Perhaps the largest number of scientific and educational television programs about the underwater world, articles in periodicals is devoted to the Great Barrier Reef. The unique ecosystem, which rightfully belongs to the seven wonders of the underwater world, consisting of islets and coral reefs located in the warm Coral Sea, stretches along the Australian mainland for more than 2,500 kilometers.

At last count, the Great Barrier Reef is almost 350,000 square kilometers and, fortunately, is constantly growing, it significantly exceeds the territory of many countries of the world. It is worth noting that the vast majority of reefs are hidden under water and open to the eye only during low tides. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia

Some reefs have turned into coral islands over time, which amaze travelers with their unique landscape and richness of fauna. Thanks to this, back in 1979, UNESCO included the National Park, with an area of ​​almost 5 million hectares, in the well-known list of World Heritage Sites. Naturally, all this beauty and, unfortunately, a very fragile ecosystem, should remain unchanged for posterity. Although, in fairness, it is worth saying that the Great Barrier Reef changes every year, it is constantly growing, and in some areas new coral islands appear. Corals are living creatures: they constantly, albeit slowly, grow, multiply and, thereby, increase the area of ​​​​the legendary Great Barrier Reef.

When to go
All year round, but October, November and December are considered the season.

Flora and fauna of the Great Barrier Reef
Alas, even a scientist who has been studying it for years will hardly be able to describe all the richness of the underwater world that can be found on the Great Barrier Reef. Over 1,550 fish species live among the colorful corals. A real huge “monster” lives here – a whale shark that feeds exclusively on plankton, which can only be called a “monster” because of its size. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia This fish is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest of all fish living on our planet. Dolphins and killer whales – killer whales – are constantly hunting near the reef. Their victims are often young humpback whales and small minke whales. It is at the Great Barrier Reef that humpback whales breed from June to August. On the islands of the reef, located in the southern part, sea turtles lay their eggs, which are currently under threat of extinction.

Huge octopuses, squids, lobsters, lobsters – all these are the inhabitants of the majestic Great Barrier Reef. Quite often, truly huge populations of the starfish, called the “crown of thorns”, have been observed recently. This starfish poses the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef: in just a matter of months, it can destroy a huge amount of coral. In the habitat of these stars, which can kill even an adult with their poison, a coral cemetery is formed. The struggle of man with the “crown of thorns” has not yet yielded visible results, so the destruction of entire reefs is happening more and more often. It will not be possible to list all the inhabitants of the underwater kingdom of this amazing place on Earth. In addition to them, almost 250 species of birds live on the coral islands, feeding mainly on seafood. But the vegetation on the islands is very poor. In the reef area, one can hardly count about 40 plants that manage to survive in this climate, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where even groundwater is rich in salt.