Coral Sea Marina Resort introduces Coral Sea Academy

Coral Sea Marina Resort has announced the formation of the Coral Sea Academy.

The Coral Sea Academy is a new initiative that provides a series of educational and innovative events, designed to educate guests, locals and visitors to the Whitsundays about the environment, the Great Barrier Reef, better boating and sustainability. 

Open to everyone, the Coral Sea Academy has been created with a desire to provide an experiential travel encounter that educates, engages and immerses guests with meaningful themes relevant to the wonders of the Whitsunday region.

Kate Purdie, Coral Sea Marina Resort general manager, said, “Our Coral Sea Academy has been designed to provide educational opportunities for our local community and visiting guests alike. Today’s travellers are looking for a more immersive travel experience and the Whitsunday and Great Barrier Reef regions are perfectly placed to provide an educational travel experience, focusing on marine conservation, sustainability and better boating.

“By providing these free community events at our resort, we hope to encourage more people into the boating community and to actively engage our community in the preservation of our marine environment. All are welcome to attend, and we urge the community to support the Coral Sea Academy.”

After a series of highly successful environmental workshops during the Great Barrier Reef Festival in August, the next event on the calendar concentrated on a topic close to everyone’s hearts: the protection and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Last Sunday (15^th September), the team from Great Barrier Reef Legacy provided an informal information session and meet-and-greet at marina venue, The Garden Bar Bistro.

The Great Barrier Reef Legacy is made up of innovative leaders in collaborative coral reef research expeditions, education, stewardship and multi-media engagement. As a non-for-profit social enterprise, Great Barrier Reef Legacy was created to address the urgent need to secure the long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs worldwide.

Its core vision is one which resonates strongly with Coral Sea Marina Resort, working towards “a world where the future of rich, diverse and healthy coral reefs is assured”. Those who attended the event had a chance to find out more about what Great Barrier Reef Legacy does and how they can also join the cause.

Dr. Dean Miller, of Great Barrier Reef Legacy, noted, "It was just fantastic to meet so many passionate people about the reef and the Whitsundays region, and there are so many synergies between here and Port Douglas where we call home.

“Both regions have fantastic initiatives to improve not only reef health but of course, tourism, as both are intricately linked. The hospitality we received here was outstanding and we really look forward to creating genuine collaborations and relationships with operators and organisations to further improve reef health education and community engagement".

Looking to the future, more can be expected from the Coral Sea Academy.

For avid sailors and boating enthusiasts, there will be events promoting better boating practices and safety at sea, as well as sessions aimed to specifically promote ‘women on the water’. For any ‘eco warriors’ out there, workshops are being created to provide information on the health of the reef, purging plastics from the Whitsunday region, and sustainable travel and tourism.

The Coral Sea Academy looks forward to bringing The Flying Scientists to the region in October, a programme that looks to engage rural Queensland communities in science and sustainability where local schools are invited to be inspired and educated.

The Coral Sea Academy is another step towards Coral Sea Marina Resort’s vision to become a true destination of choice in which all are invited to stay, play and explore the heart of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef.

For more information, visit Coral Sea Marina Resort. Sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Yachting Pages delivered direct to your inbox every month.