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Heron Island & Lady Elliot Island | Places We Visit in Northern Australia

Heron Island–Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Heron Island is an escape 45 miles off the coast of Queensland at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The island is a small cay that has been built up from coral over the last 6,000 years and provides snorkeling opportunities right from the beach. It is also part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and during breeding season is the nesting site for 200,000 seabirds.

Becoming a protected area takes the island far from its roots in the early 1900s when a sea turtle cannery was built on the island. It is rewarding to see the turtles being preserved in the wild rather than being preserved and salted in cans destined for grocery store shelves.

Lady Elliott Island

Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. It is located within a protected “Green Zone” that provides sanctuary for over 1,200 species of marine life, including an abundance of manta rays, turtles and healthy corals.

The waters around this island are particularly known for an abundance of manta rays, with over 700 individuals that have been identified. This section of the reef is considered to be one of the healthiest sections and the diversity and abundance of life you will see while snorkeling is staggering.

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