The reef, as one of the most spectacular expressions of nature on Earth, joins Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls on the list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – and for good reason. The reef is quite unbelievably large, its sheer size is awe inspiring, stretching across a distance that is equal to the miles between London and Athens and covering an area roughly the size of Germany. It also is one of the most biodiverse environments on Earth, rivalled only by a handful of tropical rainforests. In fact, there are more fish species living in a two-acre area of the Great Barrier Reef than there are bird species in all of North America.
Oh, and did I mention the reef has World Heritage status? That’s right. In 1981 the Great Barrier Reef was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage list. The 1,400-mile continuous stretch of reef ecosystem qualified as it was of extreme biodiverse significance – after all the reef is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 species of mollusc, 133 species of sharks and rays, and 30 species of whales and dolphins, not to mention the endangered large green turtle and dugong. The reef is vital when it comes to coastal protection, fisheries and tourism; it receives over two million visitors each year.