The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system — 2,300 km long, visible from space, home to thousands of marine species. It's also one of the ecosystems most visibly affected by climate change, with mass bleaching events in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Visiting the reef responsibly means understanding both realities: it's still one of the planet's most remarkable places, and it needs visitors who care about keeping it that way.
An Honest Look at Reef Conditions
The reef is not dead. It's also not fine. The honest picture is more nuanced than either headline.
The Great Barrier Reef has experienced six mass bleaching events since 2016 — events caused by elevated sea temperatures that stress coral and cause it to expel the algae it depends on for colour and nutrition. Some coral recovers. Some doesn't. Different sections of the 2,300 km reef have been affected differently, and recovery varies by location, depth, and species.
The reef you see depends entirely on where you go. Outer reef sites — further from shore, deeper water — have generally fared better than near-shore reefs. Quality operators visit the healthiest sites and adjust their routes based on current conditions. You will see vibrant coral and marine life. You may also see some bleached or dead sections. Both are part of the reality of the reef in 2026.
Is It Still Worth Visiting?
Yes — emphatically. Even with the bleaching damage, the Great Barrier Reef remains one of the most biodiverse marine environments on earth. Healthy sections feature extraordinary coral formations, sea turtles, reef sharks, giant clams, thousands of fish species, and underwater landscapes unlike anything else.
There's also a strong argument that visiting the reef responsibly supports its protection. Tourism revenue funds monitoring, research, and conservation programs. Operators who depend on the reef have a direct financial incentive to protect it. And visitors who see the reef firsthand become advocates for the policy changes needed to address the underlying cause — climate change.
The biggest threat to the reef is ocean warming driven by global carbon emissions — not tourism. Individual reef-safe sunscreen choices matter symbolically but are a tiny factor compared to energy policy. Visiting responsibly is important, but the reef's long-term future depends on global action on climate change, not on whether you wore the right sunscreen. Both matter. One matters enormously more.
How to Visit Responsibly
Do
- Use reef-safe mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide)
- Wear a rash vest or stinger suit (reduces sunscreen needed)
- Follow no-touch rules — never stand on or touch coral
- Maintain buoyancy control when snorkelling or diving
- Choose operators with eco-certification
- Take any rubbish with you (including underwater)
- Listen to and follow crew briefings
- Consider paying for a guided snorkel with a marine biologist
Don't
- Touch, stand on, or collect coral — even dead pieces
- Feed fish (disrupts natural behaviour)
- Use chemical sunscreen with oxybenzone/octinoxate
- Chase or corner marine life for photos
- Drag fins across coral (keep fins up, kick gently)
- Drop anything overboard
- Book operators with no environmental credentials
Reef-Safe Sunscreen — What It Means and What to Buy
The term "reef-safe" isn't formally regulated in Australia, so you need to check ingredients rather than trusting marketing labels.
What to look for
Active ingredients: Zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. These are mineral (physical) UV filters that sit on the skin rather than being absorbed, and current research suggests they're significantly less harmful to coral than chemical alternatives.
What to avoid: Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) and octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate). These are the two most-studied chemical UV filters linked to coral damage in laboratory settings. Many common Australian sunscreens contain one or both.
The scientific evidence on sunscreen and coral is real but context matters. Laboratory studies use much higher concentrations than reef visitors typically produce. Agricultural runoff, ocean warming, and ocean acidification are far larger threats to reef health. Use reef-safe sunscreen because it's the right thing to do — but don't let anyone tell you tourists' sunscreen is the primary problem facing the reef.
Choosing a Responsible Operator
The operator you choose determines your experience quality and your environmental impact. Not all reef tours are equal.
What to Realistically Expect
The day
Most reef day trips depart around 8 AM and return by 4–5 PM. The boat ride to the outer reef takes 1–2 hours depending on the operator and departure point. You'll typically get 3–4 hours at the reef across 2–3 snorkel sessions at different sites. Lunch is usually provided on board. The day is long but not strenuous — mostly floating and watching.
The water
Water temperature ranges from about 23°C (winter) to 29°C (summer). Visibility on outer reef sites is typically 10–25 metres — better in dry season (June–October). You snorkel on the surface in water 2–15 metres deep. The current is usually gentle at mooring sites. Wetsuits or stinger suits are provided and help with both temperature and buoyancy.
What you'll see
At healthy outer reef sites: hard and soft corals in multiple colours, parrotfish, clownfish (Nemo), wrasse, angelfish, sea cucumbers, giant clams, and frequently sea turtles and reef sharks (harmless). Every trip is different — marine life doesn't perform on schedule. Manage expectations but be prepared to be genuinely amazed. Most people are.
Non-Swimmers and Nervous Swimmers
You don't need to be a strong swimmer to visit the reef. Most operators provide flotation aids — foam noodles, life vests, or flotation suits — that keep you on the surface with zero effort. You're floating and looking down, not swimming great distances.
If you're genuinely not comfortable in water at all, glass-bottom boat tours and semi-submersible vessels let you see the reef without getting wet. Some pontoon operations also have underwater viewing chambers. The experience isn't as immersive as snorkelling, but you still see the coral and marine life clearly.
Best Time to Visit
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Great Barrier Reef still worth visiting?
What is reef-safe sunscreen?
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
When is the best time to visit?
How do I choose a responsible operator?
The Reef Needs Visitors Who Care
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef responsibly isn't complicated. Choose a good operator, wear reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest, don't touch anything underwater, and pay attention to the briefing. These small actions don't solve the reef's biggest challenges — that requires policy change on carbon emissions — but they ensure that tourism remains part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The reef is still extraordinary. Go see it. And come back caring about its future.