Facts
The Reef is a unique ecosystem; home to thousands of species of marine life, including fish, whales, dolphins, and six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle.
1 of 7
natural wonders of the world
Largest
living structure on the planet, so big it’s visible from space
348,000 km2
of World Heritage Listed area, which is slightly more than the 344,400km2 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area because it also includes intertidal areas and other state waters.
70m
football fields would fit inside the marine park
1981
the Reef was world heritage listed
3,000
individual coral reefs
2,000m
depth on outer reefs
7%
of the World Heritage area is made up of coral reefs. The rest is an extraordinary variety of marine habitats ranging from shallow inshore areas such as seagrass, mangroves, sand, algal and sponge gardens, to deep oceanic areas more than 250km offshore.
1975
is the year the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was created.
600
continental islands
300
coral cays
150
inshore mangrove islands
#Reef Animals
1625
species of fish – 10% of the world’s fish species
600+
types of hard and soft corals
215
species of birds
133
varieties of sharks and rays
30
species of whales and dolphins
14
species of sea snakes
6 of 7
of the world's species of marine turtle
25%
of all known marine species
#The Reef needs our help
Help protect the Reef and the animals that call it home.