As a certified Clean Marina Level III, we are focused on sustainable business operations and protecting the environment in which we live and work.
One of the key elements of our Environmental Policy is to educate visitors, employees and marina stakeholders on environmental initiatives which we support.
In addition, the Coral Sea Academy was created as an innovative series of events designed to inspire and educate all marina guests, visitors and locals about the environment, the Great Barrier Reef, sustainability and better boating.
By providing our networks with up to date information on topics such these we are able to spread the sustainability message further.
The Whitsunday Islands form part of the world-heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and, as a business, we are focused on reducing our impact on the environment, encouraging the long term health of the reef and preserving the biodiversity of the National Parks which surround us.
Below we have have also included links to some great resources to assist you in enjoying your time in the Whitsundays in a responsible and sustainable manner.
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Coral Sea Academy
Consciously connecting people to boating, the environment, and themselves...
The Coral Sea Academy is an initiative that provides a series of events designed to educate and inspire locals, marina guests and visitors to the region about the environment, the Great Barrier Reef, better boating and sustainability.
The Coral Sea Academy was created with a desire to provide an experiential travel encounter that educates, engages and immerses guests with meaningful themes relevant to the Whitsunday region. With a variety of events, in collaboration with leading industry professionals and partner businesses, include Sustainable Boating, Protecting the Great Barrier Reef, Cruising the Whitsundays, Blue Mind and Boating, and Women in Boating, to name just a few. A dedicated Better Boating series, through the Coral Sea Academy, was also introduced to provide free and informal maritime training opportunities, including Tender and Radio operation, Safety at Sea, and Basic Navigation.
These community events held at the marina hope to encourage more people in the preservation of our marine environment so that all can continue to stay, play and explore the heart of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef.
For more information on upcoming Coral Sea Academy events, click here.
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Seagrass Nursery
Coral Sea Marina Resort is supporting local seagrass restoration, working with the Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre at CQUniversity, Reef Catchments and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and will host a test site for a dedicated Seagrass Nursery within the marina.
Seagrasses are the only truly marine flowering plant, they have roots, flowers and produce seeds. A healthy marine environment relies on seagrass. Seagrass protect shorelines from coastal erosion, support fish and shellfish populations, filter out fine sediments and nutrients which protect the reef, and offset our carbon footprint by catching and storing organic matter. And of course, the local meadows are important feeding grounds for dugong and green turtles.
Storms and poor water quality can degrade seagrass meadows faster than they can recover so they need a helping hand. The project will establish a seagrass restoration site using seagrass seeds. For this, we will need volunteers to help collect from healthy parts of an intertidal seagrass meadow in Pioneer Bay, and later disperse them where needed. It also requires a seagrass nursery where seagrass plants can be grown for seed production, and seagrass flowers collected from the wild can be held in filtered seawater until they drop seeds for collection and storage in specific conditions.
Over the coming months, there will be opportunities for guests to:
- Attend information sessions about the value of seagrass and how we can help them stay healthy;
- Take part in seagrass flower collecting events to help collect seeds for restoration, but also see some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass home;
- Visit the seagrass nursery aquaria;
- Help with seed harvesting; and/or
- Gain training on seagrass identification and flower collection.
For more information on the Seagrass Restoration Project, please click HERE.
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Clean Marina Level III
Coral Sea Marina Resort holds a Clean Marina Level III (ISO 14001 accreditation level) certification which is awarded to marina industry leaders with the highest level of environmental management. Coral Sea Marina Resort has also attained Fish Friendly status, which recognises our commitment to actively working to improve fish habitats within the marine environment.
These accreditations are awarded through the Marina Industries Association and is based on a set of criteria which are regularly reviewed to ensure continuous improvement through benchmark environmental practice.
Maintaining Clean Marina accreditation and Fish Friendly Marina status strengthens our commitment to conserving our natural marine environment.
For more information: https://www.marinas.net.au/industryprograms/international-clean-marina-program
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Fish Friendly
The entire Coral Sea Marina Resort precinct is certified Fish Friendly. In order to maintain a healthy fish habitat, in the waters and foreshore adjacent to the marina and the resort we have the following rules:
- Fishing is prohibited anywhere in the marina and the area beneath the resort jetty
- No fishing trawlers are to be berthed at the marina
- Feeding birds or fish within the precinct is prohibited
- Disposal of fish waste within the marina basin is prohibited
- All sewerage must be disposed of ashore by using the sewerage pump out station
- Nothing must be thrown overboard – including fish scraps
- Any oil leaks or spills must be reported to the marina staff immediately, so they can be contained
- Berth occupiers must not discharge anything into the waters of the marina
Whilst enjoying the Great Barrier Reef marine park, guests wishing to fish are to ensure they are conversant with the zoning regulations. Zoning maps for the Whitsundays are available at reception, included in our Welcome Pack and also available digitally here for convenience.
The Whitsundays are home to a wide variety of fish species. The 100 Magic Miles has a comprehensive guide to fishing in the Whitsundays, including bag limits and size limits – we highly recommend visitors purchase a copy in advance of their stay.
