Dive Great Barrier Reef Cairns Australia, accommodation, Great Reef fish feeding tours and accommodation Cairns

Overview

'The Great Barrier Reef Australia is the worlds largest reef and one of the most spectacular and talked about natural phenomena in the world. Along with its unique and colourful marine life it has an environmental and global significance for its scientific and cultural value.

The Great Barrier Reef is important on a global scale for its natural, unique beauty and economic values. The Great Barrier Reef was written into the World Heritage List in 1981 and the Area was given the highest recognition for its universal value. Outstandingly it is the largest world Heritage site on earth. This unique tropical marine ecosystem attracts visitors from all over the globe.

Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
Conserving and protecting The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is a huge commitment. The 25 Year Strategic Plan for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage was launched to give everybody involved a say in The Great Barrier Reef’s long term future. This plan was adopted to ensure the reef remained healthy for future generations.

A coral reef is a natural barrier made of the bodies of dead and living coral. Which is usually just bellow the surface of the water.
It is made of two parts, "White" & "Colourful"

White - Is the dead bodies of zillions and zillions of polyps which have died over hundreds and thousands of years.

Colourful - Is the living part of the coral reef. It is made up of living polyps.
6 species of sea turtle
400 different types of coral
4,00 molluscs
1500 species of fish
500 species of seaweed
215 species of birds
16 species of sea snake
Size - over 2000km (1250 miles) long.

More information on the Great Barrier Reef go to:

Box Jellyfish
Species - Chironex Fleckeri
Given the name Sea Wasp by an American author.
There are many different types but none are more venomous as the Indo-Pacific Box Jellyfish. It is said to be the most venomous marine animal. The box jellyfish is not found in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, it seems to move towards the shoreline in calm waters when tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estrays and creeks following the rain.

Stone Fish
Species - Synanceja trachynis, Synaneichthyes verrucosus. Other Names for the Stone fish are Goblinfish, Rockfish.
The stonefish lives primarily above the tropic of Capricorn. Its main habitat is on coral reefs, near and about rocks, or can be found dormant in the mud or sand.

Cone Shells
Species - 80 Species in Australia
Cone Shells or Cone Snails as they are sometimes called, are predatory gastropods. It's venom can be fatal.
Cone snails are predatory gastropods that inhabit mostly mud, sand flats shallow reef waters where the low and the high tides alternate

Stingrays
Species - Over 35 species
Stingrays are not usually aggressive and will normally scurry away with the onset of shuffling feet. Stingrays live in warm and tropical areas. As the climate gets cooler they move to deeper place Stingrays are not usually aggressive. They rummage on the sea bottom and only attack if they have been stepped on or threatened.

Blue Ringed Octopus
Species - Hapalochaena maculosa
The venom from this little creature can be fatal but only 11 cases had been reported up to 1983, including 2 fatalities Blue Ringed Octopus are mainly found in tidal rock pools around Australia.