Imagine coming face to face with the biggest fish in the sea – the whale shark. That’s just what happened to a group of lucky passengers with Great Adventures in a very rare encounter while they were seated in the semi-submarine at Moore Reef. This vision was captured by one of the lucky passengers. The whale shark, estimated to be 4 - 5 metres in length swam up close and alongside the semi-sub window as excited passengers looked on in awe. Quicksilver Group Environment and Compliance Manager Doug Baird said. “For what is the world’s largest fish, we really do know very little about them and their behaviour here on the east coast of Australia.” More often associated with the northern waters of Western Australia, whale shark encounters on the Great Barrier Reef are quite sporadic. This sighting is of great interest to researchers who have been working to identify a potential whale shark aggregation site in the far north regions of the Reef. As the largest fish in the sea reaching lengths of over 12 metres, whale sharks are docile fish feeding mostly on plankton, crab larvae and jellyfish, which they scoop up with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water’s surface. They are listed as a vulnerable species and prior to the mid 1980s there were less than 350 confirmed reports of whale sharks world-wide. Researchers are able to identify individuals from photographs by analysing the patterns of markings on their bodies - a bit like fingerprints.

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Coral Spawning 2021 Music by: Blesson

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Departing from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Great Adventures exciting eco-certified Outer Reef cruise takes you to a spacious activity platform moored at a magnificent site. There’s a great range of activities for all ages to enjoy, swimmers and non-swimmers too. Discover the reef from the spacious semi-submarine with informative commentary and visit the underwater observatory with a reef guide. Snorkel directly off the platform into beautiful coral gardens home to exotic tropical marine life. When it's time to relax, laze on the sundeck and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. For the more adventurous, there's scuba diving and the unique Scuba-Doo underwater scooter experiences. Learn more about this special environment with a marine biologist guided snorkel tour and for a whole new perspective, there's the thrill of a scenic helicopter flight over the aquamarine reefs below.

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