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Stretching around 2,300 kilometers along the northeastern coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the Earth’s largest living organism. It’s home to more than 600 types of hard and soft corals, together with a staggering array of tropical fish, mollusks, turtles, and sharks.
The reef system visible today took shape over roughly the past 8,000 years, following the last ice age, though the broader geological processes that built up the Great Barrier Reef's foundations span more than 20 million years. Long before any European encountered it, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had known and used the reef for tens of thousands of years, developing detailed knowledge of its ecology, seasonal patterns, and navigation that predates written history entirely.
The reef entered European records in June 1770, when Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour ran aground on it during his voyage along Australia's east coast; the ship was freed on a high tide after the crew jettisoned ballast and cannon to lighten the load. Cook's journal entries were the first written descriptions of the reef to reach Europe.
Large-scale protection came two centuries later: the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act was passed in 1975, establishing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to manage the reef in partnership with the Queensland government. In 1981, the reef became the first coral reef ecosystem in the world to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for meeting all four of UNESCO's natural heritage criteria.
Stretching more than 2,000 kilometers along Australia's northeastern coast, the Great Barrier Reef covers roughly 348,000 square kilometers -- an area comparable in size to Italy -- making it the largest living structure on the planet and the only one visible from space. It's made up of around 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands and coral cays, together accounting for roughly a tenth of the world's coral reef ecosystems.
The reef supports an extraordinary range of marine life: more than 1,500 species of fish, around 400 species of coral, six of the world's seven species of marine turtle, and thousands of species of mollusks, crustaceans, sponges, and other invertebrates. Dugongs, reef sharks, and migrating humpback whales also pass through its waters at different times of year.
Most visitors experience the reef by boat, with dive and snorkel operators running trips out from towns along the Queensland coast such as Cairns and Port Douglas, or from islands like Green Island and the Whitsundays that sit within the reef system itself. Popular sites range from shallow coral gardens suited to snorkelers to deeper dive sites like the Cod Hole and the SS Yongala wreck, where visibility and marine life vary considerably by location and season.
One of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Great Barrier Reef is Queensland’s most visited destination, with everything from boat excursions to scuba diving trips and helicopter tours available. But with increasing stresses on its ecosystems and organisms, responsible tourism in the region has become a pressing issue. It should be a deciding factor in how you visit the Great Barrier Reef.
Certified scuba divers can join day trips to experience the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater landscapes, with tours led by experienced divemasters and instructors. In addition to the myriad of tropical fish found here, there are many other fascinating marine creatures to observe. Spot rays cruising along the sandy bottoms and eels hiding within rocky outcrops, together with beautiful sea turtles that seemingly float on the currents. You might even encounter larger marine species such as reef sharks which patrol the open waters. Most of them are relatively harmless when it comes to humans, provided you don’t threaten them, and your dive guides are on hand to assist if you do encounter any dangerous predators.
For the uninitiated, you can also join a Discover Scuba day trip where you are taught the basics of scuba diving and then taken out into open water to practice your new skills. If you fall in love with the sport, you can continue training to get your Open Water certification and experience more of the Great Barrier Reef.
Numerous spots throughout the Great Barrier Reef offer excellent snorkeling in shallow waters. This is ideal for children or those who don’t feel comfortable venturing deeper to experience its marine life. Some of the best snorkeling sites surround remote islands such as Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot Islands, which can be accessed by boat or scenic flight.
All divers and snorkelers should not touch any marine species or damage the coral reef systems. If you don’t feel controlled underwater, then return to the surface rather than risk destroying this natural wonder.
If you want to stay dry and get a different perspective on the Great Barrier Reef, then jump into a helicopter for a scenic flight to see just how vast it really is. Or sail through the idyllic Whitsunday Islands, which are dotted with luxury resorts where you can soak up the splendor of the region's above water landscapes.