The Montgomery Reef - A Natural Wonder

Described by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world,” Montgomery Reef is the world's largest inshore reef and is located in one of the most spectacular tidal landscapes on earth - about 20 kilometers off the coast of the Kimberley Mountains in northwestern Australia. The tidal range varies from ten to twelve meters and is the highest in the southern hemisphere. At high tide it is only possible to see a few sand and rock islands of the reef platform, which has a size of around 300 square kilometres. When the sea level drops by up to ten meters within six hours at low tide, not only do the islands get bigger, but the entire reef platform emerges from the ocean. As the water cannot flow off the platform as fast as the sea level falls, the outward movement forms a torrent of water, creating a river cutting through the reef and hundreds of cascading waterfalls.