The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest coral reef system in the world ! It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and is part of the exclusive club of the « 7 Wonders of the World » !

With its 2,500 reefs, 900 islands ranging from simple sandbanks to large, rugged continental islands that rise over 3,600 feet above sea level and its incredible biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef has become Australia's must-see destination for divers and travel enthusiasts alike !

Fins on your feet, mask on your face and snorkel in your mouth for some, or regulator for others, you can witness the full richness and sometimes threatened biodiversity hiding beneath the water's surface !

It's hard to list all the species since the inventory is overwhelming. The Great Barrier Reef is home to:

• over 1,500 species of tropical fish, including the iconic Napoleon wrasse
• more than 400 species of coral
• 4,000 species of mollusks
• over 200 species of sea birds
• around 20 species of reptiles, including 6 of the 7 existing sea turtle species worldwide
• a true living fossil, the nautilus
• exceptional marine mammals such as dugongs, whales and dolphins
• a great diversity of sponges, sea anemones, marine worms, crustaceans and many more.

The Whitsunday islands archipelago offers a stunning landscape of lush green islands with abundant vegetation and spectacular beaches, contrasting with the vast mangrove forests of the Hinchinbrook Channel and the steep, verdant mountains of Hinchinbrook island, whose ravines covered in tropical forests often hide behind the clouds.

Wildlife is everywhere, on land with the cays hosting breeding colonies of seabirds and turtles: Raine island, in fact, is the largest green turtle nesting area on the planet !

But of course, the highlight takes place beneath the water's surface, where divers can admire assemblies of hard and soft corals and thousands of reef fish species, creating a breathtakingly colorful spectacle.

The « Cod Hole » site near Lizard island is one of the many tourist attractions where you can marvel at the annual coral spawning and encounter whales during their migration or sea turtles during their nesting season.

There are several ways to explore the underwater kingdom of the Great Barrier Reef, nicknamed the « Reef » by our English-speaking friends ! The Reef has many entry points, from north to south, including:

About an hour's drive north of Cairns, Port Douglas is a charming small coastal town with its vast sandy beach. It serves as the departure point for dive boats heading to numerous sites in the northern part of the Reef.

Cairns is arguably the ideal base, offering excellent facilities for those planning a packed diving schedule ! It's also the perfect place for beginners to try scuba diving.

South of Cairns, Townsville is Australia's largest tropical city, rich in museums and home to an amazing aquarium. It is located near the central part of the Reef. Liveaboard dive trips are available from here.

The Whitsunday islands, with their turquoise waters, coral gardens and palm-fringed beaches, offer excellent day-trip excursions from the town of Airlie Beach.

The remote islands at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef provide outstanding diving and snorkeling sites.