Australia

Great Barrier Reef

WHS Score 4.21
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3.0

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3.5

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The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 2,500 individual reefs and 900 islands extending 2,000 kilometres along Queensland's coast.

The coral reefs hold a huge biodiversity, with dugong, whales, dolphins and turtles among the most notable marine species. They provide some of the most spectacular underwater scenery on earth with 400 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish.

Community Perspective: You can go and see it from a glass bottom boat, by snorkeling, diving or just straight from the boat. Cairns is a good starting point for these tours, as are the Whitsunday Islands (which come out better in comparison).

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Great Barrier Reef (ID: 154)
Country
Australia
Status
Inscribed 1981 Site history
History of Great Barrier Reef
1981: Inscribed
Inscribed
2021: Advisory Body overruled
IUCN advised in Danger listing due to climate change (including mass coral bleaching events in 2016, 2017 and 2020). Amendment lead by Bahrain overturned this.
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • vii
  • viii
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Feb. 3, 2025 theguardian.com — Australia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list
  • March 10, 2024 bbc.com — New mass bleaching event hits Great Barrier Reef
  • Aug. 1, 2023 abc.net.au — Great Barrier Reef escapes 'in danger' recommendation
  • Nov. 30, 2022 theguardian.com — Great Barrier Reef should be placed on world heritage ‘in danger’ list, UN-backed report says
  • Aug. 5, 2022 npr.org — Coral levels in some parts of the Great Barrier Reef are at the highest in 36 years
  • March 19, 2022 phys.org — Great Barrier Reef suffers 'widespread' bleaching event
  • Nov. 30, 2021 theguardian.com — Australia accused of trying to block Unesco process that could put Great Barrier Reef in danger list
  • Aug. 20, 2021 theguardian.com — Great Barrier Reef: scientists discover 400-year-old giant coral
  • July 7, 2021 theguardian.com — Australia demands world heritage experts visit Great Barrier Reef ahead of ‘in danger’ list decision
  • March 24, 2020 nbcnews.com — Great Barrier Reef hit by third major bleaching event in five years
  • April 29, 2018 businessinsider.com — Australia is going to spend $379 million trying to save the Great Barrier Reef
  • Oct. 31, 2017 iflscience.com — A Beautiful Blue Hole Has Been Discovered In The Great Barrier Reef
  • March 17, 2017 theconversation.com — Year-on-year bleaching threatens Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage status
  • May 31, 2016 theguardian.com — Most coral dead in central section of Great Barrier Reef
  • March 7, 2016 thedailyherald.sx — Parts of Great Barrier Reef face permanent destruction
  • Sept. 17, 2015 smh.com.au — Australian Government spent at least $400,000 lobbying against Great Barrier Reef 'danger' listing
  • Sept. 16, 2014 theguardian.com — Great Barrier Reef seabed dumping plan ditched
  • July 21, 2013 worldnews.nbcnews.com — 4 unarmed bombs dropped on Great Barrier Reef
  • June 6, 2013 sbs.com.au — Fishing Trawler damages Great Barrier Reef
  • May 5, 2013 tvnz.co.nz — Great Barrier Reef set to be named In Danger
  • Nov. 16, 2012 channelnewsasia.com — Australia declares world's largest marine reserves
  • Oct. 4, 2012 cnn.com — Australia vows to reverse Great Barrier Reef's coral decline
  • June 5, 2012 telegraph.co.uk — Great Barrier Reef report dismissed in Australia
  • Jan. 2, 2012 abc.net.au — Anger over moves to delist Gladstone Harbour
  • April 16, 2010 earthweek.com — Australian authorities arrested the crew of a Chinese freighter for gouging a two-mile scar across the Great Barrier Reef after taking an illegal shortcut across the World Heritage Site.

