LESSONS IN MARINE BIODIVERSITY aka SCUBA DIVING

So I just begun swimming lessons, hence my new-found fascination with getting wet and splashing in water. I was looking into cool things to do on an island that revolved around water and learning and voila!!! SCUBA DIVING!!!!

When people refer to diving in Aussie, most of the time, thy mean they ant to scube dive in the Great Barier Reef, which is the largest and healthiest coral reef system in the world. The great Barrier Reef system, found in Queensland, is the only living structre on earth visible from outer space, It is made up of nearly 2900 individual reefs, 600 continental islands and 300 coral rays; the world’s largest single strcture made up of living organisms. Every day divers from around the world visit the reef either on liveaboards or day charters. Divers revere the reef for its biodiversity and the local aboriginal people hold it as a culturally sacred site. This reverence is perfect for perfect place!






Queensland takes up almost a quarter of Australia and offers more diving adventures beyond the Great Barrier Reef. The Sunshine Coast, southern Queensland, has purpose-sunk wrecks, sandstone formations covered with corals, ledges, caverns and pinnacles to explore. Topside, Queensland offers kangaroo-filled bush, lush green tropical rainforests, stunning white sand beaches and urban experiences. Below are some great dives!!
Ribbon Reefs, Northern Great Barrier Reef – This area is known for a variety of pristine dive experiences. At Cod Hole, you’ll see how the site got its name as giant potato cod surround you Also, Challenger Bay is a hotspot for cuttlefish encounters.
Osprey Reef – Only accessible via liveaboards departing from Cairns or Port Douglas, this exposed coral mesa sits in the middle of the Coral Sea far from anything. North Horn is perhaps its most famous dive site because of its shark feed, colorful soft coral and the chance to see manta rays as they pass through this site.





SS Yongala – The Great Barrier Reef’s signature wreck is the SS Yongala, a 109-metre/357-foot luxury passenger ship that went down during a cyclone in 1911. On this wreck everything is supersized – sea snakes the size of your bicep and sea turtles so big they look prehistoric.
The Whitsundays – Comprising of 74 idyllic islands, the Whitsundays are perfect for divers looking to complement their diving with multiple activities, such as sailing, island exploring or just lying on top rated beaches. While scuba diving, expect colorful shallow coral gardens and a wide variety of marine life like green sea turtles, patrolling white tip reef sharks and striking Napoleon wrasse.

Casually Chilling with a turtle




Heron Island – On the Great Barrier Reef’s southern reaches, this famed resort island is accessible via ferry or helicopter. Scuba dive on a bommie that serves as a manta ray cleaning station and also watch for schools of jack, barracuda, eels, sharks, eagle rays and very curious sea snakes. Other dive sites are frequented by sea turtles and nudibranchs.

· HMAS Brisbane – Off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is the great wreck of the former HMAS Brisbane, a 133-m/433-ft guided missile destroyer. This purpose-sunk artificial reef went down in 2005 and sits upright in 28 m/92 ft of water. There’s a lot of ship to see and a lot of marine life that now call HMAS Brisbane home. The most popular time for Australia liveaboard diving is July to November, although in the Coral Sea at Osprey Reef and North Horn, visibility peaks during June and September. The calmest sea conditions tend to be between September and February.








References: http://www.dive-the-world.com/diving-sites-australia.php

http://www.padi.com/scuba-diving/scuba-diving-travel/vacation-spotlights/great-barrier-reef/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Scuba_diving_in_Australia



By Edwina Owusu – Adjapong.