| What Is The Great Barrier Reef? |
The Great Barrier Reef is:
• at over 2000 km long it's the world's largest living structure• made of tiny marine animal skeletons piling on top of their ancestors
• a collection of some 3000 individual reefs housing thousands of species of fish and molluscs, hundreds of reef-building hard corals, uncounted soft corals and six of the world's seven species of sea turtles
• an extremely fragile ecosystem, protected by World Heritage listing and National Park status, monitored and controlled by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
Many reefs can be accessed by recreational divers and snorkellers - and that is where the Whitsundays comes into its own as an underwater mecca.
Day and extended cruises variously cater for learner and qualified divers as well as snorkellers and can include both fringing reef and outer reef. SCUBA courses are available.
If time is short and if you are medically fit, try an 'Introductory Dive'. Bareboat charterers can go to even more islands on a snorkel safari.
A vast array of brilliantly colourful corals and sea life abound around the islands. Regardless of weather conditions, your cruise will be able to take you to great fringing reefs. For those with independent means of getting around the islands, many other fringing reefs are available.
Large and small cruise vessels under power and sail, usually with a snorkel/dive and eco orientation usually moor at Bait Reef, Knuckle Reef, Hardy Reef and The Stepping Stones.
Accessible only by air through local aviation services is Heart Reef, location for weddings with a difference and for a romantic prelude to a champagne lunch on a deserted beach.
Two daily cruises aboard large, comfortable and fast catamarans take you to purpose-built pontoons at Hardy or Knuckle Reefs. They cater for your every need, even non-swimmers, to see a host of friendly and curious fish and colourful corals. You can fly out, or back, or both ways, in a helicopter or sea plane.
Day cruises usually cater for introductory, referral and qualified divers as well as snorkellers. Most dive-dedicated boats offer two or perhaps three dives in a day cruise.
A few two/three day trips include diving both fringing reefs and outer reefs. Most offer several fringing reef dives.
Advice to snorkellers:
• wear a shirt and sun block in the water
• keep an eye on your boat as tidal currents are unnoticeable in the underwater magic
• hire or buy a ‘stinger suit’
Advice to divers:
• hire bulky gear locally
• talk to the locals for the best advice on current conditions
• bring your certification
• medical dive certificates are available from local doctors
For advice & bookings,click here
 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Safe swimming, diving and snorkelling
Anaconda III
Cruise Whitsundays
Fantasea Cruises
Illusions
Maxi Ragamuffin
Mantaray Charters
Ocean Rafting
Whitehaven Xpress
Air Whitsunday Seaplanes
Aviation Adventures
Aviation Tourism Australia
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Welcome to the Whitsundays is published by Media Rites Whitsunday. 