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Critters of the Great Barrier Reef
Underwater World in Queensland
Imagine yourself an alien in an unknown world. Water is the natural element - sharks, whales, crocodiles and stingrays the natural rulers. These mystifying, primeval creatures preside over an enormous range of fascinating underwater inhabitants:
the brilliantly colourful coral and quicksilver fish of warm tropical waters; moray eels, lungfish and giant barramundi; tumbling turtles and friendly frollicking seals. more...
Destination of the Month
Queensland’s World Heritage listed The Great Barrier Reef as scuba diver's paradise. You could dive on the world's largest marine park every day for the rest of your life and still not see it all. Queensland's warm subtropical climate is perfect for diving all year round and the water is clearer than crystal. Read it all on our Great Barrier Reef Destination of the Month page. more... |
DESTINATIONS » Australia » Great Barrier Reef/Coral Sea | Southern Australia | Western Australia
 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.
Great Barrier Reef
Cairns, a youth-oriented tropical city with plenty of hotels and restaurants, is the jumping-off spot for the Great Barrier Reef. Here you can find plenty of day boats to the reef and overnight trips to Cod hole. Best diving for pristine reefs and lots of fish is to the north, reachable only by liveaboard. The Ribbon Reefs are known for big sharks and lots of them.
Coral Sea
Although the Great Barrier Reef gets most of the press, better by a hundred miles is the Coral Sea, whose outlying atolls and pinnacles such as Marion Reef offer some of the best diving in the world. The other hot spot for Australian diving is clear across the continent on the remote west coast, and it's famous for one reason: whale sharks congregate at Ningaloo Reef during March and April.
Remember that Australia's winter is during the Northern Hemisphere's summer. Cyclone (Hurricane) season is January through March; April, May and June see heavy trade winds. The best season to dive Australia on a liveaboard is July through November. Best visibility at Osprey, in the northern Coral Sea, is between June and September.
Diving & Snorkeling Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Lonely Planet | Buy
Great Barrier Reef (Wonders of the World) by Martin J. Gutnik, Natalie Browne-Gutnik | Buy
The Great Barrier Reef: A Living Laboratory (Discovery) by Rebecca L. Johnson | Buy
Great Barrier Reef Diving Guide, Roberto Rinaldi | Buy
Coral Seas, Roger Steene | Buy
Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, John E. Randall, Gerald Allen & Roger C. Steen |
Buy
The Australian Scuba Diver Illustrated
Sea Stars of Australasia, Neville Coleman
The Dive Sites of the Great Barrier Reef, Neville Coleman | Buy
Diving Australia, Neville Coleman & Nigel Marsch
Discover Underwater Australia, various authors
The Barrier Reefs, A. Mojetta
The Great Barrier Reef Dive Guide, Roberto Rinaldi (Photographer) | Buy
Lonely Planet Australia :: Online |
Buy
Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau
DESTINATIONS » Australia » Great Barrier Reef/Coral Sea | Southern Australia | Western Australia |