There were some with long tubules that looked like shrubs, others with delicate patterns that looked like flowers, and others still that had fascinating zig-zagging shapes that reminded me of brains! Some corals moved gently back and forth in the ocean waves, while others stayed still.
If I hadn't had a snorkel in my mouth, my jaw would have hit the floor when I first saw the reef. There were many vibrant colors I had never seen before and suc a flurry of activity! I was surprised by how lively the reef was, with different schools of fish coming from all sides to eat or shelter in the reef. I found myself just floating staring down at the reef for hours, like I was watching TV! The reef's incredible biodiversity makes it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In addition to the coral, the Great Barrier Reef is home to whales, dolphins, porpoises, turtles, sea snakes and over 1,500 different species of fish.
You can find coral in oceans all around the world, but the Great Barrier Reef is home to over 600 different species of coral. The reef is accurately named based on its size, as it is the world’s largest reef system spanning 1,430 miles of the Australian northeastern coast. This makes the reef the largest living structure on the planet, so enormoud it can be seen from space! In 1975, the Australian government passed the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act, designating the Great Barrier Reef a marine park and World Heritage site. This designation allows the government to make sure there is environmental legislation in place to protect the reef.
