Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most important natural assets and millions of visitors come to scuba dive, snorkel and explore this marine wonderland every year. It is the largest natural feature on earth stretching more than 2,300km along the coast of Australia.

Coral Spawning

Sex on the Reef – one of the seven natural wonders of the world – whatever we call it, this truly is one of Mother Nature’s magical events and should not be missed.

One night in November each year a mystery takes place on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. 400 species of corals, over 350,000 square kilometres (135,000 square miles) a mass spawning event at the same time.

When – Always at night!

Anytime up to 6 days after the November full moon – full moon this year is November 24  (2007).

Why - the faint light of the moon appears to play the major role in triggering the mass coral event. one of Nature’s wonders.

Eggs and sperm are released in the water where they combine to form a free swimming plank tonic larval stage, resembling a snowstorm at night, clouds of swirling eggs and sperm drift over the coral like tiny white or pink snowflakes

How does coral with out eyes can detect the moonlight and get the precise time on the right couple of days to spawn?

What allows coral to spawn simultaneously along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef is a mystery.

Beautiful blue bioluminescent flashes from small reef prawn-like crustaceans spawning near the surface amidst huge numbers of spawning fish.

In the late afternoon many of the invertebrate animals get into the act, with starfish and sea cucumbers climbing to high points of the reef and spawning to the surface. Giant clams set off a chain reaction to the other giant clams on the reef in a domino-like clam spawning event. Cuttlefish are also mating and laying eggs at this time which is quite an enthralling behaviour to observe.

Join us onboard Reef Encounter for this magical event!

Compass Cruises – Day Trips to the Great Barrier Reef

To truly experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, join us for a day trip, which begins at 7:45am at the Marlin Jetty in Cairns. Once we arrive at the reef you’ll spend 5 full hours at two popular locations, enjoying the spectacular beauty that is the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel, scuba dive, swim and come face to face with tropical reef fish and stunning coral formations. The Great Barrier Reef contains the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc.

Take a glass bottom boat tour of the Great Barrier Reef and learn more about the marine naturalist world through our expert interpretation and friendly commentary. Relax on the spacious sun deck, enjoy a delicious buffet lunch, or swim, snorkel and scuba dive. Your crew, hand picked for their expertise and friendliness are there to ensure your trip is enjoyable and safe. Whether you’re a certified scuba diver or going for a first time dive you are in very capable and experienced hands.

After your trip to the Great Barrier Reef, we’re sure you’ll feel that you’ve experienced one of the great wonders of the world, together with a group of good friends.

Reef Encounter – Longer visits to The Great Barrier Reef

For longer visits to the reef, Reef Encounter offers you an outstanding accommodation base from which to explore The Great Barrier Reef for a night or a week if you prefer. Accommodation facilities on board the fully air-conditioned vessel are modern, spacious and bright with plenty of storage and each cabin has its own private en-suite bathroom.

The heated spa on deck is the perfect place to relax after a night scuba dive and watch the sunset with a glass of champagne. Scuba diving and snorkeling are easy with our hydraulic scuba dive/snorkel platform. Reef Encounter is large enough to provide all the comforts of bigger cruise ships, yet small enough to allow access to spectacular reef locations usually inaccessible to other vessels.

Reef Encounter offers an outstanding opportunity to live aboard and spend a night or several nights at the Great Barrier Reef. Our aim is to provide people with a unique reef experience and one that will be remembered forever.