The Great Barrier Reef is touted as one of the seven wonders of the world.  It is the largest structure on earth built by living organisms and is the Earths’ longest reef system.  It stretches in a broad chain of 2,900 individual reefs for more than 2000 km or 1,250 miles along the north east coast of Australia.  It is on a shallow plateau that, in the northern sector, lies between 30 and 50 miles offshore, dropping off into the chasm of the Coral Sea.   The majority of this vast ecosystem remains unreachable by the masses and untouched by man’s influence.Formed around 10,000 years ago, The Great Barrier Reef  boasts 350 species of coral that flourish in the warm seas of Queenslands tropical  coast.  This immense reef chain supports more than 1,500 species of fish, 10,000 species of sponge, 4,000 species of molluscs and 350 species of echinoderms.  The Great Barrier Reef is a protected World Heritage area and is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Diver Information

The Ribbon Reefs:
Located to the North of Cairns, the Ribbon Reefs are comprised of a string of 10 coral ramparts and cover a distance of approx. 100 miles from Lizard Island south almost to Cape Tribulation.  There are many famous dive sites to choose from such as Pixie Pinnacle, The Temple of Doom, and Dynamite Pass to name a few, but there are also many spectacular sites not frequented by the ‘regular departure’ liveaboards, and you can stop almost anywhere and expect a fabulous dive.  Coral formations vary from beds of huge plate corals to isolated pinnacles sustaining an amazing display of fish life, to walls and channels for the perfect ‘drift dives’ as well as caves, canyons and shallow coral gardens.  You can expect to encounter the enormous giant clams, golden gorgonian fans, and clouds of colourful tropical fish, as well as cruising pelagics, moray eels, green turtles, reef sharks and the giant Napoleon Wrasse.

The Cod Hole:
Located due east of Lizard Island, at the top end of Ribbon Reefs, the Cod Hole has become famous for the family of resident Potato Cod (Groper).  These large fish have become accustomed to regular feeding and are not all camera shy.  There are generally 5 to 10 of these fish in residence, each of which can weight up to 100 kg (500 pounds) and measure over 8 feet in length. 

Far Northern Reefs:
This region includes the Pandora Reefs, Raine Island vicinity, Great Detached, North & South Detached and Tijou Reef.  It covers a sector of the Great Barrier Reef beginning from 150 miles north of Lizard Island and ending 75 miles south east of the Cape York Peninsular.  Due to its remoteness, this region is inaccessible to many liveaboards and remains relatively untouched.  North and South Detached reefs present some spectacular walls to 1500 feet and the many coral cays that dot this region are the breeding ground for the Green Turtle, which return here to their birthplace in October/ November from thousands of miles across the Pacific.  The region is also regarded for it’s pristine condition, with average visibility in excess of 100 feet.