Great Barrier Reef

Stretching about 1250 miles from the Torres Strait to a point in Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest structure ever made by living organisms, including humans. It ranges from 10 miles to about 150 miles off the northeastern coast of Australia. Small, flowerlike organisms known as polyps inhabit the reef and have actually been responsible for its creation. The very small, hard skeletons of these organisms, held together by a particular type of algae, form the basic building blocks of the various coral reefs, cays, and atolls that form the Great Barrier Reef. The reef has an area about 100,000 square miles and rises as much as 180 meters from the ocean floor. Thousands, if not millions, of species inhabit the Great Barrier Reef, with more than 2,000 types of fish and hundreds of species of coral. Six species of turtles and 40 species of birds are also exclusive to this tropical reef system. Foreign organisms, such as the crown-of-thorns starfish, have threatened the reef since the early 1960’s, but steps have been taken by the Australian government to control the damage. Green Island, a part of the reef system, is home to underwater museums that provide a rare and spectacular look at the beautiful ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef.

To visit and actually see it with your own eyes is a spectacular view and unbelievable. Where is the best place to see the Reef? Green Island, a cay of coral, where underwater museums provide a rare look. This is a place that will always strike the curiosity of the mind from world travelers with its lasting beauty. The Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the twenty natural wonders.

Sites for further Information

    "Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau"
    http://www.great-barrier-reef.com/

    "Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority"
    http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/

   "Great Barrier Reef Aquarium"
    http://aquarium.gbrmpa.gov.au/

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