Stretching magnificently along Australia’s northeastern coastline, the Great Barrier Reef is not just a natural marvel, it is also one of the planet’s most extraordinary living systems. The Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is so big that it is even visible from outer space. Located off the coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It spans more than 2,300 kilometres and covers an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres, larger than the entire country of Italy. This immense scale is what makes it the only living structure on Earth visible from space. Fun fact: Did you know that the Great Wall of China is often mistakenly believed to be visible from space? It’s not true though.

The Great Barrier Reef was inscribed as

See Full Page