“As little as 1 degree above average summer maximmum temperature can cause a bleaching event. Generally if we get to 6-8 heating weeks, we would start to get a fair amount of mortality. This summer we’ve had 10-12 degree heating weeks across much of the great barrier reef.”
Is the channel at Heron Island the best place on Earth for snorkelling?
I’ve been to Heron Island six times and it remains one of my top destinations on Earth. Here I’ve assembled information about when to go and what to see. The channel at Heron Island might just be the best place on Earth for snorkelling. Within 200m from shore, don’t be surprised to encounter black-tipped reef sharks, white-tipped reef sharks, lemon sharks, a dozen or more green turtles, loggerhead turtle, hawksbill turtle, shovel-nosed ray, dozens of whiptail and cowtail rays, half a dozen spotted eagle-rays, golden trevally, giant trevally, blue-spotted trevally and hundreds and hundreds of big colourful reef fish.
Latest Posts about Heron Island
What you need to know before going
I’ve been to Heron Island six times and it remains one of my top destinations on Earth. Here I’ve assembled information about when to go and what to see. There is very little information online and by the time most people visit, it’s too late to work out what to do. With a bit of knowledge about currents and seasons, you can time you trip better. The channel at Heron Island has to be one of (if not the) best snorkelling on Earth … read more
Totally Turtle on Heron Island
On the verandah of their beachfront chalet a family are enjoying morning coffee. In front of them a mother turtle has just laid fifty or so eggs in a deep chamber she dug furiously an hour earlier. In between audible sighs of exhaustion she’s back-filling the hole. As she pivots to face the sea, she pauses to gather breath before raising her head to suck in the morning’s cool air. She’s carried her mighty shell for decades …
