When people think of Australia, wildlife is usually one of the first things that comes to mind. From kangaroos to koalas, snakes to spiders, and everything in between, the wildlife I've seen here is wildly different from what I typically see in the northeastern U.S. Today I'm going to share about one Australian species you might not have realized was even an animal! Let's see if you can guess what the animal is from my description of how I got to see it. First, I took a two-hour flight from Sydney to Cairns, a small city on the northeast coast of Australia. Then, I got on a tour boat and took a two-hour ride out into the Coral Sea where this animal lives. I then put on a wetsuit, snorkel and fins. Have you guessed what animal I am talking about yet? (I dropped a big hint two sentences back!) I you guessed coral, you are absolutely correct!
The coral in the Great Barrier Reef forms a breathtaking underwater garden filled with vibrant colors and intricate shapes. Because there are so many different types of coral, no two corals looked the same from where I floated above. I saw different shades of pink, yellow, green, and purple.
