Great Barrier Reef: what to know before you go

Whether you’re hoping to dive or snorkel, to explore the reef by boat or fly over this UNESCO World Heritage Site by helicopter, you won’t come away disappointed. Here’s all you need to know before you go – and a few unexpected facts to inspire you.

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef

Getting to the Great Barrier Reef from the UK does take some effort, usually involving an international flight to Australia and then an internal flight on arrival. The closest airports to the reef are Cairns airport in Queensland or Hamilton Island Airport in the Whitsundays, although you can also fly into Proserpine Airport, around 16 miles from Airlie Beach, for the Whitsundays.

While Cairns airport does have an international terminal, you can’t fly direct from the UK, so will either have to travel via another city in Australia, or other locations such as New Zealand, as well as a selection of destinations in Asia including Bali, Japan and Singapore.

The only direct flight from the UK to Australia is the 17-hour trip to Perth, followed by a four-hour flight from Cairns. Otherwise there are multiple flights to Sydney and Melbourne taking around 23 hours, including a stopover en route, plus another two to three hours to Cairns. You can also fly to airports in the Whitsundays from various major cities in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef itself is around 100 miles of Australia’s east coast, with most people starting their visit from Cairns which is as little as 30 minutes from the closest islands. Port Douglas, around an hour north of Cairns, is another good alternative, around 60-90 minutes from the inner reef.

From the Whitsundays, there are various boat cruises to the reef – Hamilton Island is around two hours from Reefworld moored pontoon by fast catamaran, while it usually takes around three hours from Airlie Beach to the outer reefs.

An escorted tour to the Great Barrier Reef is often the most hassle-free option, arranging all the various flights, transfers and tours, as well as arranging the rest of your trip to Australia.

What wildlife you’ll see

The Great Barrier Reef is so astonishingly biodiverse, you could visit over and over and discover different marine life each time. The outer reefs usually have the most variety, as well as healthier coral, but the waters of the inner reefs can be calmer for snorkelling and less confident swimmers.

Whales and dolphins

In total, 30 separate whale and dolphin species have been found at the Great Barrier Reef, along with large populations of dugongs. Bottlenose dolphins, dwarf minke whales and humpback whales (which are protected in the waters around the Great Barrier Reef) are most commonly seen.

However, you can also find everything from Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins to Australian snubfin dolphins, spinner dolphins and pan-tropical spotted dolphins, as well as false killer whales, orcas, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales and various beaked whales.

Sea turtles

Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtle are also found around the Great Barrier Reef, coming here to breed – Kemp’s Ridley turtles are the only ones which don’t visit the area. Green turtles are the most commonly seen, but you can also find leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles, as well as hawksbill, flatback and olive ridley turtles.

Sea turtle

Fish

The Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, around 10% of the world’s total. Some of the most recognisable are the colourful clownfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, damselfish, parrotfish and sergeant majors, but that’s really only the beginning as you dive into this natural aquarium.

There are 80 species of Angelfish alone, one of the most easily spotted as these strikingly shaped fish are often found in the upper reef. Vividly coloured angelfish, particularly in vibrant yellows, are another common sight.

Damselfish are also seen virtually everywhere across the reef, some in bright colours, other more muted; watch these territorial fish defend their corner of the reef against larger creatures, although they aren’t as aggressive towards humans as triggerfish, another brightly coloured and patterned sight. Vivid Parrotfish, with their beak-shaped mouths, are also found in shallower sections of the reef, where you can see them biting off hard sections of coral, which they later excrete as sand.

Gobies, groupers and cod might be less eye-catching but are another common sight, along with rays including stingrays and eagle rays. Huge Manta rays can also be found around Lady Elliot Island and in the Whitsundays.

Clownfish

Sharks

Various shark species are found at the Great Barrier Reef as well, most commonly white tip, black tip and grey reef sharks, which aren’t usually a threat to humans.

You may also see tawny nurse sharks and lemon sharks, as well as great hammerhead sharks, also generally harmless if not provoked.

Sea snakes

The reef is home to 17 separate species of sea snake, although these tend to be very hard to spot. If you’re hoping to find one of these elusive creatures, the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef is often one of the better areas to try.

While Australia’s sea snakes are all venomous and should be treated with caution, they’re unlikely to attack humans unless provoked, and don’t consider people as prey.

Smaller creatures

While fish, whales, sharks and turtles might get the attention, there’s a host of tiny creatures which make the reef their home, quite apart from the 600 species of coral which make up the reef itself. Keep your eyes peeled and you could spot one of the nine species of seahorse or pipefish, plus there’s almost 5,000 types of mollusc ranging from giant clams down to cone snails, along with sea stars and sea cucumbers.

School of fish

Are there any rules you need to follow when visiting the Great Barrier Reef?

Tourists visiting the Great Barrier Reef don’t need any specific permits, but all commercial cruise operators do need specific permits, and to abide by the strict guidelines of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. This includes rules on where boats are allowed to anchor, as well as following specific responsible practices around pods of whales and dolphins.

