© 2008 Tourism Queensland
Visitors to the reef should adopt responsible practices to ensure the reef continues to be enjoyed by all. Spectacular giant fan, tabletop and brain corals take decades to form but - with the careless flick of a fin or a dragging anchor - can be destroyed in seconds.
The simplest guidelines for snorkellers and divers is "look, but don't touch" living underwater plants and animals and "leave things as you find them". Any object inadvertently moved should be returned to its original position as soon as possible.
Nothing - living or dead - should be souvenired and wildlife should not be chased, fed or enticed away from their normal behaviour. Litter, especially cigarette butts and plastic bags are particularly dangerous to the health of marine animals and should always be carried back to the mainland.
Diving
Divers should ensure that they enter the water and do any buoyancy or weight checks over sand or rocky areas.
Divers should also take care that moving fins do not damage coral formations or stir up sediment. Spear fishing by scuba divers is strictly prohibited in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and in select marine reserves along the Queensland coast.
Snorkelling
Snorkellers should practice and rest in sandy or rocky areas away from corals. A water depth of 2.2m between reef and surface is suggested as a safe distance to protect surface reefs.
Marine Viewing
The ability to come close to marine creatures in their natural habitat is one of life's rare opportunities and due care should be observed. Divers and snorkellers must not enter the water within 100m of a whale or within 50m of a dolphin. Once in the water a person must not approach within 30m of a whale or dolphin.
For further information on responsible reef practices, visit the following websites:
GBRMPA:Responsible Reef Practices
www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/doing_your_bit.html
Project AWARE: Ten Tips for Divers
www.projectaware.org/asiapac/english/educations/tipsfordiver.asp
Project AWARE: Ten Tips for Underwater Photographers
www.projectaware.org/asiapac/english/pdf/10tipsUnderWaterPhoto.pdf