meal!

The diving on the outer edge of the Great Barrier into the Coral Sea is like diving in a fish bowl, fantastic visibility, huge trees of soft coral and giant sea fans the size of small houses! Dotted with sand quays and a variety of nesting and migrating sea birds. A true diver's and mariner's delight.