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Welcome to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, where the XL Catlin Seaview Survey started its mission.

These stitched images are then uploaded to the XL Catlin Global Reef Record, where they are made freely available to scientists around the world to monitor changes in the marine environment.

The Survey visited many marine icons, including the Komodo National Park in Indonesia. The park received UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1991, although its history of protection dates to 1938.

The ocean around the islands is reported to be among the most productive in the world. The upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deeper areas is responsible for the rich marine ecosystem here.

Diving here, you may encounter manta rays. These huge rays, reaching up to 23 feet across, are filter feeders. They use their mouths to strain plankton from the water. Unlike other rays, such as sting rays, mantas are harmless as they do not have stinging barbs on their tail.

In the language of the Mayan people who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka’an means ‘Origin of the Sky’. This UNESCO World Heritage Site contains tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes.

On the Yucatan Peninsula’s eastern coast, Sian Ka’an is one of Mexico’s largest protected area, with 120,000 hectares of marine environment, enclosing part of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

In the language of the Mayan people who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka’an means ‘Origin of the Sky’. This UNESCO World Heritage Site contains tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes.

On the Yucatan Peninsula’s eastern coast, Sian Ka’an is one of Mexico’s largest protected area, with 120,000 hectares of marine environment, enclosing part of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

This reefs is located in the middle of the Sulu sea. It's so remote that it wasn't discovered until the 1970. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. It covers an area of nearly 100,000 hectares of quality marine habitat. There are pristine coral reef flats here, perpendicular walls reaching a depth of 100 meters, as well as vast areas of deep ocean.