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GREAT BARRIER REEF, Australia...
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park begins at
the tip of Cape York in Queensland and
extends south past the Tropic of Capricorn
almost to Bundaberg. It's area is larger
than Victoria and Tasmania combined,
covering an area of approximately 345,400km2
and stretching more than 2,300 km along the
northeast coast of Australia. The Great
Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most
complex ecosystems in the world.
Marine life in the Great Barrier Reef is
diverse with approximately:
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1,500 species of fish
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360 species of hard coral
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1/3 of the world's soft
coral
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The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park contains
more than 900 islands, of these, 618 are
continental islands. The park has 300 coral
cays of which 230 are permanently vegetated.
The remainder are small, bare sand cays that
shift in response to winds, waves and
currents. The Continental shelf provides the
platform from which the reefs of the Great
Barrier Reef develop.
ACTIVITIES:
There are a few coral cays near Port
Douglas, these are popular with commercial
film and modelling agents. Weddings can be
catered for, with ceremonies conducted on
the cay. Visits to cays are more determined
by tidal movement compared to island visits.
Several island groups in the area provide a
unique day for guests to disembark Phantom.
Guests can walk around some islands in 15
minutes or spend the day at the beach, great
for small children to learn swimming and
snorkelling from the island shore. Many soft
corals are present in shallow island waters
with a variety of marine life especially
turtles. |
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