Birthplace of the Great Barrier Reef

Mission Beach is home to the Great Barrier Reef. It is also the birthplace of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park with the great work done in the 1960’s and early 1970’s by John Busst who saved nearby Ellison Reef from limestone mining after seeing an advent about the companies plans to mine the reef. With the help of close friend former Prime Minister Harold Holt he set the goal of protecting the whole Great Barrier Reef and in 1981 the reef was listed as a world heritage site to become one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Mission Beach is the closest access point to the outer Great Barrier Reef on the east coast of Australia, only a short one hour boat ride from Mission Beach. The Great Barrier Reef is also right on the door step of Mission Beach where the rainfoest meets the Great Barrier Reef, only one of two places in the world where two world heritage sites meet side by side, the other one is in the Daintree north of Cairns.

A number of tour boats can get you out to the outer reef for diving and snorkelling and exploring the underworld of the water with many reef sites to visit teaming with fish and coral with turtles, sharks, ray fish, whales, countless number of fish and you may be able to find Nemo or Dory on the reef.

Facts about the Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef covers over 2300 kilometres.
• The reef covers 344,400 km2 in area.
• Bigger than the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Holland combined.
• The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from space.
• Over 2900 reefs make up the Great Barrier Reef.
• There are over 900 islands and sand clays.
• More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef.
• There are over 600 soft and hard corals.
• Home to six of the seven sea turtles.
• Whales come from southern waters to breed.