Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

Until recently humankind seemed to view the ocean as a limitless resource. Since it covers seven tenths of the earth's surface and plunges to still unfathomable depths. Many species populations are decreasing at an unsustainable rate and the numbers of endangered animals are on the rise.

Great White Sharks - The great white shark, also known as great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is an exceptionally large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans.

Hammerhead Sharks - Hammerheads are aggressive hunters, feeding on smaller fish, octopuses, squid, and crustaceans. They do not actively seek out human prey, but are very defensive and will attack when provoked.

Thresher Sharks - Thresher sharks are considered harmless, however some divers have been struck by their whip-like tail. Since all large sharks are slow growing, threshers are therefore threatened by commercial fisheries. They are caught for their meat and liver oil, skin and fins.

Whaler Sharks - (Bull Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Whitetip Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Tiger Sharks and Lemon Sharks)

Whale Sharks
Their large size and specialised diet means this species is difficult to keep in captivity. Healthy ecosystems are essential for the continuing presence of Whale Sharks and the destruction or spoiling of habitat directly affects Whale Shark populations.

Blue Whales - Pre-whaling population estimates were over 350,000 blue whales, but up to 99% of blue whales were killed during whaling efforts. Presently, there are an estimated 5-10,000 blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere, and only around 3-4,000 in the Northern Hemisphere.

Dolphins - They are a very social species, usually travelling in groups of as many as a dozen (called pods), but they have been seen in aggregations of several hundred.

Minke Whales - Minke whales have a life expectancy of over 20 years. Minke whales are the most abundant baleen whale. It is estimated that there are about almost 800,000 Minke whales world-wide.

Eagle Rays - The spotted eagle ray reaches a maximum length of 8.2feet (2.5m) not including the tail, with the total length including an unbroken tail reaching close to 16.4feet (5m). The maximum disc width is 9.8 feet (3 m) and maximum published weight is 507pounds (230kg).

Manta Rays - What the giant manta rays do with humans is unique in this world. A totally wild animal, twice the mass of a horse, seeks out and revels in human physical contact.

Stingrays - Common in coastal tropical marine waters throughout the world, and several species are known to enter fresh water. Other types of rays also referred to as "stingrays" are the river stingrays, the round stingrays, the sixgill stingray, and the deepwater stingray.

Sea Turtles

Found in warm temperate seas. Most adult Sea Turtles are found in shallow, coastal waters, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Sea Turtles enjoy cool brackish waters burying themselves underwater in sand or mud and remain dormant from November though March.

Cuttlefish - Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs. Recent studies indicate that cuttlefish are among the most intelligent invertebrate species. Cuttlefish have an internal shell, large W-shaped pupils, and eight arms and two tentacles furnished with denticulated suckers, with which they secure their prey.

Octopus - Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably the most intelligent invertebrates. For defence against predators, they hide, flee quickly, expel ink, or use colour-changing camouflage.

Moray Eels - Many fear the moray eel, a fish with a snakelike and scaleless body. In effect, it is widely known to be aggressive, dangerous and above all, real ugly! All the same, the diversity of its coat is at times worth comparing with the most beautiful printed fabrics, and complete with a large range of colours.

Sea Snakes - Sea snakes are air breathers probably descended from a family of Australian land snakes. They inhabit the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific and are highly venomous. Thirty-two species have been identified in the waters about the Barrier Reef in Australia.

Ghost Pipefish - Rare marine fishes characterized by long snouts and enlarged fins that belong to the family Solenostomidae (order Gasterosteiformes). Ghost pipefishes inhabit the Indian and western Pacific oceans and reach lengths of 7.5 to 17 cm (about 3 to 7 inches).

Seahorses

One of the most intriguing of the sea's creatures, seahorses are a highlight of any dive. Their expressive eyes, curled tails and quickly beating fins will delight divers who are lucky enough to spot them (you will need good eyesight).

Leafy Sea Dragon

The Weedy Sea dragon is a fascinating creature with leaf like appendages. It has blue spotting on the long snout and body is orange or brown. It is difficult to spot when amongst weeds. The juveniles are more slender with proportionately larger appendages making them even harder to see.

Bat Fish - Slow swimming, and graceful, batfish are not shy of divers and do not swim off when approached.

Blue Ringed Octopus - The blue ringed octopus can be found on shallow reefs, in coral rock pools and in tidal pools ranging in depth from 0-20m, from Australia to Japan.

Clownfish -Clownfish are native to warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea. Clownfish and certain damselfish are the only species of fishes that can avoid the potent poison of a sea anemone.

Nudibranchs

Nudibranchs represent a fascinating and colourful life form. Their name is pronounced nudi-brank and it means "naked gill". As the name suggests the vast majority have gills outside their body and they have evolved without the protection of a shell.

Frog Fish - They are known as anglerfishes in Australia, as 'frogfish' actually refers to a different type of fish there. Frogfishes are found in almost all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas around the world, the primary exception being the Mediterranean Sea.

Leaf Scorpion fish - Tiny, and often completely motionless, Leaf Scorpion Fish are usually brilliantly coloured, with a characteristic dorsal fin shaped like a plant's leaf. It is also known as the Paper Fish.

Mandarin Fish

The Mandarin Dragonet can simply not be confused with any other fish. It has arguably the most attractive coloration and pattern of any commonly kept reef fish. The scale-less body of the fish is a blue or green colour which has orange wavy lines across it.

Napoleon Wrasse - The Napoleon Wrasse is found throughout the warm waters of the Red Sea, the Indian and Pacific Oceans. An extremely large fish, it grows to over 2m and weighs up to 191kg (420lb or 30stone)!

Ocean Sunfish - In the course of its evolution, the caudal fin (tail) of the sunfish disappeared, to be replaced by a lumpy pseudo-tail, the clavus. Ocean sunfish often swim near the surface, and their protruding dorsal fins are sometimes mistaken for those of sharks

Red Crabs

The Red Crabs of Christmas Island. A species of terrestrial crab endemic to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Although restricted to a relatively small area, it is estimated that up to 120 million red crabs may live there, making it the most abundant of the 14 terrestrial crab species on Christmas Island.

Other Events of Interest - See amazing migrations of undersea life, Sardine runs and the spawning of one of the most precious regions of the World - The Great Barrier Reef.

Help Me Get it Right

  About the Author