What you need to know when planning your trip to the Great Barrier Reef

It is nearly impossible to see the Great Barrier Reef in all of its vast entirety, even if you explored the vibrant coral realm your whole life (it’s as big as Montana). This is because the reef, sticking out of the Queensland’s east coast, is a collection of over 2,800 individual entities. In total, it stretches for 350,000 square kilometers (135,000 square miles) from north to south.

When is the Best Time to Go?

Even though the temperatures can vary between winter and summer, the Great Barrier Reef is located in tropical waters with ideal temperatures that make it possible to dive and swim throughout the year.

Between April and November is when is when most tourists come to visit, and temperatures of the ocean water usually peak at 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit), even if it is winter.

During summer (between December and March), temperatures during the day can get extremely hot.

How Does One Visit?

Visitors can take high-speed catamarans during the day that dock at platforms in special base camps with semi-submersibles that have glass sides. This makes it ideal for exploration, snorkeling and diving activities.

If visitors want a more relaxing experience, they can take sailboats and similar boat tours. For fishing, whale watching, diving and snorkeling adventures, people can take out private charters, which include trips to remote areas via overnight live-aboard vessels.

People can also view the gigantic reef system, located at the top of the vibrant waters, by helicopter and aircraft flights.