The annual coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef is set to take place next week after Friday’s full moon and timely guests at Lizard Island will be among the action. In the dark waters of nightfall, coral spawn and eggs are released into the water column in a hazy and spectacular mass gathering of new life. Each kind of coral times it’s release to a certain hour on a certain night, the polyps float to the surface and mix with other types of coral further along the reef, maximising chances of cross-fertilisation. A powerful display of nature and an organic regenerative phenomenon visible from space.

Dates for the coral spawning event have been confirmed for the 23, 24 and 25 November 2021.

Principal marine scientist from Reef Teach, Gareth Phillips, has likened this year’s coral spawning event to a symbol of regeneration and hope and that it was gratifying to see.

“I’ve seen the corals all go off at once, but this time there seemed to be different species spawning in waves, one after the other. The conditions were magical with the water like glass and beautiful light coming from the moon…About five different genus of Acropora, the branching corals, went off releasing mauve-pink parcels. Next, the Porites, the big boulder corals all started smoking at once releasing what looked like a river flood plume turning the water cloudy,” – Gareth Phillips, Reef Teach.

Arriving at Lizard Island via an hour long scenic flight from Cairns allows guests to take in the scale and beauty of the this natural wonder, flying over a 200-kilometre expanse of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef.

A guided snorkel around Lizard Island is a great way to discover and understand more about the incredible complexity of this living network. If you are planning to take yourself off on lots of snorkelling outings – heading out with a local guide is great foundation to understand what to look for and what you are looking at.

The Lizard Island Research Station is a coral reef research facility, owned and operated by the Australian Museum and tours are conducted twice a week for Lizard Island guests to learn more about the dedicated research and findings undertaken at this pivotal facility.

For further information on Lizard Island and ways to experience the Great Barrier Reef, visit.