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The annual coral spawning event on The Great Barrier Reef is vital to the ongoing health of the reef ecosystem, and a wondrous event to witness first hand.
This simultaneous mass spawning of corals was first scientifically observed in 1981 by several marine biologists and is Mother Nature’s way of maintaining a consistently robust coral gene pool.
Predicting when this will occur is not an exact science but does rely on several environmental cues. The ocean temperature needs to be 26 degrees Celsius or above for the month before for the gametes to mature. Secondly, they will reproduce 4 to 6 nights after the full moon in November or December when there is little tidal movement. Thirdly, it will be about 2-3 hours after the sun sets when it is the most romantic and when plankton feeders will be asleep, giving the eggs more time to settle to the relative safety of the reef.
Due to the contributing factors, it is often difficult to predict the exact dates when this will occur but it happens between November and December.
Pro Dive Cairns guests have a fantastic opportunity to witness this incredible natural event during their two-night dives.
Please contact us for more information on dates and availability.
2022 Coral spawning predictions:
11-15 November 2022
11-15 December 2022
Learn more about 3 Day 2 Night Dive Coral Spawning Adventure
