The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a vast and beautiful area enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year. We can all play a role in keeping the Great Barrier Reef Great. Little things can make a big difference. To ensure that the Great Barrier Reef is as great tomorrow as it is today, people who visit the reef are encouraged to follow some simple Best Environmental Practices. These are voluntary and complement legal requirements.

Take care anchoring

Anchoring and Mooring

Coral is a living organism. Visitors should be especially careful that anchors and chains do not wreck fragile corals. Frequent anchoring at popular sites can destroy the attraction people have come to see. Visitors should become familiar with the anchorage and carry the appropriate anchoring gear onboard. Corals are living organisms and each anchor makes a difference. It is mandatory to comply with designated 'no anchoring areas' in the Marine Park and it is illegal to damage coral in the Whitsunday and Cairns areas.

Best Environmental Practice

• Carry enough chain and line for the depth you want to anchor in.
• Check out the area before anchoring.
• Use the appropriate type of anchor for the substrate you are anchoring in.
• Anchor in sand or mud away from corals.
• Motor in the direction of the anchor when hauling it in.

White-bellied sea eagle

Bird watching

The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of seabirds. Many islands are important breeding and nesting sites. Some are specially protected or subject to seasonal closures to ensure the birds' safety. All seabirds are protected in Queensland and it is illegal to take any birds or their eggs.

Best Environmental Practice

• Whenever possible keep well away from colonies of roosting or nesting seabirds.
• If you cannot avoid going near a colony, always keep a low profile.
• When approaching birds, be quiet, avoid rapid or sudden movements, crouch low and use existing cover.
• Keep noise to a minimum. Do not sound horns, sirens or loudspeakers.
• If seabirds exhibit stressful behaviour overhead, such as raucous calling or swooping, leave the area immediately.
• Be careful not to crush eggs and chicks - some are well camouflaged.
• Never attempt to touch birds, chicks or eggs.
• Avoid using lights near or in bird colonies.
• Take particular care on seabird islands at the following sensitive times:

-          late afternoon and early evening

-          the hottest part of the day

-          wet and/or cold weather

-          moonlit nights

-          when eggs, naked or downy chicks are in their nests.

• Learn about the habits and needs of seabirds to increase your appreciation of them.

Take care when boating

Boating

Visitors should always be alert and careful when boating in the Marine Park and should be aware of the natural world around them. Vessel groundings can damage large areas of corals as well as severely damaging a prop or hull. Vessel collisions with large marine creatures such as whales, dugongs and turtles can injure or kill the animal.

Best Environmental Practice

• Stay alert for dugong in shallow inshore areas especially over seagrass beds.
• Be extremely careful in the Whitsundays from June to October to avoid disturbing humpback whale mother/calf pairs.
• Stay alert for sea turtles especially during September and October when mating behaviour brings them closer to the surface.
• Go slow near any islands and cays where seabirds are nesting or roosting. Be aware of any boating restrictions.
• Use care when approaching shorelines, beaches and reef edges. Proceed slowly and choose carefully where to come ashore or leave your vessel/tender.
• Take care when transferring fuel to minimise the risk of spillages. Where possible, refuel onshore or in port instead of at sea.

Collecting may need a permit

Collecting

The taking, by any means, of aquarium fish, most shellfish and other animals and plants, whether dead or alive, must be conducted in accordance with Zoning Plans and regulations. Collecting is not allowed in some zones, but in most of the Marine Park visitors may generally collect up to 5 shells, fish or invertebrates of any one species in a 28-day period. To collect greater numbers or to collect coral requires a specific Marine Parks permit, as does any form of commercial collecting. A number of shell species (e.g. the giant triton) are totally protected under Commonwealth and Queensland legislation and may not be collected. To confirm what can and cannot be taken, visitors should contact their nearest QPWS office.

Best Environmental Practice

• Take only what you need and abide by official limits.
• Return all unwanted specimens to the water carefully and quickly, preferably to the exact location where you found them.
• Treat all specimens humanely and carefully. Handling some specimens may be dangerous.

