The marine environment is headlined by the Great Barrier Reef: stretching 2,300km from Bundaberg in the south, past mainland Australia in the north, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the pinnacle of underwater exploration.
Watch manta and eagle rays soar past you, come face to face with the rare (and barely understood) dwarf minke whale, float alongside six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle, and join the generations of people who have stared with utter disbelief at this eco-system which continues to evolve in the face of our shifting climate.
But Queensland’s underwater story is more than the Great Barrier Reef.
Unique experiences are available from every region of the state. Explore the wrecks of Moreton Island or Flinders Reef from Brisbane, dive the HMAS Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast, or head slightly further north to the HMAS Tobruk off Hervey Bay.
The Southern Great Barrier Reef is spoilt for islands, a collection of tiny coral cays that are as disconnected from the hustle and bustle of life and as connected to nature as possible.
Dive the Keppel group, explore the reefs of Townsville and the world-renowned SS Yongala, sail and snorkel the 74 islands of the Whitsundays and then venture to Cairns, where reefs like the Ribbons and Agincourt lay waiting.
Queensland has a natural affinity to the water. We’re connected to it. And you will be too after you explore the wonders below.