The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, is the largest living thing on Earth, and even visible from outer space. The 2,300km-long ecosystem comprises thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral. It's home to countless species of colourful fish, molluscs and starfish, plus turtles, dolphins and sharks.
Before visiting this special World Heritage area, you can learn about the Marine Park, what it is and what makes it special. This will make your experience in the Marine Park all the more rewarding.
If you are one of the many recreational visitors who are not part of a commercial tourism operation to the Great Barrier Reef, it is important to learn about some of the areas of the Marine Park before your visit.
You can protect and experience the Great Barrier Reef by following Responsible Reef Practices for activities such as anchoring, snorkelling, fishing and diving.
Commonly known as Sea-Fans, Gorgonians are closely related to coral. Individual tiny polyps form colonies that are normally erect, flattened, branching, and reminiscent of a fan.
A small shark usually not exceeding 1.6 m (5.2 ft) in length, this species is easily recognizable by its slender body and short but broad head, as well as tubular skin flaps beside the nostrils, oval eyes with vertical pupils, and white-tipped dorsal and caudal fins.
Montipora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Depending on the species and location, Montipora may grow as plates or ridges, appearing to some as a bowl or flower.
Over four hundred coral species, both hard corals and soft corals inhabit the reefs.
Anthias make up a sizeable portion of the population of pink, orange, and yellow reef fishes seen swarming in most coral reef photography and film.
More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout.
| Months | High/Low | Average Daily Visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-Mar | High | 60k |
| Apr-Jun | Regular | 30k |
| Jul-Sep | Lower | 5k |
| Oct-Dec | Low | 30k |