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Marine and Coastal
  • Archaeological site: Near Eastern
Recent Connections
View all (45) .
Connections of Great Barrier Reef
Individual People
  • William Bligh
    During his "open boat voyage" to Timor after the Mutiny on the Bounty he sailed through its waters and landed at several islands including, from 28-31 May 1789, "Restoration Island" which was named by him

    See restoration-island.blogspot.co.uk

  • Captain James Cook
    June 11 1770 .. ran aground on the reef and badly damaged "Endeavour". Took 7 weeks to repair
  • Cousteau
    L'Équipe Cousteau à la redécouverte du monde, episode "Australie : l’ultime barrière" (1989)

    See www.youtube.com

Geography
  • Cape
    Cape York
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Contiguous National Sites
    With Wet Tropics of Queensland, off Cape Tribulation
  • Marine sites
    Total inscribed area of almost 35million h. Exact ratio of terrestrial - marine not stated but must be significantly scewed towards "marine".
  • Coral Sea
  • Largest area
    344,400 sq kms
  • Archipelagos
    (Tectonic Uplift and Deposition). The reef itself is not considered an "Archipelago" but it includes a number of islands which are the remains of a mountain chain. The "Cumberland Islands Archipelago" consists of some 70 inner continental islands of which some at least are inside the inscribed site e..g "Located in the southern part of the Whitsundays, Keswick Island is a member of the Cumberland group of islands and is within the UNESCO World Heritage Great Barrier Reef area.
Trivia
Ecology
  • Sharks
    Great White Shark, Whaleshark, Hammerhead Shark, Bullshark, Zebra Shark, Basking Shark, Lemon Shark and Greenland Shark
  • Lagoons
  • Siraneans
    Dugong "The site includes major feeding grounds for the endangered dugong (Sirenia: Dugong dugon)" AB
  • Mangroves
  • Blue Holes
    Pompey hardline reef complex - Barrier Star Blue hole and Crystal Blue hole

    See www.divetheblue.net

  • Carnivorous plants
    Drosera adelae, native to Hinchinbrook Island

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Turtles and tortoises
    Six of the world's seven species of marine turtle occur in the GBR. As well as the world's largest green turtle breeding site at Raine Island, the GBR also includes many regionally important marine turtle rookeries (OUV)
  • Whales
    At least 30 species of whales and dolphins occur here, and it is a significant area for humpback whale calving. (OUV)
  • Critically endangered fauna species
    Hawksbill Turtle

    See www.gbrmpa.gov.au

  • Molluscs
    "4,000 species of mollusk"
  • Seagrass beds
    "The shallower marine areas support half the world's diversity of mangroves and many seagrass species." (crit x)
  • Coral
  • Tombolos
    Hinchinbroke Island "At Ramsay Bay on the northeast coast, a transgressive dune barrier or tombolo links Cape Sandwich, a granite outlier at the northeastern tip of the island, to the main part of the island." (Wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

Damaged
  • Affected by Climate Change
    Climate change and global warming are responsible for the rising of seawater temperature, producing bleaching, a phenomenon affecting coral by which they lose their natural color and die. It is now (2020) assessed by IUCN as having a “critical” outlook. In 2020, a study has found that Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change.

    See worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org

  • Affected by El Niño
    "Great Barrier Reef's recent El Nino-triggered mass coral bleaching "

    See www.abc.net.au

World Heritage Process
Human Activity
  • Natural sites with indigenous human population
    A number of the northern islands are still inhabited by Aboriginal communities -e.g Palm Island (and others)
  • Leprosy
    Fantome Island. A leprosarium was established on the island in 1927. Upon its closure in 1974 it was purged by fire. The island is the site of 200 graves"
Constructions
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Middle Pleistocene
    The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) considers the earliest evidence of complete reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago. (Wiki)
18
News
theguardian.com 02/03/2025
Australia tried to influence other…
bbc.com 03/10/2024
New mass bleaching event hits Grea…
abc.net.au 08/01/2023
Great Barrier Reef escapes 'in dan…
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Great Barrier Reef
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Community Reviews

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First published: 25/01/24.

Travelworldonline

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Clyde

My visit was quite a touristy experience, since I visited the Great Barrier Reef several times over the years on tourist boats, that started in Townsville. I would recommend a visit for people, who want to snorkel to see the reef up close. Also, they should be prepared for high swells, when going out in the small boats. On the boat you will get an introduction to the reef as well as to the danger of extinction it is exposed to. 

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First published: 14/02/18.

Clyde

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Clyde

I visited this WHS in December 2017 and January 2018 from Hamilton Island and from Cairns. In all I dedicated a week to this extensive WHS to be able to cover different areas and features of this marine WHS by boat, by plane and by helicopter.

