Video: Heron Island marine paradise
24 April 2015
Heron Island is known for its marine biodiversity, especially its turtles.
Image credit: Carolyn Barry/Australian Geographic
Home to a diverse array of marine life, which attracts researchers and tourists alike, Heron Island is one of the Great Barrier Reef’s tropical gems
At just 800m long and 300m wide, 22ha Heron Island is slightly smaller than Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s located on the western end of the 24sq.km fringing Heron Reef, which is home to 60 per cent of fish species and 70 per cent of coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef.
The coral cay is located about 80km north-east of Gladstone in Queensland and is protected as part of Capricornia Cays National Park.
See Heron Island yourself on this special Australian Geographic Society trip, including some volunteer scientific work.
Find out more in issue 126 (May/June) of Australian Geographic
