Where is Great Barrier Reef Located

About Where is Great Barrier Reef Located

See the location of Great Barrier Reef on Australia Map, the largest coral reef system in the world.

Location of Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is situated in the Coral Sea, along the northeastern coast of the state of Queensland, Australia in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It is the biggest coral reef system in the world. Stretching more than 2,300 km (1,429 miles) along the entire length of Queensland’s eastern coast, it extends from the waters of the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula in the north down to just north of Bundaberg in southern Queensland. The reef is distributed across a vast section of marine environment and is one of Australia’s natural treasures as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where Is the Great Barrier Reef Located?

The Great Barrier Reef is a large coral reef located in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Coral Sea off the eastern coast of Australia. The system runs roughly parallel to the coast of the state of Queensland, extending from the northern end of the Torres Strait between the mainland Cape York Peninsula and the island of Papua New Guinea down the eastern side of Australia.

Stretching south from the coast of Queensland, the reef passes close to major cities such as Cairns, Townsville, the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and the picturesque coastal towns of the Capricorn Coast.

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area covers approximately 348,000 square kilometers (134,363 square miles).

Geographical Coordinates of the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef extends approximately from 10°S to 24°S in latitude, covering about 14 degrees of latitude along the Australian east coast.

UNESCO World Heritage reference coordinates are approximately 18°17′10″S 147°42′00″E. This reference point is well within the Great Barrier Reef system and should not be confused with the end points of the Reef.

The reef continues in a broad band across the continental shelf, extending to as far as 250km (155 miles) offshore in places. It is located entirely in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres.

How Far Is the Great Barrier Reef from the Australian Coast?

The distance from the Great Barrier Reef to the Australian mainland varies along the reef’s length. The region occupied by the reef is roughly 60 km (37 mi) wide on average and extends from the coastal area of Queensland to the outer continental shelf.

Many of the inshore reefs are close to the coast of Queensland whilst others are far out to sea. As a result there are many different environments ranging from shallow lagoon-like environments with coral, islands and sand cays to deeper open ocean environments.

The Marine Park area covers approximately 344,400km2 and is slightly smaller than the World Heritage Area of 344,841km2.

Major Australian Cities Near the Great Barrier Reef

There are several coastal cities around Australia which provide access to different parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns in Far North Queensland is a major entry point to the northern and central sections of the Great Barrier Reef. From Port Douglas north of Cairns access to outer reefs is good.

Townsville is another major coastal city with access to parts of the Great Barrier Reef, while Airlie Beach is a major departure point for Whitsunday Island Holidays and travel to the surrounding reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.

Further south the ports of Gladstone, Yeppoon and Bundaberg give access to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef including the Capricorn and Bunker reef groups.

Why Is the Location of the Great Barrier Reef Important?

The Great Barrier Reef is located on the northeastern continental shelf of Australia and its coral growth is promoted by the warm, relatively shallow, sunlit waters.

The very geographical location of the Great Barrier Reef is key to it supporting tropical coastal and island habitats, offshore reefs of varying sizes and deep marine environments. It is one of the earth’s greatest assets and links a wide range of eco-systems, thus supporting an enormous variety of species and thereby contributing to global ecological values.

UNESCO recognized the importance of the Great Barrier Reef and, in 1981, proclaimed it a World Heritage Site. Today the Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most important natural environments because of its location, enormous size and exceptional variety of marine life.