Australia is home to some amazing places but one of the most awesome places to visit (while it’s still there) is the Great Barrier Reef. This is one of the world’s most famous sites and it draws a lot of visitors each year.
Why, you say? Well there are plenty of things to do while visiting the Great Barrier Reef – not just looking at the corals. Even more, the Barrier is a world-renowned attraction for a bunch of important reasons such as the ones we listed below.
It’s a living, breathing organism
Did you know the Great Barrier Reef is alive? This is a natural place that is living and breathing with all of the coral, reef, and wildlife that is found. Did you know that a tenth of the world’s population of fish can be found in this location? That’s amazing! Don’t miss out on one of nature’s most colorful and lively places!
Plus, this area is made of over 3,000 coral reefers, 300 coral cays, 150 mangrove islands and about 600 continental islands! The Great Barrier Reef also meets the 4 requirements for being a World Heritage listing!
Lots of activities
It is the largest living coral reef on the planet and it’s roughly the same size as the country of Italy or Japan, for that matter. The fact that it’s that big allows you to feel quite free even though the place is usually filled with tourists.
Among the most interesting activities one can do here, we mention diving, snorkeling, and swimming. However, if you don’t feel comfortable under water, you may consider taking tours from a helicopter to get an aerial view. Many say the aerial view is breathtaking and not to be missed!
You can also do boat tours, with many boats featuring glass bottoms so you can see everything happening underneath. To complete the tour, you should take Liveaboards, which allows you to float on a large area in order to experience the coral, reef and more for several hours, at your leisure.
Marine Life
You will not believe the marine life you will see here! In the winter time, you can see manta rays migrating by the hundreds while summer time is the best for whale spotting (you can see Dwarf Minke Whales migrating)!
You can find over 100 jellyfish species, over 1,600 types of fish, over 130 types of rays and sharks, and over 30 types of dolphins and whales! Did you know there were over 3,000 kinds of mollusks here too? Plus, you can find 6 of the 7 types of marine turtles here! The marine life is everywhere!
A Heaven for Divers
The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the best areas in which to dive in the entire world! Because of all of the marine life, coral, reefs and more, you are guaranteed to see a lot of interesting things.
Still, you should make sure your health is in the right parameters before taking a dive since this is not an activity for everyone. It is also recommended to have a heart rate monitor around your wrist to measure how these activities are affecting you.
Island Hopping
The number of islands on the Great Barrier Reefer is staggering. Those exploring can island-hop and see the beautiful beaches of places like Heron Island, Rainbow Island and Hamilton Island! Actually, this is a fantastic way to relax after a long day: watching the sunset as you think about all of the beauty you’ve seen that day.
Of course, each island features a lot of activities and you won’t feel crowded because there are literally tons of islands to go to!
Night Time
At night time, things change. You will see animals light up, due to an incredible adaptation to the lack of light. It’s an incredible show and you should not miss the luminous marine life! Even more, it’s recommended to consider having the best cheap action camera so you can have some footage to remember your trip by, and can share it with others!
If you want a bit more adventure, look around for places that will let you scuba dive at night so you can see these creatures light up right in front of you! Since you’re here, you will want to see how everything looks both during the day and the night to get the full aquatic experience here!
Get There before It’s Gone
There are many reasons why the Great Barrier Reef is disappearing. Pollution on our planet is one factor but not the only one. Right now, the phenomenon of coral bleaching is happening, which means the living beings in the coral in the Reef are dying.
One other reason why this beautiful place is disappearing is the rising global temperatures, which is from things like pollution, chemicals and other things in our environment.
A Wonder of the World
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and it can be seen from space just like the Great Wall of China (though the Great Barrier Reef is bigger)!
Not only is this the largest coral reef system on our planet, but it has nearly 3,000 types of reefs, and spans over 1,600 miles long. This means it is over 133,000 square miles. With all of the marine life and about 900 islands, it truly is not a wonder why this is a Wonder of the World!
You will want to go here during either the summer or winter months to get the most out of your trip. Please keep in mind that you won’t get much done during the rainy season.
A few final words
Now that you know what the Great Barrier Reef has to offer, the next step is to get there! You will not be disappointed with the trip, as you will see how many beautiful things that this planet has to offer! Start planning and packing, because summer is short and you want to have an unforgettable vacation in this paradise getaway with lovely beaches, marine life, relaxation and more!
