7 Best Reefs in the World

Human Reef Marine National Park, Cancun

Coral reefs are one of the most delightful creations of nature.

What makes them so special is not just their out of this world beauty but also the fact that they are among of the places in the world to find one of the largest concentrations of biological species.

They are all incredible, and we couldn’t say one reef is better than another.

However, some of them are really strange, different and memorable.

1. Heart Reef, Australia

Heart reef Australia
Heart Reef, Australia by Tobias Begemann

One of the most interesting coral reefs in the world is the Heart Reef in Australia.

It is located in the Great Barrier Reef, in the warm tropical water of Coral Sea.

As you can expect from its name, it has a shape of a heart.

It is situated less than 70 kilometers off the coast of Queensland and about 50 km from the popular Whitsunday Island.

Although it has a diameter of only 17 meters at its widest part, this strange-shaped coral formation attracts many visitors who wish to dive in the extremely transparent and shallow waters of the largest reef in the world.

Since the real charm of this reef is only visible from the air, however, this is the best way to get an accurate idea of what it looks like.

2. Great Blue Hole, Belize

Great Blue Hole, Belize
Great Blue Hole, Belize by The TerraMar Project

When it comes to coral reefs, the Great Blue Hole is considered one of the most amazing phenomena in the world.

It is located in the popular Lighthouse Atoll, not far from the coast of Belize.

The hole has an ideal oval shape and is about 125 meters deep.

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To get a better idea, it is good to know that at its widest part the hole is approximately 300 meters in diameter.

Places like this one are really unique around the world, and they actually can be counted on the fingers of the hand.

The hole attracts divers from all continents.

However, as it is with many other similar formations, you can get a real idea of what it really looks like only if you have the opportunity to look from the air.

3. Kiritimati, Kiribati

Kiritimati, Kiribati
Kiritimati, Kiribati

The coral reef of the Kiritimati atoll is one of the most unusual looking in the world.

Located in the Pacific Ocean, just 2 degrees north of the Equator, the reef is very different from all the others in the Pacific.

You will notice its strangeness only if you arrive by plane because if you travel by boat it would be nearly impossible to see the entire picture.

In the lagoon of Kiritimati you will find an unusually dense network of reefs, which resembles a porous structure.

This is very well visible from the air but even if you’re on the ground you will be able to see that the reef is different.

Much of this web of reefs reaches the ocean surface forming a sort of coral maze.

The big lagoon consists of smaller lagoons, which resemble small ponds.

As they were formed in the middle of this coral web, in the most part are very shallow and transparent, although there are some deeper.

4. Pipeline Reef, Hawaii

Pipeline Reef, Hawaii
Pipeline Reef, Hawaii by toto macdonald

Very popular with surfers, the Pipeline Reef is located on the north shore of the beautiful Hawaiian island of Oahu.

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It has an interesting shape under the surface of the ocean.

Coral reefs and volcanic rocks form together strange underwater corridors, which in turn strongly influence the size and shape of the ocean waves in the area.

This reef is considered one of the most dangerous in the world because sharp rocks and corals are only a few feet underwater.

As the ocean beyond the reef is very deep, the incoming ocean water masses are very mighty.

Reaching the reef, they face an impassible barrier, and the result is some of biggest and sometimes even deadly waves in the world.

5. Human Reef Marine National Park, Cancun

Human Reef Marine National Park, Cancun
Human Reef Marine National Park, Cancun by Ratha Grimes

The Human Reef is perhaps one of the most bizarre-looking places on the planet.

It is a kind of strange underwater exposure of sculptures of people who have very realistic size.

They are approximately 400 in number and are located near the island of Isla Mujeres, in close proximity to the coast of the state of Yucatan.

The reef not only attracts many divers from around the world. Actually, it also has a good impact on marine life.

As the sculptures are very close to each other, they offer sheltering of various marine animals and create a much better environment for the development of new coral reefs.

Although some divers describe the sculptures as creepy, for most of the people they are an extremely exciting experience and offer excellent opportunities for underwater photography.

6. Bikini Atoll

Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll

According to many, the Bikini Atoll is the places to find one of the most interesting coral reefs in the world today.

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The site is distinguished mainly because it is a veritable tomb of sunken vessels from the Second World War.

In this respect, no other place on earth can rival this beautiful atoll.

Besides this unique underwater exhibition, which includes sunken warships, planes and submarines, the place is the richest in marine life that you could even imagine.

The reason for this underwater biological diversity is the isolation of Bikini Atoll as a result of nuclear tests conducted there between 1946 and 1958.

7. Hardy Reef, Australia

Hardy Reef, Australia
Hardy Reef, Australia by Sarah Ackerman

The Hardy Reef is located about 50 km northeast of Whitsunday Island, not far from the coast of Queensland, Australia.

The reef is extremely interesting for its shape and enjoys a great popularity among tourists.

The place is often referred to as “the coral highway” because the two adjacent parallel reefs, which are just a few dozens of meters from one another, form a deep passable corridor, which has a total length of over 15 kilometers.

Seen from high, there is a clearly visible dark blue strip of deep water.

It separates the two parallel reef. This “coral highway” allows tourist boats to approach the reef safely.