The world-famous Great Barrier Reef off of the tropical north coast of Australia is one of the natural wonders of the world. Eric's tour group boarded a fast (up to 26 knots) catamaran in Port Douglas (northwest of Cairns) for a boat ride to the Outer Barrier Reef. Although Eric is not a swimmer or diver, there were still excellent photographic opportunities provided by the underwater observation deck of the dive platform and by a similar observation area in the "semi-submersible" boat shown below. Eric's photos of the reef have been digitally enhanced to improve contrast and restore much of the red color that is normally lost under water.
The water temperature at the time of Eric's visit was about 86 F (30 C). There is a limit to how hot the water can become before the coral will start to die. We were told that global warming could pose a threat to the health of the reef as the 21st Century progresses.
Dive platform location: latitude 16° 2' S, longitude 145° 50' E, sea level.
Click on thumbnails to see larger versions of these pictures.
Left - The Quicksilver V catamaran.
Center - Semi-submersible boat used to explore the reef.
Right - Fish feeding time near the dive platform!
Above - Various enhanced views of the reef and the fish life!