Lizard Island

The group spent the final leg of their adventure on Lizard Island, situated several miles inside the outer Great Barrier Reef. Lizard Island is a protected marine park, and hosts spectacular and relatively untouched populations of fishes and corals. Accommodations were on Lizard Island Research Station; the station is a facility of the Australia Museum (similar to the United States' Smithsonian Institute) and is well-equipped with boats and equipment to support the students' research projects. Days were spent snorkeling-either directly off some of the Island's 22 beaches or on outer reefs accessible by boat-reef walking, and collecting data for projects.