TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL CORAL REEFS IN THE WORLD

  CORAL REEFS   

Coral reefs are the most valuable marine habitats for over 100 countries around the world. Coral reefs are the most beautiful of all aquatic ecosystems. Coral reefs contain the largest variety of species of marine life in a very tiny area, and produce more living biomass than any other marine ecosystem. Coral reefs provide many free economic and environmental services, including fisheries, tourism, generation of sand for beaches, and protection of the shore from waves, which make them the most valuable of all marine ecosystems in most countries where they occur (and probably more valuable per unit area than any on land as well).

TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL CORAL REEFS IN THE WORLD

   
 1. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

    
    The largest on the planet, this has inner and outer reefs, exotic fishes and corals that are not found elsewhere. The Great Barrier Reef has a vast coral diversity and species sprawl in abundance. This natural wonder is best visited in dry months when the weather is cool and the water is much clearer.

2. The Palancar Reef, San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico                                                                     

       More of a garden than a reef, this is also known as a coral. The colors of the corals here are amazing and make you wonder if there was such a profusion of color anywhere else. It is bound to take your breadth away with exotic selections of lobsters, crabs, sting rays and barracudas; a delightful holiday if you are one who wants to witness the Garden of Eden underwater.

3. Raja Ampats, Indonesia

 

      This has an abundant assortment of coral species with large and different schools of fishes, lots of molluscs and other marine life. It has a staggering amount of coral with 600 varieties of hard coral and 1200 varieties of fishes. There is a huge population of the damsel fish here and this reef is located in a part called the coral triangle. The reefs are still in pristine condition with very little explorations and you can still find corals in the same way they were formed.

4. Grand Central Station and Chimneys, Fiji

 

      This is also called the “Soft Coral Capital of the World” and is indeed very aptly named so. The Namina Marine Reserve has it all from mangroves and sea grass beds, with vertical walls – you have dominance of sea fans, sponges and crinoids. It is home to more than 1000 varieties of invertebrates, 400 discovered corals and 445 marine plants that have been documented. This is the migratory place for cetaceans like bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, minke whales, pilot whales, sperm whales and several turtle species that are otherwise endangered.

5. Belize Barrier Reef, Belize

       This is the second largest barrier reef system and there are huge varieties of corals and marine life with over 300 different varieties of fishes and 65 different corals and new ones getting discovered with every passing year. You also have turtles, manatees and sea birds; you are bound to be overwhelmed with shapes and sizes of corals found here.



6. Magic Passage and Planet Rock, Papua New Guinea
 
       At Magic Rock you can find large varieties of Sweetlips, Barracudas, Trevallies and white tip sharks, huge seafans and pretty colored corals. Hammerhead Sharks are found in Planet Rock and the pinnacle of the coral rises from the deep of the oceans to 10 meters below surface.


7. Andaman Sea Reefs, India

        This has one of the most varied biodiversity of marine life. It has turtles, Crocodiles and Sea Cows and other impressive marine wildlife with specializations in snorkeling and scuba diving to attract tourists.



8. Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

        As this geographical feature is away from human interference, maybe that’s why there are 150,000 tortoises and the largest number of coral atolls found here. There are four coral islands that make up the Atoll and are widely famous for their flora and fauna.


9. Diving the S.S. Yongala, Queensland, Australia

        This is called the best dive in and the best wreck in the world. It is home to Flying Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Jacks, Wrasse, Barracudas, Turtles, Bull Sharks, Octopuses and Sea Snakes.




10. Tubbataha Reef, Philippines

       Hundreds of different fishes and corals can be found here at the World Heritage Site in Sulu Sea with sea sharks, turtles and huge manta rays. It is however more popular for the unique and delicate underwater ecosystem.