Travel

The Heart Of The Great Barrier Reef

An aerial view of Heart Reef in the Great Barrier Reef. The photo was taken near Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia. (Getty images) — An aerial view of Heart Reef in the Great Barrier Reef. The photo was taken near Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia.
(Getty images)

At a Glance

Heart Reef is one of the Great Barrier Reef's hidden gems.
Visit this unique reef by seaplane or helicopter.
Paradoxically, visitors cannot actually enter the reef for swimming, snorkeling or diving, because of its protected status.

It’s like a secret love note from the earth.

Tucked in the Great Barrier Reef, Heart Reef is a favored destination by travelers looking for adventure, for luxury and to express their love.

Located off the coast of eastern Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, made up of nearly 3,000 reefs and 900 islands.

Heart Reef, named such because of its shape, is one of those 3,000 reefs. It was discovered by a local pilot in 1975, and is now an internationally recognized attraction. Heart Reef is located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef in Hardy Reef, a suspended lagoon. Hardy Reef itself is a significant site within the Great Barrier Reef, both because it is close to the mainland and because it has some of the most stunning coral and marine species in the entire reef.

The reef attracts tourists and photographers alike, hoping to catch a glimpse of the heart-shaped reef.

The thing about Heart Reef is you can’t actually swim there. Or snorkel. Or dive. Or anything, really. This is because Heart Reef has a protected status, as a way to maintain the ecology and splendor of the reef.

So how, exactly, are you supposed to visit and experience this wonder, you may ask? The best way is by flight.

There are seaplane and helicopter options that leave from the nearby Whitsunday Islands, and could take you over the reef. Internet reviews indicate that if you tell the pilot that you’re going on the plane tour for a proposal or a declaration of love of any sort, they’ll do an extra loop or two over the reef to give you more time over the pristine heart.

When you search Heart Reef on Instagram, there are just upward of 20,000 posts of travelers posting their breathtaking aerial photos from above the reef.

Will you be one of them?

One small ecological note to keep in mind for your visit: like many coral reefs around the world, the Great Barrier Reef and the marine wildlife that depends on it are suffering due to human behavior. Practices like overfishing, water pollution and the rise in ocean temperature due to human induced climate change are just a few examples.