Coral Expeditions Adds Citizen Science Great Barrier Reef Voyage
The program includes a pre-voyage stay near Mon Repos, then extended time at Lady Elliot Island with Project Manta, which has studied manta rays since 2007.
Coral Expeditions has scheduled a new 11-night Great Barrier Reef voyage combining citizen science, conservation projects and reef exploration. The 700-nautical-mile sailing aboard Coral Discoverer, one of three ships in the Coral Expeditions fleet, will depart Bundaberg for Cairns on March 31, 2027.
The “Science and Conservation on the Great Barrier Reef” itinerary will travel from southern coral communities through the Whitsundays and central reef region to tropical North Queensland. Marine scientists and conservation practitioners will join Coral’s expedition team, along with project partners, for research activities, wildlife observation and cultural experiences.
“This new expedition has been designed to help guests see the Great Barrier Reef as a living, working system,” said Jeff Gillies, chief commercial officer of Coral Expeditions.
Research activities from south to north
The program begins with a two-night pre-voyage stay at NRMA Turtle Sands Nature Resort near Mon Repos, which supports the largest population of endangered loggerhead turtles on the Australian mainland.
After leaving Bundaberg, Coral Discoverer will visit Lady Elliot Island and Wistari Reef. Extended time at Lady Elliot Island will give passengers access to Project Manta, a multidisciplinary research program that has studied manta ray populations in eastern Australia since 2007 using methods including photo identification, tagging, genetic sampling and citizen science.
The ship will then continue through the Whitsundays and visit islands in the Cumberland group, including Scawfell and Brampton. Calls at Magnetic Island and John Brewer Reef will involve community-based science initiatives. Passengers will help local organizations collect data.
At John Brewer Reef, the program includes the Museum of Underwater Art, an underwater installation connecting art with marine science and conservation. At Yamacutta and Thetford reefs, passengers will snorkel with guides, observe reef health and discuss conditions across the Marine Park with onboard specialists.
The northern portion of the voyage includes a sunset event at Dunk Island and a visit to Port Douglas for access to the Forever Reef Project. Led by Great Barrier Reef Legacy, the project maintains a publicly accessible living coral biobank containing live fragments, tissue samples and genetic material for research and reef restoration.
Inside the Marine Park
The itinerary operates within a marine park covering about 344,000 square kilometers. Established in 1975, the protected area encompasses approximately 99% of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage property, which was inscribed by UNESCO in 1981. The reef system extends about 2,300 kilometers along Queensland and contains more than 2,900 reefs and roughly 1,000 islands and cays.
Coral reef specialist Dr. Dean Miller is expected to be among the voyage’s guest lecturers. Coral Expeditions did not publish pricing with the itinerary announcement.
