The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is located off the northeastern coast of Australia bordering the Coral Sea. It is the world’s largest coral reef system and extends about 2010 km roughly parallel to Queensland’s coast. The reef is made up of nearly 3000 individual coral reefs and some 300 small coral islands, which include at least 350 species of coral. It is also a World Heritage Listed Site.

There are approximately 1500 species of fish to be found around the Reef, with many other marine animals including sharks, sea snakes, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and giant clams. You can explore the reef via snorkeling, scuba diving, passenger ferries, fishing charters, helicopter tours, whale watching and swimming with the whales, kayaking, bare-boats, taking a glass-bottomed boat or just going swimming.

Fishing on the Reef

The Great Barrier Reef offers many exciting and different fishing opportunities. Although one should always practise responsible fishing to protect the natural environment and maintain the ecological balance, there some extra guidelines when fishing in a marine park. These include not removing, interfering or killing protected fish species in the Great Barrier Reef Park. Fishers must also abide by the fishing zone requirements:

• General Use Zone (light blue) and Habitat Protection Zone (dark blue) : maximum 3 lines/rods per person to a total of 6 hooks.
• Conservation Park Zone (yellow): 1 line/rod with 1 hook per person.
• Buffer Zone (olive green): same as General Use, but trolling for pelagic species only.
• Scientific Research (orange), Marine National Park (dark green) and Preservation Zones (pink) : no fishing allowed.

Responsible reef practices include taking only what you need, not fishing where fish feeding takes place, return all unwanted or undersized fish quickly, not using pest or non-native fish for bait. If you’re unsure of the fish identity or size it should be returned to the water immediately. By fishing responsibly you can have fun without harming the marine environment and the life it supports.

Birdwatching

Birdwatching is the activity of observing and studying birds, whether through binoculars or direct sight.  Although ‘birdwatching’ implies mainly watching birds, a significant component is actually listening for bird calls. This is because many bird species are more readily found and identified by ear rather than by sight. Birdwatching is a recreational past-time for many, however it is also undertaken for the purposes of scientific study by ornithologists.

Birdwatching usually involves taking trips to observe birds in their natural habitats. The most common periods for birdwatching in temperate zones are during the spring or autumn migrations, which is when a great variety of birds may be spotted. The best time of day is usually early in the morning when the birds are most active, therefore easier to spot.

Although birdwatching is mainly a hobby, there are also competitive events organised around the world. These competitions usually consist of individuals or teams trying to accumulate a list of bird species spotted within a specified time limit.

Common equipment for birdwatching may include binoculars, a spotting scope and tripod, a notepad and a field guide. For the auditory aspect of birdwatching, special recording devices have been developed that allow birdwatchers to record bird calls for later retrieval and comparison.

If you want to learn more about the wildlife that abounds in the Daintree Rainforest of Far North Queensland, birdwatching is an excellent activity.

Daintree Rainforest

There are both land based and water based tour operators that can take you to the best places to find amazing Australian birdlife in the Daintree Area. Some of the Australian birds you might be able to spot or hear include:

• the Sacred Kingfisher
• the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher
• the Yellow Oriole
• the Great-billed Heron
• the Papuan Frogmouth
• the Royal Spoonbill
• the Wompoo Fruit-dove
• the Black Bittern
• the Brahminy Kite
• the Azure Kingfisher
• and the Cassowaries.

Snorkeling

The Daintree area offers so much to do, including many activities where you can learn about the surrounding environment and the life that inhabits it. Snorkeling is one way to explore the marine life in the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Listed site and the world’s largest coral reef. It stretches along the Queensland coast for approximately 35 million hectares

Snorkeling is where one swims with a diving mask, a snorkel and flippers, and sometimes a wetsuit. The swimmer uses this equipment in order to observe life under water for extended periods of time without having to come up for air or expend a lot of effort. The benefit of snorkeling is that it allows swimmers to observe marine life without the training or equipment needed in scuba diving. Usually snorkelers will travel to a particular underwater attraction, such as a reef or a wreck, or to locations where different varieties of fish, plants and formations can be found. Generally locations that are between 1 – 5 meters below the surface are favoured by snorkelers.

Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is where a diver uses a scuba set to breathe under water, whether for leisure or for other reasons (commercial, search and rescue, etc). Rather than relying on air from the surface, scuba divers carry compressed air with them, giving them greater freedom of movement. Originally the term ’scuba’ was an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, first used during WWII. Scuba diving is a great activity for the Great Barrier Reef, whether trained or diving with a trained instructor.

Due to the risks of diving to deep depths, scuba divers must undergo training to dive by themselves. Changes in air pressure can cause painful injuries to the diver if he/she does not know how to equalise the pressure in their air spaces. Scuba diving equipment can include a wet suit to keep the diver warm, an open-circuit diving regulator coupled to a single pressurised gas cylinder, a face mask, flippers, and so on. The advantage of scuba diving is that the diver can dive much deeper without having to come up for air, compared to snorkeling. As a result, all sorts of different marine life can be observed.