Great Barrier Reef

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, covering over 350,000 square kilometres of the sea off the Tropical North Queensland Coast of Australia in the Coral Sea.

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral formation in the world, extends northward nearly to Papua New Guinea, from its southernmost outpost at Lady Elliott Island a distance of 2300 kilometres  It is not a single continuous reef but a vast assemblage of reefs, shoals and islands.

The outer barrier reef approximately follows the edge of the continental shelf (100-fathom line) it varies from 32 km to 260 km off the coast of Queensland. The huge lagoon area it protects, which is generally less than 60 metres in depth, contains many inner reefs and islands, some of them high islands of continental origin.  To the east lies the Coral Sea, rimed on the north by Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and to the east by Vanuatu and New Caledonia.  It contains a few scattered reefs which rise from depths of 700 to 1800 m.  The clarity of the sea at these reefs is exceptional, making them popular destinations for dive boats from Queensland.

The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage listed site and is listed as one of the seven Natural Wonders of the world.

Believed to be the densest assemblage of living organisms to be found in any comparable area in the world.

On average the Great Barrier Reef is about 40 metres deep.

A large part of the Great Barrier Reef is a World Hertigage listed National Park, protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The Great Barrier Reef have, been for centuries, been bountiful providers of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans to local inhabintants.  In some communities , shells have also been a source of currency, while in many places a lack of stone has resulted in the use of shells and coral as building materials

In recent times, the reefs have been exploited c ommercially hor beche-de-met, trochus shell and reef fish.  Tourism , a fast developing industry is very much dependent upon the reef for its future livelihood

Coral skeleton deposits date back over half a million years have been found by the Reef Research Centre a cooperative Reseach Centre.  Corals have been growing on the Great Barrier Reef for as long as 25 million years.

According to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the current living reef structure is believed to have begun growing on a older platform about 20,000 years ago.  The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences agrees, which places the beginning of the growth of the current Great Barrier Reef at the time of the last Glacial Maximum.

At around that time, the sea was 120 metres (394 feet) lower than it is today.  The land that formed the substrate of the Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain with some larger hills some of which were remnants of older reefs.

Marine Biologists studying corals on the Great Barrier Reef have recently discovered that most growth occurs at around sunset and seems to last for another two or three hours.

The Great Barrier Reef has always held a special fascination for humans.  Diving and snorkelling is an outstanding way to view the amazing fish and coral on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef supports a huge diversity of life, including many vulnerable endangered species and some which may be endemic to the Great Barrier Reef.

Whales – 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises have been recorded living in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef including Dwarf Minke Whale, Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins, Pilot Whales, and the Humpback Whales, Large populations of Dugongs.

Sea Turtles – six species of sea turtles come to the Great Barrier Reef to breed – Green Sea Turtle, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Flat back Sea Turtle and the Olive Ridley one of the smallest species of sea turtles in the world – usually less than 100 pounds nams from its heart shaped shell and its colour of olive green

Seagrass - 15 Species of seagrass attract the dugongs and turtles.  

Sharks - 125 species of shark, stingrays, skates or chimera live on the Great Barrier Reef.

Mollusc - 5000 species of mollusc have been recorded on the Great Barrier Reef including the Giant Clam and various nudibranchs and cone snails.

Sea Snakes -17 species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef none of the sea snakes found in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef area are endemic to the Great Barrier Reef, nor are any of them endangered.

Fish - 15000 + species of fish live on the Great Barrier Reef, including the clown fish, Red Bass, Red-Throat Emperor, and several species of Snapper and Coral Trout.

Corals - 400 Species of corals, both hard and soft corals are found on the Great Barrier Reef.  The majority of the spawn gametes, breeding in mass spawning events that are controlled by the rising temperature of spring and summer, the lunar cycle, and the diurnal cycle.  Reefs in the inner Great Barrier Reef spawn within the week after the full moon in October, the outer reefs spawn in November and December.  The common soft corals on the Great Barrier Reef belong to thirty-six genera 500 species of marine algae or seaweed live on the reef.

Over 200 species of birds (including 40 species of seabirds)
live on the Great Barrier Reef

White-breasted sea eagles live on the coast and islands. They find it hard to take off from the water, so they fish by snatching their prey from the water's surface.

The Roseate tern migrates from the islands of the Great Barrier Reef as far as Japan, and is protected by the Japan Australia Migratory Birds Act.
Raine Island is one of Australia's most significant seabird rookeries and has the greatest number of nesting species (17).

