If you are travelling to North Queensland, the Great Barrier
Reef is a must see destination to visit. There are many Daintree RainforestAccommodation that offer snorkelling and diving tours to
this spectacular world heritage site. Located just a few kilometres from the Daintree
Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest
coral reef in the world. It is home to thousands of underwater species that
thrive within the community of corals.
Among these diverse creatures of the ocean, here are 5 creatures
that truly stand out and are worth keeping an eye out for.
1.
Giant Manta Ray
These graceful saucer-like creatures can
be seen cruising the open waters of North-eastern Australia. Don’t be startled
by their seemingly threatening tail as these are never used to attack or hurt
humans. Manta rays can swim swiftly and sometimes jump out of the water’s surface
flapping their fins like giant wings. They also have their own version of a
carwash. Manta rays often approach coral patches and lets the local cleaner
fishes to remove the parasites from their bodies.
2.
Humphead Maori Wrasse
It’s a brightly coloured fish
with a distinctive protruding forehead coupled with huge sized lips. This fish
the size of a small car is easily one of the most attention grabbing creatures
you will meet underwater. The humphead maori is extremely friendly and some
even say that they have very distinct personalities.
3.
Parrotfish
Nope, they don’t talk like
their namesake but Parrotfishes have the same hard beak that parrots have. They
use this beak to feed on coral and excrete it as sand! They also form a cocoon
of mucus to surround them for protection against sharks and other predators.
4.
White Humpback Whale
The celebrity of the Great Barrier Reef,
this albino humpback whale frequents the waters off Port Douglas. Because white
humpback whales are very rare, the locals gave it the name Migaloo (which means
“white fella”). They even created a dedicated website to monitor the sightings
of this magnificent white creature.
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| Photo courtesy of Getty Images |
5.
Lion’s mane jellyfish
A colossal jellyfish, the lion’s mane
jellyfish can grow up to 120 feet long – longer than a blue whale. It has eight
sets of tentacles that contain between 70 to 150 individual tentacles apiece.
Watch out for these bizarre creatures as you explore the Great
Barrier Reef. Take lots of photos and enjoy the rest of your Daintree
Rainforest tours.
photo credit: Green Turtle via photopin (license) photo credit: Manta ray via photopin (license) photo credit: humphead wrasse (napolean) via photopin (license) photo credit: Parrotfish via photopin (license) photo credit: IMG_2942 via photopin (license)
