Photo: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
In recent decades, the reef has seen more than its fair share of mass coral bleaching events; since 2016, it’s seen five mass bleaching events in nine years, with the 2024 bleaching being the most widespread to date. What this means for travelers is that the reef you see in 2026 may be as good as the GBR is going to get for a while, unless humans change our behavior and undo the damage we’re causing.
Visitors to the reef will see a living ecosystem in flux. Though the reef’s health is trending downward, there are still some sections making remarkable recoveries. Divers and snorkelers can see coral colonies beginning to re-establish and spot rare and colorful fish, even as the habitat they live in shrinks. Many operators involved in reef management, like Diver’s Den based in Cairns, include briefings about reef conditions and allow visitors to help monitor reef health through programs like Eye on the Reef.
Conservation is part of the Great Barrier Reef experience, but visiting the underwater behemoth isn’t as reliable as it once was. A recent study revealed that at one southern reef site, more than 80 percent of coral had bleached by April 2024, nearly half of which had died by June.
This underscores another reason to go to the Great Barrier Reef in 2026: tourism funds conservation in the form of permit and management fees, and many tourism operators donate time and money to conservation programs. Visitors should pick operators that support Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority efforts and choose operators certified in sustainable operations. That not only helps the reef, but helps enhance the experience: dive shops and tour operators who are dialed in with the current state of conservation will know what parts of the reef need time to recover, and which are still full of the color and life.
Photo: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Most visitors to the Great Barrier Reef will want to base themselves in Cairns, the defacto hub for trips to both the inner and outer reef. There are reef-sleep options as well as more typical hotels. The inner reef generally is a bit more impacted by weather and seasonal conditions than the outer reef, but both are accessible via day trips or overnight scuba and dive boats. The best time to visit for less rain and calmer seas is during the dry season (roughly from May to October), though experienced dive operators generally know where to go any time of year for optimal visibility and conditions. 