Why the Great Barrier Reef is special
It stretches 2000 kilometers (1200 miles) in the Coral Sea along Australia's northeastern coast - and supports 10,000 species including 1500 types of fishes and 200 kinds of birds (which live on the cays, atolls and islands dotting the Great Barrier Reef).
The sheer beauty of the fish and coral waterscapes of the Great Barrier Reef draws hundreds of thousands of tourists annually who come to see the spectacle via diving, snorkeling and glass-bottom boating.

More than just a "reef"
The name "Great Barrier Reef" is a misnomer. The entity is really a collection of thousands of distinct coral reefs.

How this natural wonder evolved
Coral reefs like those of the Great Barrier Reef are formed by marine animals called polyps. Their skeletal remains (gazillions of them) slowly build up on top of each other over countless millennia. The new polyps grow on the base of their ancestors into splendiferous configurations.

Ecological concerns
The Great Barrier Reef is a complex and delicate eco-system. Conservationists fear that the large influx of visitors and their collateral effect on pollution are damaging the very natural wonder that people come to celebrate.

What leading travel books say about the Great Barrier Reef
The diversity of life forms on the Great Barrier Reef is extraordinary.
Australia
Eyewitness Guides

The Great Barrier Reef is an area of stunning natural beauty.
Great Barrier Reef
Lonely Planet Guides