Even though I travelled to some of the most beautiful marine areas in the world (ex. French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Maldives, Seychelles, Caribbean), none are comparable to the Great Barrier Reef not only in terms of size but in terms of the different hues of blue/turquoise, the clarity of the water, the variety and amount of marine life. This applies both underwater and from above. Since we visited during stinger season, we wore a stinger suit when snorkelling to be on the safe side. Being such a vast area, you get to see and experience different things depending from where you're based.

The World Heritage Area Boundary withing the GBR Marine Park stretches from beneath the Torres Strait to just above Fraser Island excluding harbours and islands. For the first 5 days we stayed on Hamilton Island, one of the Whitsunday Islands, and every day we did a different excursion to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Already from my window seat, flying from Brisbane, I enjoyed an incredible aerial view of two of Australia's great WHS - Fraser Island and the GBR. First I saw never-ending sandy beaches, dunes and trees. Then the sheer beauty of the GBR and the Coral Sea islands and …

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First published: 28/05/17.

Jay T

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Jay T

The Great Barrier Reef is as impressive a natural wonder as its name suggests, a wonderland of marine life stretching almost 1400 miles along the northeast coast of Australia. When I planned my trip to Australia in 2012, this was one of the sights I was determined to visit, and it was as beautiful as I had hoped. I used Cairns as my departure point for a full-day snorkeling and snuba tour of the reef. The guides were helpful to point out starfish and giant clams, as well as a shy octopus blending in with a nearby rock. Hidden amongst the anemone were colorful clownfish, while silver schools of mackerel swam above. Our tour also saw reef sharks and stingrays, although we kept a safe distance. I was particularly impressed with the coral, which was brightly colored and magnificent to behold; I'm glad I saw it in 2012 before the recent bout of coral bleaching struck in 2016. The warming ocean temperatures off the coast of Australia are a valid concern, and I'd hate to see long-lasting impact on the unique biodiversity of the reef. Australia is full of wonders on land and sea, and I found the Great Barrier Reef to be an unforgettable marine adventure.

Logistics: The Great Barrier Reef stretches from the Torres Strait to Fraser Island. Tours of the reef can be arranged in cities and towns like Cairns, Townsville, or Port Douglas.

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First published: 19/04/15.

Mirjam L.

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Mirjam L.

The Great Barrier Reef was one of the few things I knew about Australia before I decided to go there and started planning my trip. Of course I had to go and see it, although I am not a water person and I don't like swimming in the ocean. So when I stayed in Cairns, I chose a tour operator offering trips including a glass bottom boat, and I liked it. I am sure it is nothing like snorkeling, but still I enjoyed what I saw and was fascinated by the underwater world.

Later, when visiting the Whitsunday Islands, I did another tour and this one was even better because the water was so clear and still that I could see the corals straight from the boat, without having to use the glass bottom.

I think I don't have to write anything else - it is famous enough already, and a "must see" for most people when visiting Australia!

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First published: 25/02/06.

Anonymous

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Clyde

I'm not much of a swimmer but I wouldn't go to the Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling. I'm so glad I was up for it because it was quite amazing to see the different varieties of fish! From Airlie Beach, I took a two-day boat trip out to the Whitsundays. I got a bit seasick but it was worth it, especially to come into contact with rainbow lorikeets!

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First published: 11/02/06.

Rob Wilson

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Clyde

What a place this is! I'm not much of a marine person, but I don't think I'll ever forget my visit to this part of the world. Just go, you won't regret it.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Klaus Freisinger

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Clyde

You could be forgiven for assuming from the other posts that only Australians would visit Great Barrier Reef, but that´s not quite true :-)

I´m not much of a sailing/diving enthusiast, but I did do a boattrip from Cairns to the Reef with some snorkeling, and I must admit it was really fantastic. You could see lots and lots of the most bizarre and colorful fish and corals, as well as big sea turtles, all in an evidently unharmed environment, despite the danger that global warming poses to this great site. If I decide to learn to dive, I´d probably come back here.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Ben Pastore

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef (Inscribed)

Great Barrier Reef by Ben Pastore

I visited the Great Barrier Reef via a liveaboard dive boat in March 2005. I've been diving all over the world, but this place tops them all if there was an "overall best" category. Marine life was prolific and varied and conditions were fantastic. It truly lived up to its name as being "Great".

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