Snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef
Adventure at Australian UNESCO World Heritage Site
Apr 20, 2009
The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef on the globe, made up of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands scattered across 2,600 kilometres of the Coral Sea off the Queensland coast in northeast Australia. It is home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 400 species of hard and soft corals. More information about the reef can be found on the Australian Government Culture Portal website.
The reef is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site (deemed so in 1981), but also a must-see spot for travellers, who can revel in it by snorkeling, scuba diving or simply viewing it via submersibles — to an extent. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects the reef by limiting humans’ impact on the area. Rope borders an area at Hardy Reef, for example, in which snorkellers are allowed to explore.
Day Trip to the Great Barrier Reef
Catamarans make day trips to the reef from several Queensland locations. A trip leaving Shute Harbour takes tourists to Hardy Reef. Once there, passengers transfer onto another vessel, Reefworld, where they can access wetsuits, goggles, flippers and a mouthpiece for snorkelling, enjoy a buffet lunch, lounge on the sundeck and take in the sea in its various shades of teal, or watch the aquatic life in a viewing chamber.
The trip to Hardy Reef from Shute Harbour takes a couple of hours, and a snorkelling lesson, video on reef life, or whales surfacing outside can keep passengers engaged during the journey. The water en route can be choppy, but the crew can help any passengers who suffer from seasickness.
Upon arrival at Reefworld, snorkellers can find and change into their gear, and head to the point on the vessel where they sit on its edge to enter the water. They can hang onto the rope bordering the snorkelling area to make them feel more comfortable. A key to snorkelling is to take it step by step, and within minutes, a novice may be letting go of the rope.
Mere moments of viewing what lies beneath the surface may then make it difficult to get out of the water: An explosion of bright colours in the form of coral and fish of different shapes, sizes and patterns that glide or dart by solo or in schools, and a hump headed Maori wrasse fish the crew named Wally may swim close enough to touch, if he’s around.
The experience is like swimming in an enormous aquarium, with what look like endless depths among the exotic landscape below. Hardy Reef itself is a marvel, but the coral is some areas — those closest to the surface, in particular — has been bleached by the sun. Visitors need to take care not to stand on it or cause it damage.
How to Get to Shute Harbour
Hamilton Airport, which is close to Shute Harbour, serves airlines from within Australia. Airlie Beach is a nearby town that offers accommodation. The cost of a day trip to Reefworld from Shute Harbour for one adult is just over $200 AUS, but travellers are advised to double check as prices are subject to change.
What to Bring on a Snorkelling Day Trip
Travellers should bring along a swimsuit (wearing it under clothing on the way out can save time and a rush at the change rooms at Reefworld), a towel, sunscreen, and if they so wish, a hat, camera and funds for snacks and/or souvenirs. They should be prepared to be out all day.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s natural wonders, with colourful and varied marine life. This beauty and habitat now has the reef as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where visitors will discover a feast for the eyes and something so much greater than what can be found in an indoor aquarium.
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