Great Barrier Reef

The list of natural wonders that can be seen from space is a short one. The Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia is one of them. It stretches nearly the distance from Washington, DC to Denver, CO.  

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet. It is part of a larger complex known as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park which is about half the size of Texas. More than 1 million visitors experience the park’s natural beauty each year. However, the reason the GBRMP is such a tourism hotspot is the barrier reef, which comprises only about seven percent of the Marine Park.



An estimated 1,500 species of marine life including colorful fish, seahorse, sharks and stingrays, whales and dolphins, giant clams, and numerous other species make this natural wonder their home. Some of the turtle and crocodile species have been around since prehistoric times. More than 350 types of coral live and grow on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is more than just a coral reef and marine life. It includes extensive areas of seagrass, mangrove, sandy and muddy seabed communities, deep oceanic waters and island communities. 

Also, it is not a continuous barrier along the Queensland coastline. Rather it is a broken maze of around 3,000 individual reefs each with its own individual characteristics. In some areas the reef extends 250 kilometers, more than 150 miles, offshore.

Marine tourism is the largest commercial activity in the Marine Park. It is considered a world renowned destination for scuba divers. Visitors can also experience the natural beauty of the coral reef and its inhabitants by snorkeling, riding on semi-submersibles or glass bottom boats, helmet dives, and on sea planes or helicopters.

Our itinerary includes a full day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef with a dedicated marine biologist. Even though snorkeling is one of the options offered, I think I’ll choose to see this natural wonder from a semi-submersible vessel.