One of the most amazing natural wonders on earth is actually under water – yes, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is this amazing wonder of wonders that stretches for a distance of over 2600 kilometres and over an area of around 345,000 square kilometres along the east coast of Queensland from the Tropic of Capricorn to Papua New Guinea. The reef is the world’s largest reef system – a single natural formation built up by living organisms. It is also known to be the largest living structure on the planet. The reef complex is so large that it is larger than the Great Wall of China and is visible from outer space! It is believed that the origin of the Great Barrier Reef dates back around half a million years and the present reef structure is between 6000 and 8000 years old.

Located in north-east Australia, off the coast of Queensland, in Coral Sea, the reef is the most recognised icon of Queensland. The reef is one of the most favourite destinations of tourists from all over the world and attracts millions of them from within the country and outside. The reef experience is so beautiful that if one has seen it once one wants to go back again, and it is no wonder then that the tourists to the location have increased by the millions over the last several years.

The reef is rich in biodiversity in that it is inhabited by billions or trillions of minute living organisms and has been listed as a World Heritage Site. The reef is home to hundreds of coral species and also supports a diversity of life including several that is presently facing the threat of extinction. The diversity of life supported by the Great Barrier Reef include several species of whales, dolphins, sea turtles, dugongs, fish, frogs, sea snakes and sea horses, hundreds of species of sharks and stingrays, and thousands of varieties of molluscs and fish and many, many more.

A large variety of sea grass is found around these regions, and they help in forming habitats compatible for different species of turtles, fish and dugongs. Hundreds of varieties of seaweeds also live on this extensive stretch of reef. The increasing temperatures of the sea during the different seasons, the lunar cycle, the diurnal cycle, etc contribute to giving the corals in the region the right setting for mass spawning. In addition to the millions of living organisms that the reef supports under water, there are also saltwater crocodiles living in the marshes along the coast and hundreds of varieties of sea birds and shore birds visiting the islands of the region. The ecology of the reef in its entirety presents an amazing world least upset by human intervention.

The Great Barrier Reef is composed of close to 3000 individual reefs and around 900 islands, the most popular among them being Lizard Island, The Whitsundays and Lady Elliot Island made famous by the multitudes of tourists who visit these islands every year to explore the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. The closest gateway to the Reef, however, is known to be Cairns from where tourists venture on guided tours into the waters to discover the amazing marine life that inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.

The world’s largest and busiest stretch of marine life can be seen in and around the Great Barrier Reef. The region is in such pristine condition that one can enjoy nature at its amazing best and that too under water! The Great Barrier Reef is in a way nature’s own giant canvas that showcases a brilliant collage of colours and patterns presented by the spectacular harmony of flora and fauna that coexist in and around the reef.