- Coordinates : 18 ° 17'10 "S w. 147 ° 42'00 "in. e.
- Area: 344,400 sq. M. km
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is considered the largest of its kind on the whole Earth. It includes more than 2900 autonomous coral reefs and 900 islets located in the Coral Sea. By its structure this unique natural formation consists of many millions of microorganisms - coral polyps.
What is a reef?
The length of the Great Barrier Reef, which is located on the north-eastern coast, is 2500 km. This is the largest natural object on the planet, created by living organisms, so it is easy to see from space.
If you look at the Great Barrier Reef on a world map, it can be seen that it starts between the cities of Bandaberg and Gladstone near the Tropic of Capricorn, and ends in the Torres Strait, which divides Australia and New Guinea.
The area of education is more than the area of the two islands of Great Britain. In the northern extremity, the width of the reef is 2 km, and closer to the south, this figure already reaches 152 km.
Usually most of the elements of the ridge are hidden under water and are shown only during low tides. In the south, it is distant from the coast for 300 km, and in the northern part, at Cape Melville, the reef is at a distance of only 32 km from the continent.
Current state
The Great Barrier Reef is an ecosystem that provides the existence of thousands of representatives of underwater flora and fauna and is protected by UNESCO. It is considered one of the seven original wonders of the world, created by nature. To avoid the destruction of the reef, this unique natural object is transferred to the jurisdiction of the Marine National Park, which is in charge of nature protection.
To local aborigines the reef is known from time immemorial and is an integral part of their culture and spirituality. This landmark is a genuine visiting card of Queensland. However, scientists are concerned: The Great Barrier Reef, which is formed of more than 400 species of coral, has lost 50% of the polyps that form it.
Origin
Researchers have determined that the age of this attraction is about 8000 years, and on its ancient basis continue to build new layers of corals. It was formed along a stable shelf platform due to insignificant shifts in the earth's crust. If we consider the position of the Great Barrier Reef on the map, it becomes clear why it appeared here. Corals, able to form reefs, can live and develop only in small, warm and transparent waters.
Types of corals
Basically this formation consists of hard corals. Among them:
- coral-brain;
- "deer horns";
- mushroom-shaped corals.
Their color varies from red to saturation yellow. There are also soft corals without limestone skeleton - gorgonian. Often tourists see corals not only red and yellowish, but also lilac-purple, white, orange, brown and even black hues.
Local nature
The underwater world in these waters is very diverse. Its typical representatives are sea turtles, mollusks, lobsters, lobsters, shrimps. There are also whales, killer whales, dolphins. Of fish, it is worth mentioning whale sharks, butterfly fish, moray eels, parrot fish, bodybuilders and others. More than 200 species of birds belong to local inhabitants. These are phaetons, petrels, various types of terns, osprey, white-bellied eagle and others.
Tourism
You can see all the beauty of the reserve from pleasure craft with special viewing windows. However, you can not inspect everything. Not every island is accessible for excursions. Some of them are visited only by scientists for studying flora and fauna. In addition, the local ecosystem is very fragile, so there are prohibited underwater hunting, oil and gas production, mining.
The islets of Hayman and Lizard are designed for fashionable tourists, so local hotels offer their guests maximum comfort: free Wi-Fi, cozy rooms, spa and fitness centers, swimming pools, elite restaurants and bars. But you can visit the North Mall and Wansandez and break the tent there for a small fee.
If you are going to do diving, remember that under the water you can not touch polyps: it destroys them.
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