In the Coral Sea is the world’s largest coral reef, namely the Great Barrier Reef. This is a so-called strip sea to the Pacific Ocean and the islands that are in it are called the Coral Sea Islands. It was in this sea that the Battle of the Coral Sea took place during World War II. The Coral Sea is surrounded by the coast of Australia’s Queensland to the west (and this is where we find the Great Barrier Reef), Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the east, and by the Solomon Islands to the northeast. In the northeast, the sea touches the east coast of New Guinea, which includes Papua Bay. To the south, the Coral Sea merges with the Tasman Sea, to the north with Lake Solomon, and to the east with the Pacific Ocean. Via the Strait of Torres, the water of the Coral Sea merges with Lake Arafura.

More about the Coral Sea

In the Coral Sea, earthquakes are very common. If you look at the period 1866-2000, the area was affected by several hundred earthquakes that were between 2 and 6 on the Richter scale. In modern times, the earthquake off Vanuatu in 2008 can be mentioned as well as the powerful underwater earthquake that occurred in 2007 off the Solomon Islands and which led to a several meter high tsunami wave. The sea got its name precisely because it consists of many different coral formations. The Great Barrier Reef is about 2,000 km long and stretches along Australia’s northeast coast. This reef consists of about 2,900 individual reefs and 1,000 islands. The largest atolls in the Coral Sea are the Chesterfield Islands and the Lihou Reef.

Climate and nature

The climate of the coral sea is warm and stable. It often rains and the area is hit by tropical cyclones. Since 1975, the hunt for oil at the Great Barrier Reef has ended and many parts of the sea have restrictions on fishing. This is a way to protect the unique nature and it is to the great joy of tourists that they focus on preserving the unique environment. Here there is so much exciting to see in the water and on land so many travel to the reefs and islands in the Coral Sea to take a closer look at the animal species.

The climate is subtropical and the cyclones usually occur between January and April. In some areas, the cyclone season can last until November. It rains most between December and March and it is estimated that there are about 80-125 rain-free days per year. The temperature is between 18-27 ° C.

Animal species

In mangrove swamps, along coasts and in the depths of the sea, there are a lot of different species. Some live in the reefs while others live on land on the islands in the sea. There are at least 30 different varieties of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Here is also the unique dugong animal that has such a comical appearance, almost like a large cow-like dog swimming in the water. There are turtles and even sea snakes of many different kinds. The world’s most poisonous sea serpent, Aipysurus duboisii, is found in these waters and you should really keep a good distance from it. The coral sea has thousands of fish species, which includes clownfish. In the air, more than 200 species of birds fly and they build their nests on the islands in the sea. In addition, saltwater crocodiles can be mentioned. They live in mangrove swamps along the coasts. On the coast of Australia, you can also see plenty of different shark species such as tiger sharks.

The Battle of the Coral Sea

The first battle between Japan and the United States during World War II was the Battle of the Coral Sea. This was the first blow when using aircraft carriers. When the battle was over, it was difficult to say who actually won it. The United States lost the aircraft carrier Lexington while Japan lost several large ships in this historic battle. The reason for the clash was that Japan planned to invade Australia, which the United States could not agree to. Japan began its invasion by heading for Port Moresby, unaware that the United States was on track to counter it.