Great Barrier Reef Diving

Great Barrier Reef diving (Australia) is without question one of the best ways to explore coral reefs not only in the Pacific Ocean, but in the entire world.

The Great Barrier Reef offers almost unlimited coral reef exploration opportunities, from shallow protected patch reefs to sections of steeply plummeting fore-reef more than 50 miles offshore.

Divers explore the reef face on The Great Barrier Reef. © Fotolia.com

This enormous marine ecosystem supports a great diversity of marine life, including at least 1500 species of fishes, 350 corals, 4000 kinds of mollusks, and 10,000 species of sponges.

It is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GRBRMPA), which advises the Australian Government on the control, care and development of the Marine Park, including Great Barrier Reef diving practices. About 1/3 of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is protected from species removal of any kind. The Great Barrier Reef is listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site.

General Information On The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the world's largest coral reef, extending some 1,250 miles (2,000 km) along the eastern coast of Queensland at distances ranging from 10 to 100 miles (16 to 160 km) offshore.

The Great Barrier Reef. © Fotolia.com

The reef has an estimated total area of about 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km). The GBR actually consists of some 2,100 individual outer reef sections and perhaps 800 fringing reefs growing from the shores of over 1000 islands that make up part of this gigantic ecosystem. Many of these islands are dry or barely awash at low tide, although there are some "high islands" that are inhabited and in some cases house resorts.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from orbiting astronauts with the naked eye, and is often cited as the world's largest structure made by living organisms.

Great Barrier Reef Diving Travel Tips

The best time for Great Barrier Reef diving is from April through October. The tropical wet season lasts from November to March. During this time large influxes of box jellyfish can prohibit swimming in the ocean. In general, the islands of the Great Barrier Reef get warmer and wetter (particularly from January to March) as you move north.

Getting To The Great Barrier Reef

Many airlines fly to Australia and prices vary considerably, so it pays to shop around for a flight. Consider the length of the flight and any mandatory stopovers. Start by contacting the major airlines or your local travel agent.

There are no direct flights to the Great Barrier Reef, but several airlines do fly from Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne to Hamilton Island and Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast). For flights from London, either go to Cairns or Brisbane, and from there you can travel by water taxi or seaplane to your island destination.

Where to Stay To Dive The GBR

There are several options available when it comes to lodging while exploring the Great Barrier Reef. Most dive tourism of this nature is concentrated in the Whitsundays and Cairns (in North Queensland). Many cities in this area offer daily boat trips to the reef.

Another option for the really hard-core scuba diver are cruising the GBR aboard one of the many "live-aboard" dive boats that roam the reef for a few days or a week. If you want 4-5 dives a day and not much else, this is your ticket.

Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Our pick for the best way to engage in Great Barrier Reef diving and coral reef exploration is to stay at one of the 30+ resorts situated on islands that are part of the reef system itself. These generally offer ready access to a variety of diving and snorkeling sites.

Accommodations on these islands range from camping grounds or bungalows to luxury resorts. Many of these destinations offer fine snorkeling right from shore, as well as comparatively short boat rides to the fore reef for scuba divers.

Another of the popular (and most economical) ways to explore the reef is to stay at a hotel or resort on the mainland and take day trips to the reef whenever you wish.