As we head towards the Great Barrier Reef for another season, our latest article “The search for Reef Anchorages” is published by the Australian Multihull World Magazine in their May/June edition.
We really have mixed feelings. On one hand we are delighted to see Chris’s photos and writing from last year in print, but on the other we feel apprehensive. Will this be the last of her articles showcasing our precious reef? As some of you will be aware, there has been yet another mass coral bleaching event last summer, the fourth in six years. This one is particularly worrying, since it is the first time a mass bleaching has occurred in a La Niña year, the colder counterpart to El Niño. We fear the worst but hope for the best, particularly since we have our friends Greg and Ann on board for their first ever trip to the Reef and sojourn on Anui.
To read the article, click on the image below or go to our Published page, Destinations/The Reef section.
Here is to hoping the Reef is resilient enough to pull through this challenge yet again and allows us to enjoy this world we cherish so much.
Sv-Anui 
That’s terrible! I hope the beautiful reef will recover and do so quickly. I never see anything about this here on our so-called news. Be safe, guys! 🇦🇺
Thanks John, enjoy the read and photos.
Great article Chris. The anticipation for this season in the water has well and truly kicked in!
Hi Amanda – we are heading for Lady Musgrave so it will be interesting to see what we find!
Great news about the publishing.
Regarding the reef bleaching, it is not across the whole reef and bleaching does not always kill the coral and often recovers by adopting newer more resilient symbiots. The latest reef report can be read here https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149666/great-barrier-reef-mass-bleaching-event
In which it states this
” This year, water temperatures across the reef had started to fall by April 1, 2022, but remained about one degree above average for this time of year. “There is some mortality in some places. But in other places, even though corals are bleached, it’s not very intense,” Wachenfeld said in the weekly reef health update. “We would expect those corals to recover in the next few weeks.”
Finally, the GBR extends 2500km with northern coral growing comfortably in 26-30 degrees C temperatures whilst the southern corals can live in 19-25 degC sea temps. Because of this range of temperatures the GBR is highly unlikely to die off completely from climate induced SST fluctuations.
I think bleaching events are a worry, equally hyperbolic media reports of the reef dying completely need to be filtered with a IPCC scientific lens.
Thanks Phil for your detailed comment and views as a meteorologist. Our experience of six consecutive years at the GBR is that the reef has deteriorated each year. In some spots you see recovery but there are also large areas where damage is extensive and the coral has died.
Way to go Chris! Inspiring writing and pics….
Thanks Elgar!
Brilliantly written and deeply informative, always anticipate the next article, building up a library of information for setting off next year. Regard, Peter and Kathy
Good to hear! Have fun guys!