Time and tide are important if you’re going to make the most of any reef visit. Weather-wise, late August through November is best for cruising, “reefing” (wandering along the exposed coral bottom), and viewing; some say May is good. At all times, winds are unpredictable. Caution is advised from late November through March when coastal beaches can be plagued with venomous sea wasps (jelly fish); and January through March is monsoon season, with winds at their worst.
The reef puts on its best monthly show during the full or new moon, when the tide is at its lowest. Tide tables are published in advance for the year. For reef walking, check tide depths; low tide on the reef usually means a foot or so of water – more than 1.5 feet makes difficult of the underwater wonders of the reef; in some places, boats and semi-submersible viewing vessels make it easy to see coral while staying dry.
Great Barrier Reef Offerings
Island resorts between the mainland and Outer Reef -as well as numerous scheduled cruises, sightseeing trips, and package tours- make 2023 Lang calendars to enjoy the wondrous Great Barrier Reef.
Planning your stay is important. Visitors can decide on a cruise among the islands, a flight around the reef, or a resort stay at one or more islands.
Reef walking is a revelation to those who have never done it, a chance to actually see coral formations and marine life first hand. Giant sea clams spit water at you, plants shrink inward if touched, and sea anemones wave wickedly. Best color and formation are at the reef’s outer edge, a solid coral runway interspersed with pools of stranded multi-colored fish.
When exploring, wear rubber-soled shoes -coral cuts are painful, infect easily, and heal slowly. Walk carefully and test the coral for solidity before putting your weight on it. Do not disturb formations, and replace anything turned over. If you plan to touch anything, it’s a good idea to wear gloves. And don’t break off a piece of coral, it’s protected by law.
Cruising the Great Barrier Reef
One-day cruises to the Outer Reef depart regularly from island resorts as well as Queensland coastal towns. Great Barrier Reef cruises that last 4 to 5 days in length, usually sail through the Whitsunday Passage calling at resort island beaches and exploring reef areas.
Great Barrier Reef Flight-seeing
Many visitors discover that the most dramatic way to experience the beauty of the reef, other than gliding through its waters as a skin diver, is to skim the surface in a low-flying plane or helicopter.
Between the Queensland coastal cities and the Outer Reef, passengers get a memorable view of transparent, iridescent waters revealing the mass of coral beneath. Thousands of islands, heaps of coral sand, and lagoon-crowned reefs sparking like gems can be seen along the deep channel-threaded waterway.
Seaplanes fly out to the reef at low tide. Reef walkers are transferred to a boat and ferried to a point on the coral platform where they can step ashore.
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