Latest News
A Golden Night at the 2023 Whitsunday Tourism Awards
Ocean Rafting celebrated a golden night on Friday night at the 2023 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, winning gold in the ‘Major Tour & Transport’ and ‘Adventure Tourism’ categories, and acknowledgment as the Whitsundays’ favourite tourism experiences in the consumer-voted ‘People’s Choice Award Experience’. James Unsworth, Ocean Rafting’s Environmental Manager, Senior Skipper and Master Reef Guide, was also acknowledged for his extensive contribution to the industry in the areas of marine conservation and protection, winning the esteemed Young Achiever Award.
Boats 4 Coral
Earlier this month Ocean Rafting teamed up with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Reef Catchments, other high-standard tourism operators and Traditional Owners, to participate in the Boats 4 Corals reef assist project, in preparation for the 2023 coral spawning event. The trip involved surveying coral reefs in the area to check for coral […]
Eyes in the Sky
This Whale Watching season, Ocean Rafting worked in conjunction with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Association, to monitor Humpback Whale movements in the Whitsundays. Our contributions to this research via aerial surveys allowed us to collect and understand the habits and behaviours of Humpback Whales without disturbance and human risk. Aerial technology provides insight […]
Project Manta and Whitsundays Manta Rays
Ocean Rafting has had its most successful Manta Ray research season yet! On one of our Reef Protection Initiative days, our crew successfully photographed 4 Manta Rays that have never been identified along the East Coast of Australia before! To top that off, we have recently reviewed footage from a snorkel dating back to 2019 […]
Quarter 4 – The Reef Protection Initiative
The Reef Protection Initiative was implemented by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as part of the Australian Government’s Reef Protection package and utilises High Standard Tourism Operators out on the Great Barrier Reef to be active stewards of the Reef that we live, love and work on. We have now reached the end […]
10.09.23 – Epaulette Shark
This week we found this camouflaged little fella hanging out in the reef flats! Epaulette sharks are known to inhabit the shallow waters around the Great Barrier Reef. These small sharks have the ability to “walk” using their pectoral fins, which allows them to move across the reef during low tide. It’s a fascinating adaptation […]
