6 places to see Great Barrier Reef wildlife
Flynn Reef
Best for humphead wrasse
Coral gardens, clownfish, hawksbill turtles and relative proximity (60km) to Cairns make 4.2km2 Flynn Reef popular with live-aboard dive trips, day trip operators and tourist vessels. But it is worth sacrificing seclusion to meet its memorable resident, the endangered humphead (also known as a Napoleon or Maori) wrasse. This two metre long, multi-coloured fish lurks off the back of your boat sporting big lips, a hump on his forehead, a groovy facial pattern, and a permanently startled expression. This flirty fish is a hermaphrodite: when an alpha male dies, a female changes sex and becomes the new alpha. And curiously, this wrasse sometimes swims close enough to “kiss” your regulator. Perhaps he’s acquired a taste for bubbles?
Picture courtesy of Tanya Puntti/Shutterstock.com