Seaweed - 500 species of seaweed or Marine Algae live on the Great Barrier Reef Most seaweeds are not poisonous to humans but a few, such as Caulerpa, are poisonous to grazing animals and so, survive on the reef without being eaten.

Seaweeds contain many compounds useful to humans: carrageenans or agar (from red seaweeds) or alginates (from brown seaweeds) are used in ice cream, instant puddings, salad dressings, printers ink, cosmetics, in pharmaceuticals and to coat pills.

Due to the Great Barrier Reef’s vast biodiversity, warm clear aqua blue waters and its accessibility from the floating guest facilities called ‘liveaboards’ ranging from basic accommodation to luxurious accommodation onboard Reef Encounter Australia’s boutique floating hotel.  The Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist attraction especially for divers and snorkellers.  Many cities along Australia’s Queensland Coast offer daily boat trips to the reef.  Several continental and coral cay islands have been turned into resorts.

As the largest commercial activity in the region.  It was established in 2003 that tourism on the Great Barrier Reef generates over AU$4 billion annually.   A 2005 estimate puts the figures at AU$5.1 billion.  Approximately two million people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year.  Although most of these visits are managed partnerships with the Marine Tourism industry.

A variety of boat tours and cruises are offered form single day to longer voyages.  Boat sizes range from dinghies to super yachts .  Glass bottom boats and underwater observatories are also popular, as are helicopter flights, by far the most popular activity on the Great Barrier Reef is snorkelling and scuba diving.

Our family owned and operated company, is dedicated to providing outstanding trips to the Great Barrier Reef so that everyone can experience the magic of the Great Barrier Reef no matter what their budget is, where our goal is to provide unique experiences where our clients feel like they have spent one or several days with friends rather than a number on a manifest.  We have been blessed with wonderful crew who are passionate about protecting the Great Barrier Reef and sharing their knowledge and love of the Great Barrier Reef with our guests.  Our trips cater for people from Europe, the United Kingdom, The United States, New Zealand and Australia.  They are best suited to people who want to get in the water and experience the Great Barrier Reef.

Our team have a great reputation of getting people in the water many of which cannot swim, we cater for disabled guests and enjoy working with people who are restricted in a wheelchair experience great freedom in the water.

Our budget day trip Compass Cruises assures that people on a budget can afford to visit the Great Barrier Reef.

Our high speed catamaran ‘Reef Experience’ which took over 2 years to complete provides an outstanding trip to the Great Barrier Reef the vessel is very stable in all sea conditions, Reef Experience departs Cairns every morning starting our day with a barbeque bacon and egg burger and fresh tropical fruit before departing our trip takes approximately 1 hour to reach the crystal clear aqua blue warm waters of the Outer Barrier Reef, the skipper, decides which spectacular reef location to visit depending on weather conditions – we have an added advantage of being able to liaise with our skipper onboard Reef  Encounter our boutique floating hotel which is always positioned on the Great Barrier Reef for up to date weather and sea conditions.

Reef Experience has a one all inclusive price that includes City bus transfers from your accommodation house to the Marlin Jetty where we depart from, Breakfast, 2 spectacular Outer Barrier Reef locations, 6 hours at the Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Buffet lunch, glass bottom boat, wetsuits, guests can choose to participate in a guided snorkel, an introductory dive or a certified dive and cheese and biscuits and tropical fruits on the journey back to Cairns – for our guests that want personalised attention we offer our Top Deck Club onboard Reef Experience.

Reef Encounter our boutique floating hotel offers twin or double stateroom accommodation all with private ensuites and large windows overlooking the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.  Our onboard chefs prepare fresh delicious meals onboard, we offer wonderful packages for our clients whether they want to relax on a deck chair, snorkel or scuba dive – scuba diving for people of all levels from people who have never experienced scuba diving, people who want to become a certified diver with our 3 day personalised open water dive course where you can learn to dive in the crystal clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef to the advanced diver.

Also onboard Reef Encounter we offer our Top Deck Club for our guests that want the absolute best on their Great Barrier Reef experience.

We work closely with several great pontoon operations for people who don’t want to get in the water which offer underwater observatories, semi-submersibles, touch tanks and a stable platform.

Scenic helicopter transfer flights can be arranged to our vessel Reef Encounter the only tourist vessel on the Great Barrier Reef to have its own onboard helicopter pad.

The pontoon operations have pontoons that helicopters can land on where guests can take a short scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef or transfer to or from the pontoon this can be done in conjunction with a day trip so guests can still participate in snorkelling and diving.

Scenic flights on a small plane every guest has a window seat so that clients get a great view of the Great Barrier Reef are another great way to see the reef from the air.