The Great Barrier Reef – in pictures

See thousands of amazing species on a single dive. These brightly coloured specimens live on the ribbon reefs on the northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Photograph: Tara Artner

A potato cod spotted on a dive at Cod Hole, just off Lizard Island. Photograph: James Brickell

Monty Halls with one of the whitetip reef sharks that cruise the channels off Heron Island. Photograph: John Rumney

Presenter Monty Halls with a nautilus cephalopod in its spiral shell, taken at Osprey Reef. Photograph: John Rumney

So long as you can vaguely float in the water, you can get up close and personal with a curious minke whale. Photograph: John Rumney

Minke whale seem to be attracted to humans. Photograph: John Rumney

The seagrass beds around green island attract hundreds of green turtles. Photograph: Tara Artner

A green turtle on Raine Island, the largest and most important green sea turtle nesting area in the world. Photograph: Mark MacEwen

A green turtle hatchling at Raine Island. Photograph: David Wachenfeld

Mangrove roots. Photograph: David Wachenfeld

An anemone fish. Photograph: James Brickell

A brown boobie on Raine Island.
Photograph: Mark MacEwan

A school of sweetlips. Photograph: Tara Artner

A tiger shark in the shallows of Raine Island. Photograph: Ragini Osinga

A pearl fish poking its head out from inside a sea cucumber. Photograph: Richard Fitzpatrick

The Ribbon Reefs, on the northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Photograph: James Brickell