Australia's Great Wonder
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space.
Fun Facts About The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.
It is found in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure.
It is made up of around 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
The Great Barrier Reef is around 2600 kilometres (1616 miles) in length.
Astronauts can see the Great Barrier Reef from space.
Marine animals called coral play an important role in the formation of the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral create calcium carbonate which forms a hard, shell-like skeleton.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to a wide range of life, including fish, sea turtles, giant clam, seahorse, sea snakes, Nudibranch, sea turtles, stingray, sharks and many more.
Over 1500 different species of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef, including Clownfish, star of the animated film Finding Nemo.
Whales, dolphins and Dugong can also be seen in the Great Barrier Reef.
Climate change is perhaps the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
Warmer ocean temperatures put stress on coral and lead to coral bleaching.
I got my information from
( http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/greatbarrierreef.html )
How big is the reef?
The Great Coral Reef
Some Fish in the Great Coral Reef
About The Great Barrier Reef
Add to the 1,500 species of fish another 4,000 individual species of molluscs, 400 unique and distinct types of sponges and at least 360 different species of hard corals and you probably have the most densely populated and rich ecosystem on the planet.
Many endangered species have made the reef their home, like amazing loggerhead and green turtles who seem to glide effortlessly through the beautiful blue waters, with the reef also being the preferred breeding ground of the majestic humpback whale who make the journey here every year.
Though the Great Barrier Reef does nothing but simply exist, and for the most part remains out of view, it manages to contribute in excess of $6 Billion to the economy of Australia, purely in the amount of tourism it attracts to the Australian coastal resorts.
Along with the boost to the Australian economy the reef also provides a range of jobs in the tourism and leisure industry, enough jobs for approximately 63,000 people in total up and down the coastline.
The Great Barrier Reef attracts over 1,000,000 visitors annually who come to experience the reef for themselves, whether they choose to snorkel or dive or simply swim in the beautiful waters here, it is the reef that draws them to the region.
The reef has been designated a World Heritage Site which means it is for all intents and purposes an underwater National park, which has earned it the title of being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Anyone who has experienced the reef for themselves will certainly agree with that description of it.
A Scuba Dive on The Reef
Anyone who has taken part in a reef dive anywhere in the world thinks they have seen incredible beauty and an amazing array of life, but they have seen nothing that can compare to the wonders that lie beneath the waves here. Experienced the immensity of the Great Barrier Reef they will understand what beauty and wonder really is. It seems to be without end, a coral formation encrusted with many colorful jewels in the forms of anemones and sponges.
Brightly colored fish dart in and out of the amazing landscape and off in the distance the silhouettes of large game fish and reef sharks can be seen.
Rays glide by seemingly in silent flight and schools of shimmering fish reflect the warming rays of the sun. Once you are immersed deep in the water here you will almost feel as though you are looking at the landscape of another planet, vast and beautiful, and something that only a privileged few will ever get to see first hand.