Photo: Lady Elliot Island
11 bizarre species to look for on a Great Barrier Reef dive [pics]
Photo: Lady Elliot Island
Some pretty crazy-looking critters inhabit the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
ON MY WEEK-LONG TRIP to northeastern Australia, courtesy of Tourism Queensland, I tried to track some of them down. I’d heard descriptions of worms with spaghetti-shaped tentacles, cuddle-hungry giant cod, and a mysterious white humpback whale. I was thrilled at the thought of coming face to face with any of these oddballs. However, while I did spot turtles, starfish, and an array of candy-colored fish, the more unusual creatures were elusive.
Instead, I Googled them upon my return, chatted with scientists at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and came up with lots of tidbits about these 11. Here are some photos and details to keep in mind.
All images courtesy of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, unless otherwise noted.
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