the great barrier reef

The Great Barrier Reef includes over 2,900 reefs, around 940 islands and cays, and stretches 2,300 kms along the Queensland coastline. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 345,000 km2, that's larger than the entire area of the UK and Ireland combined. The reef is really complex with over 1,500 species of fish, 359 types of hard coral, one third of the world's soft corals, over 175 bird species, six of the world's seven species of threatened marine turtle and more than 30 species of marine mammals including dugongs.

Add to that stunning marine life are 5,000 to 8,000 molluscs and thousands of different sponges, worms, 800 species of starfish, sea urchins and 215 bird species, of which 29 are seabirds.The Great Barrier Reef is listed under all four natural World Heritage criteria for its outstanding universal value.