Human involvement with the Great Barrier Reef began thousand of years before Captain Cook. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were the first people who discovered it. They have been fishing and hunting it’s waters and they can navigate between island of its coast. Aboriginal people had large cones that enable them to travel to islands and outside the reef. They moved their settlement from island to island. There are also some important culture sites and values which exist on many island and reefs. Animals such as dugongs and turtles have been part of the Aboriginal dreaming and in many aspect are important to the Aboriginal
Captain James cook is the first person to record the existence and Matthew Flinders was the person who named the Great Barrier Reef.
There are 30 shipwreck sites of historic importance and many historically significant lighthouse and WW2 sites. Chinese sea cucumber fisherman and Japanese pearl divers also frequented in the 19 and 20 century. Today the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is trying to protect the great barrier reef
Captain James cook is the first person to record the existence and Matthew Flinders was the person who named the Great Barrier Reef.
There are 30 shipwreck sites of historic importance and many historically significant lighthouse and WW2 sites. Chinese sea cucumber fisherman and Japanese pearl divers also frequented in the 19 and 20 century. Today the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is trying to protect the great barrier reef