The Great Barrier Reef is the only living collection of organisms that are visible from Earth's orbit. The Great Barrier Reef, off the north east coast of Australia, is one of the seven wonders of the natural world - it is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, and declared a World Heritage area in 1981.
The Great Barrier Reef is scattered with beautiful islands and pristine coral cay's and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef consists of more than 3000 individual reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. There are more than 600 islands that also form part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Corals make up the various reefs and cay's of the Great Barrier Reef. These are the basis for the immense diversity of sea and animal life in the Reef. Coral consists of individual coral polyps, that are tiny live creatures which join together to form a colony. Each polyp lives inside a shell of a type of calcium carbonate which is the hard shell we recognize as coral. The polyp colonies join together to create forests of vividly colored coral shapes.
The perfect environment for coral is shallow warm water where there is considerable tidal movement, plenty of light, and where the water is salty and low in nutrient.
There is a huge variety and diversity of coral species; some grow very slowly and may live to be hundreds of years old, other types of coral on the Great Barrier Reef grow much faster. The colors of coral are created by algae called zooxanthellae. Only coral that is alive is brightly colored, dead coral is white.
Two major threats to the Great Barrier Reef include predation of the coral by the Crown of Thorns starfish. Since the early 1960s the Crown of Thorns starfish has been destroying the corals which make up the Great Barrier Reef. Research has indicated that Crown of Thorn starfish outbreaks go through a series of stages on the Great Barrier Reef which can last from 1 to 15 years. The impact of a Crown of Thorns infestation on sea and bird life of the Great Barrier Reef can be significant as the corals die. Coral colonies form an important foundation of the Great Barrier Reef food chain. Crown of Thorns starfish have a major impact on the Great Barrier Reef and local government bodies have initiated a Crown of Thorns removal program which sees commercial divers killing the starfish by injecting them with a specific local poison.
The other significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef is coral bleaching. This phenomenon is not exclusive to Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, but has been observed on reefs throughout the world. Scientists believe that coral bleaching can be attributed to significant rises in water temperature due to global warming.
WAVELENGTH Reef Charters is privileged to have one of the world’s greatest natural areas on earth under our care. The Great Barrier Reef is the greatest collection of coral reefs on earth. People come from all parts of the world to marvel at the beauty of the clear turquoise water, the islands, the birds, and the corals the fish and the other marine life of the Great Barrier Reef.
Why
Snorkel?
Most
of the Reef’s diversity occurs in the top 4 metres of water!
Snorkeling is a simple and safe activity, involving no expertise,
experience or complicated equipment. Snorkeling allows
people of all ages and abilities to experience this unique marine
environment. With crew support,
even non-swimmers can enjoy the incredible range of marine life.
Our highly trained
crew will teach the simple techniques of snorkeling, with special
attention to the beginners and advice on advanced skills for
the more experienced.
Snorkeling offers
a self-paced tour with the opportunity for interaction with
both marine life and a marine biologist.
Environmental Management Charge (EMC) -commonly
referred to as Reef Tax
The
rapid expansion of tourism, and other commercial operations,
in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the last decade has
given a new urgency for research and education programs.
Information is needed to guarantee the survival and conservation
of the world’s largest Marine Park and World Heritage Area.
Thus an Environmental Management Charge EMC (Environmental Management Charge) has been
introduced by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to visitors of the Great Barrier
Reef and industries operating within the World Heritage Area.
All funds
raised by the EMC are used by the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority GBRMPA (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority) for research, education and Marine Park
management.
The money
is used by many different organizations, all with the aim of
researching the physical, chemical and biological processes
occurring within the Marine Park and combining this data to
ensure proper management techniques.
Currently
the EMC is $5.00 per person and is the duty of all reef operators
to collect either as part of the tour rate or separately onboard.
Visibility
The average visibility in the northern sector
of the Great Barrier Reef is 15 meters. Exceptional visibility
of 20-25 meters can be experienced occasionally. Visibility
is generally at its best between Sept & November. Visibility
is generally decreased during and after a run of very windy
weather or increased rain fall which causes increased run-off
of sediments from the mainland.
Outer Reef versus Inner Reef
As the Inner Reef is closer to the coast there
is generally more sediment in the water which is caused by the
run-off from Mainland Rivers and streams. These sediments decrease
the visibility underwater and also limit the amount of sunlight
that filters through the water. Coral needs sunlight in order
to survive and grow. So the more sunlight that can penetrate
the water the larger and faster corals will grow. Although the
Inner Reef has many beautiful corals mainly of the softer variety
it can not compare to the Outer Reef, which due to its distance
from the mainland has less sediments and more sunlight can penetrate
the water. This means the Outer Reef has a greater diversity
and abundance of coral and fish life as compared to the Inner
Reef. The Outer Reef is simply spectacular.
Stingers
Jellyfish or Stingers occur in all tropical waters
and thanks to research efforts Great Barrier Reef operators
have a lot of information on which to base their activities
and to ensure the safety of their passengers. We know that from
approximates October to May the most lethal species of box jellyfish
lives in estuaries and costal waters along the Far North Queensland
coast, however they do not seem to venture offshore to areas
visited by Outer Reef operators such as WAVELENGTH. There are
other species of jellyfish, including oceanic and offshore species
of box jellyfish, which occasionally occur and if encountered
can have serious health issues and in extreme instances, cause
fatality. These occur in all tropical snorkeling and diving
locations throughout the world, including Hawaii, Florida, the
Caribbean, Thailand, Fiji and Indonesia especially during the
warmer seasons. From October to May, we advise the wearing of
full body coverage using lira suits and/or wetsuits to minimise
the already low possibility of jellyfish stings. WAVELENGTH provides Lycra suits free of charge from October to May.
Sharks
If you come across a shark on the Great Barrier
Reef it is generally a white tip reef shark which is non-aggressive
and rather shy. Larger sharks such as Tigers and Whalers which
have been known to attack humans are rarely seen and are generally
cautious of humans.
Seasonal Events
November –
Coral Spawning:
Coral Spawning is often called “Sex on the Reef” as this is
the time that corals release their eggs and sperm at the same
time. Some describe it as an upside-down snow storm is slow
motion and it is an impressive sight. It usually happens 4 nights
after the full moon in November. A lot of critters are active
at this time as the coral spawn provide a smorgasbord feast
for marine dwelling creatures.
July – September –
Whales,
the Great Migration: Each winter
and spring you will see individual or pods of Humpback and Minke
Whale making their way through the waters of the Great Barrier
Reef. These majestic creatures spend their winters in tropical
waters and may grow to more than 15 metres. We often have the
pleasure of catching a glimpse as they dance amongst the waves.
With their huge tail flukes they make an impressive display.
Another friendly marine mammal is the bottlenose dolphin who
we often see riding our bow waves.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA) is the principal adviser to the Commonwealth Government
on the care and development of the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park. It is the main aim of GBRMPA to ensure the protection,
wise use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef
in perpetuity through the care and development of the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park. WAVELENGTH Reef Charters works within
the Guidelines and permit regulations as set by GBRMPA to ensure
the Great Barrier Reef can be seen and used by future generations.
Form more information on GBRMPA and the management of Tourism
on the Reef please visit the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
WEB SITE
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