Being at home doesn’t mean not being able to dive into the waters of the Pacific and discover the incredible underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Even more, accompanied by one of the greatest naturalists in the world: Sir David Attenborough.
“But how ??”, you’ll be asking…
This is an interactive trip that you can take in attenboroughsreef.com and for which you don’t even have to buy a ticket. You just have to be very curious to know and understand this fabulous ecosystem.
Attenborough welcomes this journey through the Great Barrier Reef
David Attenborough’s website is not new. It was launched in 2015 when the documentary series “Great Barrier Reef” was released by BBC One.
However, this virtual trip is back on the agenda, providing a way for people, from home, to visit this natural monument and, simultaneously, learn about the impacts caused by climate change.
Listen to the Reef and see through the eyes of a shrimp
David Attenborough’s virtual journey through the Great Barrier Reef has five stops. The first leads us to understand what makes this place so unique.
We are shown how the coral grows, the sound it emits, how it guides different marine species, the migration routes of aquatic mammals, and also allows us to look through the eyes… of a shrimp!
At the second stop of this trip, we get to learn about the fantastic work that marine biologists do to better know this ecosystem, as it is today and as it was thousands of years ago.
Knowing what the coral is like and how it developed over the years have allowed scientists to help in the fight for its preservation.
Following the storm
The climate and weather patterns in this part of the world are also essential to understanding the Great Barrier Reef. That is the theme of the third chapter of this virtual journey.
The currents, water temperature, winds, and global warming are all factors that influence this place, and that, in part, have affected the conservation of this ecosystem.
But what is the future of the Great Barrier Reef?
The answer comes with a visit to the University of Queensland’s Heron Island Research Station and following the extraordinary study that has been led by Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg.
In the last chapter of this trip, we realize how we can all make a difference and preserve this incredible place that, in reality, belongs to all of us.
What did you think of this trip through the incredible world of the Great Barrier Reef? What role do you think we can all play in its preservation? Is it a place that you plan to visit someday? Have you ever been there? Share your opinion on this topic in the comment box below.
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef
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