Watch your fins when diving

Diving and Snorkelling

Scuba diving and snorkelling are the most popular ways to experience the unique and beautiful underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. Recent studies on the impact of diving activities on the Reef show most divers cause little detectable damage to corals. Where damage was detected, it was caused most commonly by divers' fins. Buoyancy control is critical in minimising the impacts of divers on coral.

Best Environmental Practice

• If you are a beginner, check you are weighted correctly before diving and practise buoyancy control away from coral or reef animals.
• Secure dragging diving equipment such as spare regulators & gauges.
• Do not rest or stand on coral. Take extra care when taking photographs underwater.
• Avoid touching coral with your fins and do not disturb sediment.
• Use rest stations where provided if you need to rest.
• Observe animals. Do not handle them. They may be dangerous.
• Do not block, chase, ride or grab free-swimming animals.
• Do not poke or prod plants or animals.
• If you pick up anything under water (living or dead), always return it to exactly the same position.

Fishing

Fishing is one of the most popular activities on the Great Barrier Reef. Each year there is increasing competition for a limited supply of fish as our population grows. Careful treatment and handling of fish caught maintains the quality of fish, and gives released fish their best chance of survival. Marine sanctuaries ('Green zones') and some restrictions in 'Yellow zones,' bag and size limits, tackle restrictions and seasonal closures are used to manage fish stocks.

Best Environmental Practice

• Take only what you need and within official limits.
• Return all undersized or unwanted fish to the water carefully and quickly.
• If you intend keeping a fish, remove it from the hook or net quickly and humanely.
• Avoid fishing where fish feeding takes place.
• Avoid fishing in areas where fish are gathering to spawn.
• Do not throw away fishing line as it can kill marine animals.
• Report tagged fish to the Suntag hotline (1800 077 001)
• Report 'fish kills' to the Marine Animals Hotline 1300 360 898. Note the time, place, sea and weather conditions, and collect specimens if possible.

Fish feeding - a good way to get close to large schools of fish like these yellow-tailed fusiliers

Fish Feeding

Fish feeding can help visitors learn about the fish of the Great Barrier Reef and get them closer to large schools of fish, but it is important that fish feeding is done carefully. Some fish become aggressive when fed and can be dangerous to the person feeding the fish or others close by in the water. Most food that people eat, particularly bread and meat, is generally bad for fish and may damage their health, especially if lots of people feed fish at a site each day. Tour operators require special permission from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to carry out fish feeding.

Best Environmental Practice

• Use only raw marine products or fish pellets.
• Use no more than one kilogram of food.
• Throw the fish food onto the water. Do not feed directly by hand.
• Avoid fish feeding in areas where fishing also takes place.
• Swimmers and snorkellers should not be in the water at the time of fish feeding.

Guided reef walking

Reef Walking

Reef walking is an alternative way to explore the intertidal area or reef flat, but care should be taken to avoid damaging the environment.

Best Environmental Practice

• Avoid stepping on coral or living things.
• Follow marked trails. If there is no marked trail, use obvious routes or follow sand channels.
• Use a pole or a stick for balance. Take care not to poke animals.
• Observe animals rather than handle them. Handling some animals may be dangerous.
• If you pick up anything, living or dead, always return it to the same position.
• Do not pick up animals that are attached to the reef flat.

Turtle laying eggs

Turtle Watching

The Great Barrier Reef is a vital breeding and foraging ground for six of the world's seven species of marine turtle. Turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs and are easily disturbed by light, noise and movement. It is possible to watch the females laying eggs and hatchlings emerging from the sand without disturbing the turtles. All sea turtles are protected in Queensland and it is illegal to take any turtles or their eggs. Indigenous peoples can obtain permits to hunt turtles in the Marine Park.

Best Environmental Practice

• Do not approach closely or shine lights on turtles leaving the water or moving up the beach.
• Avoid shining lights directly on the turtle during nest-digging and egg-laying.
• Do not touch the turtles, hatchlings or eggs.
• Avoid loud noise and sudden movements.
• Keep dogs away. Dogs are not permitted in National Parks or on most beach areas.
• Do not light campfires on turtle nesting beaches.
• Report sick, injured or dead turtles to the Marine Animals Hotline: 1300 360 898 (24hr).