You don’t need any previous dive experience if you’re hoping to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef, with beginner dives available as well as longer courses to get certified. If you already hold dive certification, you’ll need to bring this with you; it’s also worth checking with the operator that it’s recognised as not all are equivalent to Australian certifications.

Before any dive or snorkel, you’ll need to complete a medical questionnaire, which should be answered honestly – you’ll be far from land during your trip, so it’s vital operators have all the facts. If there are any issues, you may need a Dive Medical Certificate signed, with medical centres on the coast near the Great Barrier Reef offering the service. If you haven’t dived for a while, let the tour operator know as they may be able to provide a refresher course. It’s also essential to avoid flying for at least 12 hours after a dive, for 24 hours if you take part in more than one dive.

All visitors should also play their part in protecting the reef, including disposing of any rubbish on board the ship and not allowing it to blow overboard. It’s important not to feed the marine life either, as well as preventing food from falling from a boat into the water.

You should avoid touching or standing on coral, including being aware of your fins if diving and snorkelling, and stay a safe distance from all marine life.

Always follow any instructions from the crew or your tour operator; they are the experts in the area. Do listen to any safety briefings, even if you’ve snorkelled or dived before, and pay attention to any signs or safety requirements, such as those regarding crocodile sightings and wearing stinger suits in jellyfish season.

How to see the Great Barrier Reef safely and responsibly

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the planet’s natural wonders, but this astonishing marine world is a fragile one, so all visitors should play their part in protecting it. Responsible travel tips for exploring the Great Barrier Reef include:

• Don’t touch the coral: standing on the reef, touching it, or accidentally kicking it with fins can cause huge damage.

• Don’t feed the marine life: this can disrupt their natural behaviour. If you’re on a boat, ensure any food scraps go into a bin.

• Keep your distance: always maintain a safe distance from marine life – not only are some creatures potentially dangerous if threatened, getting too close to the marine life or attempting to touch it can lead to stress and distress.

• Use reef-friendly sunscreen: some sunscreens contain chemicals which can damage the reef. Find a reef-safe option, including specific chemical-free formulas or mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Wearing UV protective clothing also limits the amount of sunscreen needed.

• Leave nothing behind: take all waste with you and if you see rubbish in the water, remove it. Avoid single-use plastics to reduce the problem of plastic pollution as well.

• Take nothing: you shouldn’t pick up any shells or coral, even if it appears to be dead.

• Always follow instructions: tour operators are the experts about how tourists can explore the reef responsibly, so ensure you stick to their rules and guidelines.

• Don’t drink alcohol: at least not until after your snorkel or dive – you’ll find that boat cruises won’t sell alcoholic drinks until after all activities are finished for the day.

Coral and fish

Fascinating facts about the Great Barrier Reef

There’s nowhere on earth quite like the Great Barrier Reef – here’s why.

You can see it from space

The Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing visible from space. Stretching for around 2,300km, its size and the contrast between the brighter blue shallow waters over the reef and darker blue of the deep ocean mean that it stands out on photos taken from the International Space Station.

It’s the largest coral reef system in the world

Despite its name, the Great Barrier Reef isn’t a single reef. Instead it’s made up of more than 2,900 individual reefs (as well as 900 islands), running from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in the north down to Bundaberg in the south, making it the largest coral reef system in the world and the world’s largest living organism.

It has over 1,500 species of fish

The marine ecosystem is home to an astonishing number of different sea creatures, including more than 1,500 species of fish. In total, it’s believed there are as many as 1,625 species of fish including 1,400 coral reef species. Clownfish, angelfish and parrotfish are just a few of the colourful residents.

There are 600 species of coral

Without coral, there’d be no Great Barrier Reef and you can find more than 450 species of hard coral alone. There are at least 150 separate species of soft corals as well, which are made up of polyps connected by a type of fleshy tissue.

Coral polyps have no natural colour

Looking at the rainbow of shades at the Great Barrier Reef, it might seem surprising to learn that coral polyps, the tiny soft-bodied animals that are the building blocks of coral reefs, are actually translucent. Instead it’s the algae, called zooxanthellae, which live inside their tissues providing them with oxygen in return for carbon dioxide, that create the colours.

The reef is millions of years old

It took millions of years for the Great Barrier Reef to form, starting after the last Ice Age. As sea levels rose and flooded a coastal plain, the conditions were perfect for coral to grow. Coral is very slow-growing, with reefs taking thousands of years to form – some huge corals may grow less than 1cm per year – with today’s living corals sitting upon much older, dead structures.

Its inhabitants are just as old

While the reef dates back millions of years, one of its inhabitants is similarly ancient. The Nautilus, a distant cousin to the squid, is thought to be almost unchanged over the last 500 million years, looking just as it would have done hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs appeared.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Centre

The Great Barrier Reef is one of 266 natural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with some of the world’s great waterfalls, mountain ranges and geologically unusual locations such as Yellowstone National Park. There are 51 unique ocean places in the World Heritage Marine programme, including the Galápagos Islands, and the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

Explore the incredible beauty of the Great Barrier Reef on an escorted tour of Australia