Where Does The Great Barrier Reef Begin And End?

The Great Barrier Reef is a beautiful natural wonder and a must-visit World Heritage site.

Stretching 2300 kilometres along the Queensland coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world! The reef begins at Cape York Peninsula and extends to Bundaberg. There is so much to see here, with thousands of marine life and coral, over 3000 individual reefs, and 900 islands.

The dazzling marine life

There are approximately 9000 species of marine life that call the Great Barrier Reef home. Some of our favourite marine life includes clownfish, reef sharks, manta rays, and turtles.

The reef is home to over 1500 different species of fish alone! There are fish of all shapes, sizes, and colours swimming through the waters, with some living around the coral.

There are also various marine mammals, which are fascinating and amazing to see. If you explore the reef, you might get the chance to see whales, seals, dugongs, and dolphins!

Great Barrier Reef activities 

There is a range of activities you can do to explore the Great Barrier Reef. With an activity to suit everyone, you’ll have the chance to see marine life and spectacular coral.

– Snorkelling

The easiest and most popular activity on the Great Barrier Reef is snorkelling! You can’t visit the reef without trying out snorkelling where you can witness the marine life and the coral.

– Diving

There are two types of dives you can do on the reef, scuba diving and helmet diving. Scuba diving is more popular and not as difficult as it seems! You’ll have the chance to explore further into the water and swim alongside different marine life.

Helmet diving is simple too, and non swimmers can take part. Helmet diving allows you to walk along the seabed, a unique experience that is great to try out.

– Glass bottom boat

Watch as the underwater world passes beneath you in a glass bottom boat. These boats have glass at the bottom, where you look through and see the Great Barrier Reef without getting in the water.

– Scenic flight

A unique way to see the reef is from a bird’s-eye view on a scenic flight! Choose a helicopter or seaplane and take in the stunning waters from above.

Scenic flights are also a great way to see Heart Reef, a reef shaped like a heart.

You can experience all these activities on a tour of the Great Barrier Reef! Choose from a deluxe cruise tour for snorkelling and diving, a pontoon tour to get a bit of everything, or a two day liveaboard tour. These tours will give you the best experience of the reef, where you can witness its sheer beauty.

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.