The Great Barrier Reef

The largest reef in the world measuring 2011 km in length and 72 km across at its widest point. Of the many hundreds of varieties of coral growing on the reef, the Staghorn (antler type) is one of the most common. The Great Barrier Reef is a true wonderland of color and beauty. The reef can be reached from many coastal points and can be explored on private charters,daily cruises, by seaplane, air charter and now, on special helicopter flights.

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
• 6 species of sea turtle

and some of the largest populations of dugong in the world.

The coral has, over the years, brought many ships to grief - Cook's own Endeavour hit the reef and almost foundered - if it had, and Cook and his crew had perished - Australian history would be quite a different story. One of the most famous wrecks is that of the HMS Pandora, which foundered in 1791. The Queensland Museum has been leading archaeological digs to the Pandora since 1983 and its most recent was completed in February 1999.

The corals which make up the various reefs and cays, and which are the base for this variety of sea and animal life, consist of individual coral polyps - tiny live creatures which join together to form colonies. Each polyp is a tiny jelly-like blob crowned by tentacles, and looks not unlike an anemone, but much smaller. Each polyp lives inside a shell of aragonite, a type of calcium carbonate which is the hard shell we recognise as coral. The polyps join together to create forests of coloured coral in interesting fan, antler, brain and plate shapes.

There are many different types of coral, some are slow growing and live to be hundreds of years old, others are faster growing. The colours of coral are created by algae. Only live coral is coloured. Dead coral is white.

To find out more about the Reef - check out our informative section of the website dedicated to the Great Barrier Reef.