Interesting Great Barrier Reef Facts

This page lists some interesting Great Barrier Reef facts.

Please note however that all figures quoted are approximate and come from various sources.*

Natural Facts

• The Great Barrier Reef is over 2000 kilometers long
• It stretches from southern Queensland to beyond the northernmost tip of Australia, towards Papua New Guinea
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park covers an area half the size of Texas
• It's the only living structure that's visible from the moon
• Almost 3000 separate coral reefs and over 900 islands go towards making up the Great Barrier Reef
• The Reef is home to the planet's most complex ecosystem and supports:
  - 1500 species of fish
  - 350 different types of coral
  - 4000 different species of molluscs and shellfish
  - 1000 different species of sea-sponge
  - 500 different species of echinoderms, such as starfish
  - 400 different species of seaweed
  - 30 different species of marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins
  - 175 different species of bird
  - 6 of the world's 7 species of endangered marine turtles
• The Reef's origins date back to the last Ice Age

The above Great Barrier Reef facts just go to show how vast and diverse this ecosystem really is.

The animals, birds and plants that you may see on a visit to the Reef make up just a tiny fraction of what occupies the Reef waters and surrounding areas of land!

Take a look at this page for Facts about the Great Barrier Reef Climate.

Human Facts

• The Great Barrier Reef was declared a Marine Park in 1975
• 6 years later in 1981 it was designated a World Heritage Area
• Tourism on the Reef is worth an estimated $1 billion each year
• Over 1.6 million tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef each year
• More than 800 tour operators are located within the GBR World Heritage Area
• Over 6000 commercial ships operate within the area each year
• Diving, snorkelling and fishing are the 3 most popular pastimes on the Reef

*References for information: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, ReefEd