Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an Underwater Wonderland in Serious Danger-Why Your Visit Can Help Save It

"We were 10,000 feet above the Pacific, in a tiny Cessna that seemed like it should have been flying much lower than that, when the clouds cleared and Lady Elliot Island appeared below us like an emerald in a sapphire sea. The pilot, Jonathon Rae, a young Aussie with a dashing mustache, looked down and grinned. "Keep your eyes out as we approach," he said. "There's every chance we might see a few manta rays.""

"Six passengers, including me, pressed their faces to the windows. It was true: mantas love Lady Elliot Island, and their 16-foot wingspans make them easily visible from the air. Here at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, you're practically guaranteed to see them. Descending toward this pristine coral cay, you might spot any number of creatures silhouetted against the reef-minke whales, humpbacks, bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead turtles, tiger sharks. And that's even before you go beneath the surface."

"My plan was simple: when we touched down, I would get into the water immediately. As someone obsessed with all things aquatic, I'd been longing to visit the Great Barrier Reef, not only to make a pilgrimage to the earth's largest living structure-so monumental that its 1,400-mile-long form can be seen from space-but to find out more about its state of health."

"The world's corals are in real trouble, imperiled by pollution, overfishing, coastal development, and the big one: global warming. Since 2016, the Great Barrier Reef has endured an unprecedented six mass bleaching events, which occur when ocean temperatures spike, causing corals to expel the algae that live inside their tissue. Without these organisms, which provide the corals with food and bestow their stunning colors, the reef becomes a boneyard."

A small Cessna approached Lady Elliot Island, revealing manta rays and offering aerial views of abundant marine life including whales, dolphins, turtles, and sharks. Passengers watched mantas with 16-foot wingspans easily visible from the air. A visitor planned to enter the water immediately to experience the reef firsthand and to assess its health. The Great Barrier Reef spans roughly 1,400 miles and ranks as the Earth's largest living structure visible from space. Coral ecosystems face threats from pollution, overfishing, coastal development, and global warming. Since 2016 the reef has suffered six unprecedented mass bleaching events, which force corals to expel symbiotic algae, lose color, and become boneyard-like; recovery is possible but limited and requires respite from elevated temperatures.

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