Flinders Reef facts for kids
Flinders Reef is a special underwater place near Moreton Island in South East Queensland, Australia. It's about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north-east of Cape Moreton. This reef is super important because it has the most types of coral of any subtropical reef along Australia's east coast! It's also the closest true coral reef to the city of Brisbane. Many people love to visit Flinders Reef for diving. It's part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park, which helps protect it. Volunteers from the Reef Check program also help look after it.
Amazing Marine Life at Flinders Reef
Flinders Reef is home to more than 175 different kinds of fish! It has more types of corals than any other single reef on the famous Great Barrier Reef. The water here is full of amazing sea creatures. You can see big groups of fish like wrasse, sweetlip, trevally, parrotfish, bat, surgeon, and many other colorful tropical fish.
You might also spot larger animals like turtles swimming gracefully. Manta rays, wobbegongs (a type of carpet shark), and leopard sharks also live here. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you might even see whaler sharks on the eastern side of the reef. From June to September, giant humpback whales swim past the reef as they travel, and you can sometimes see them on the surface!
History of Flinders Reef
Flinders Reef has an interesting history. In 1986, a ship called the Australian Army ship Crusader (AV2767) was sunk near the reef on purpose. Now, this sunken ship has become a very popular spot for divers to explore!
To help protect all the amazing corals and marine life, Flinders Reef was made a marine park in 1998. This means there are special rules to keep the reef healthy and safe for all its inhabitants.
