Insights into our Environment

As we leave the continent of Australia, we're traveling along the coast and the Great Barrier Reef. You might be interested to know more about the reef itself.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, located off the coast of Australia and is one of the few living structures on earth visible from space. It is an ancient and diverse ecosystem that has been evolving for millions of years. The reef is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, over 1,400 miles long, stretching from the northern tip of Queensland to just north of Bundaberg. It supports a vast array of marine life, including 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusks.

The history of the Great Barrier Reef dates back possibly as much as twenty million years when many generations of coral built themselves into great walls of stone covered in a diverse range of living organisms. Aboriginal people have occupied parts of the Australian continent for around 40,000 years and have fished, hunted, and navigated the waters around the reef. European exploration of the reef began in the 18th century, with documented sightings by various expeditions.

The Great Barrier Reef is recognized for its superlative natural beauty above and below the water. The reef includes extensive cross-shelf diversity with shallow inshore areas, mid-shelf and outer reefs, and oceanic waters over 2,000 meters deep. The reef extends for such a great distance that we spent a whole day navigating alongside it at sea, shaping our external surroundings.

Meanwhile, our "internal" setting revolves around the Serenade of the Seas, serving as our mobile abode. If you're interested in learning more about this remarkable 274-day global expedition, Brooklyn and her sister Madison are diligently documenting the journey on TikTok. Brooklyn recently shared a video from USA TODAY on her social media platform that you might find enjoyable.

https://www.tiktok.com/@brooklyntravelstheworld/video/7344132968782236971

It seems we belong to the carefree and adventurous souls who are "footloose, fancy-free, with little regard for time or place!" Nevertheless, we are thoroughly enjoying it, hook, line and sinker!