Camping is popular on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef

Visiting Islands

Islands of the Great Barrier Reef are popular with tourists and locals alike. It is important that the natural setting that people come to enjoy is not degraded by human activities.

Best Environmental Practice

• Check Marine Park zoning requirements before fishing or collecting and obtain national park camping permits from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service before visiting islands.
• Remove seeds of introduced plants from clothing & shoes before landing.
• Use designated campsites.
• Take any litter or rubbish back to the mainland for recycling or proper disposal.
• Take care when washing and cleaning. Do not use detergents, toothpaste or soap in creeks, streams or lakes. Wash at least 50 metres away from waterways. Use only biodegradable products and use sand as a scourer to clean dishes.
• Use gas or liquid spirit stoves for cooking. Campfires are not permitted on most islands.
• Always use toilets where provided. Where there are no toilets, go at least 100 metres from campsites or water. Bury faeces at least 15 cm deep.
• Do not break branches from trees and shrubs.
• Avoid loud noise, strong lights or sudden movements near nesting seabirds or turtles.
• Do not take animals or plants to islands or feed native animals.
• Do not write graffiti anywhere.
• Do not use generators or compressors unless you have permission from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Amplified music is banned from island national parks.

Waste disposal

How you dispose of your waste directly affects the health of the reef. Marine pollution, increasing nutrients and sedimentation in reef waters, are major threats to the Great Barrier Reef. Visitors should ensure their activities have a minimal effect by disposing of all forms of waste correctly. Discarding garbage, including plastics, fishing nets and lines, or oil products within the Park is prohibited by law. It is also illegal to discard fresh fish waste within the park unless the fish have been caught inside park boundaries. In addition, visitors must not bury or leave noxious, harmful or offensive substances in Queensland State Marine Parks or on island National Parks. There are also special regulations governing the discharge of sewage. As these requirements change from time to time, visitors should check for conditions at www.gbrmpa.gov.au.

Best Environmental Practice

• Vessels should use pump-ashore facilities, where provided, for sewage disposal from holding tanks.
• Where there are no pump-ashore facilities, discharge sewage into open water, at least 500 metres away from reefs.
• If there is no holding tank, visitors should not use toilets or urinate in the water when near reefs or in enclosed bays.
• Boat owners should take care when transferring fuel to minimise the risk of spillages. Where possible, they should refuel onshore or in port instead of at sea.
• Visitors should use biodegradable toilet paper and phosphate-free cleaning products and make sure they don't end up in the water.
• Petroleum products in the bilges of vessels should be broken down with biodegradable detergents and disposed of at recycling depots on shore.
• All litter should be brought back to the mainland for recycling or disposal at a designated waste disposal site.

Humpback whales are great acrobats

Whale and Dolphin Watching

The Great Barrier Reef is an important breeding and feeding ground for whales and dolphins. Visitors can help ensure that human activities have minimal impact. Killing, injuring, harassing, chasing or herding whales and dolphins is prohibited by law. There are also special regulations for whale watching. Before whale watching, visitors should contact a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office for the latest whale watching regulations. Harassment and stress may lead to behaviour changes, such as mothers abandoning their calves before they can survive on their own. All commercial users need permission from management agencies before they conduct whale watching.

Best Environmental Practice

• Be alert and watch for whales and dolphins at all times.
• Keep a lookout and avoid disturbance to mother whales and their calves especially from June to October.
• Reduce your vessel speed to minimise the risk of collision in areas where whales and dolphins have been sighted.
• Be quiet when you are around a whale or dolphin.
• If there is a sudden change in whale or dolphin behaviour, move away immediately.
• Do not chase whales or dolphins or block their passage.
• Report sick, injured, stranded or dead whales or dolphins to the Marine Animal Hotline: 1300 360 898 (24 hr).