The Great Barrier Reef is truly the gem of Australia. We had a chance to spend two days out in the reef and see it up close. The first day we snorkled off the coast of Fitzroy Island while we were in Carins. The second time we took an all day cruise from Port Douglas with the tour group Haba out to the outer Reef, and we snorkled at two different sights. Kim took two half hour dives and got a chance to see a giant sea cucumber. Here are a few in depth websites about the ecology and marine wildlife of the Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.reefteach.com.au
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/reef/
http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/
Some underwater photos we took of the reef. We saw several types of fish, and some amazing colorful coral. We also had a really interesting marine biologist on board who was a wealth of information.
