Batt Reef is a coral reef located off the coast of Port Douglas in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and lies on the northern side of the Trinity Passage, which connects the inner Reef channel of Trinity Bay with the Pacific Ocean.
Geography
The reef is centred at approximately 16°24′ S 145°46′ E. It extends roughly 18 km (11 mi) in a northwest‑southeast direction and is about 5 km (3 mi) wide, covering an area of around 90 km² (35 sq mi). The north‑west tip of Batt Reef is situated about 15 km east of the Low Islets (Low and Woody Islands) and approximately 11 km northeast of Port Douglas.
History
Batt Reef gained international media attention following the death of wildlife presenter Steve Irwin on 4 September 2006. While filming the underwater documentary Ocean’s Deadliest, Irwin was fatally injured by a short‑tail stingray at the reef.
References
- Queensland Place Names, “Batt Reef (entry 1846)”, Queensland Government, accessed 24 June 2017.
- Gazetteer of Australia, “Batt Reef”, Geoscience Australia.
This entry is based on information from the Wikipedia article “Batt Reef” (accessed via a public web archive).