We ask that all visitors be aware of the issues related to pest fish in our region and if sighted, we recommend you report that to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Here is additional information to assist with identifying pest fish – https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/pest-fish/general-information-on-pest-fish
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Environmental Policy
Coral Sea Marina undertakes all activities in compliance with relevant state and federal legislation.
Coral Sea Marina is committed to promoting and delivering the best environmental management practices and ensuring the long-term health of the environment and public is maintained across all operations and activities.
Coral Sea Marina acknowledges responsibility for environmental sustainability and recognises the relationships that exist between the key areas of energy, water, waste, health and the marine environment.
Coral Sea Marina aims to ensure all employees, contractors and guests of the marina understand and uphold the highest environmental management practices when within the marina resort precinct.
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Marine Pests
Marine plants and animals can be transported across thousands of kilometres of ocean on the hulls of vessels and in the ballast water of ships. Most of these organisms will not survive the journey, and those that do survive will not cope with the conditions of their new environment by reporting any sightings of suspicious exotic pest specials to the department.
Only a few of the marine species that have been introduced are considered pests. They threaten native biodiversity, commercial fisheries and aquaculture industries, and greatly increase maintenance requirements for vessels.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, has put together a comprehensive guide to the potential marine pest risks for Australian waters, which we recommend you read. All boat owners can contribute to ensuring we keep our waters free from pests.
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Purging Plastics
Coral Sea Marina is an accredited Clean Marina Level III and is committed to becoming plastic free.
We are plastic bag free and provide all guests at check in with reusable shopping bags, to actively encourage the elimination of plastic bags throughout our region. Our entire Courtesy Car fleet has reusable shopping bags in to encourage our marina guests to say no to plastics and additional bags are available at reception on request.
All dining and food outlets in the marina are plastic straw free. We have signed The Last Straw campaign pledge as a marina precinct and in July 2018 became the first marina in the country to have all food outlets signed up to the pledge.
We encourage all private guests also to ban the use of plastic straws on their vessels in a show of support for this worthwhile campaign.
We are working towards Purging Plastics entirely from the marina precinct by 2025. We have commenced an initiative in 2019 aimed at becoming plastic bottle free:
- We have installed three hydration stations throughout the marina precinct and have for sale stainless enviro water bottles at the marina office. In addition, single use coffee cups have been removed from our Ocean Club guest facility, where we encourage all guests to bring their own mug.
- Plastic water bottles have been eradicated from our marina owned food outlets and events venues and replaced with canned Wallaby Water.
Our team sweep the onshore marina precinct daily to limit the amount of plastic and litter entering the waterways. In addition, the marina team conduct a thorough check of the marina via boat on a regularly basis to remove any visible marina debris, we encourage all our guests to contact us should you sight marine debris which needs collecting during your stay.
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Environmental Management
Coral Sea Marina conducts daily operations in line with our environmental goals, which are:
- Reduce waste and reuse/ recycle where possible.
- Minimise the effects of marina activities on water, air and noise pollution.
- Reduce energy, water and waste consumption across marina operations.
- Educate customers, employees and marina stakeholder on conservation of marine ecosystems and marine life.
- Promote activities which reduce marine habitat disturbance, protect native flora and fauna and encourage sustainable boating practices.
- Advocate sustainable vessel operations and maintenance practices.
Our marina rules outline the set of environmental standards which apply to marina resort guests, contractors and marina businesses. These rules include information relating to the following key environmental initiatives:
- Plastic Bag Free
- Reduction of Energy, Water, Noise Pollution
- Reduction of Energy and Water Consumption
- Nil Discharge/ Black Water Pump-Out
- No Fishing
- Recycling/ Waste Transfer
- The Last Straw Campaign
- Sustainable Vessel Operations
- Sustainable Vessel Maintenance Practices
Our Berthing Agreement includes the comprehensive list of marina rules, should you require additional copies please speak with our Guest Services team.
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Waste Management
Reducing our carbon footprint and keeping our marina clean are both environmental priorities for Coral Sea Marina. We provide extensive recycling facilities for our guests, commercial businesses and operators. We encourage all visitors to the marina to be mindful of their waste management.
Available in both the north and south marina resort villages we have recycling facilities available for aluminum cans, glass, hard plastics, cardboard and paper, waste oil and on request other hazardous materials. At the hotel, staff also have access to recycling facilities.
Behind the scenes, Coral Sea Marina staff have implemented recycling systems in all offices to join this cause, including the recycling of aluminum cans, glass, hard plastics, cardboard and paper. Similarly, a 'no print' email policy has been adopted throughout the resort and our preferred means of communicating information, promotions and events with our guests is predominantly done electronically to save on unnecessary use of paper.
Our fantastic businesses that call the marina home also have many great initiatives of their own. For example, Le Kiosk Cafe in the north marina village encourages everyone to bring along their own reusable coffee cup and in return they will receive a 10% discount on hot beverages.
We ask all guests to try and separate their recyclables and then fully utilize the recycling facilities provided.
Any questions about our recycling facilities, please speak with the Guest Services team.
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Marine Life
The Whitsunday Islands National Park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are home to some endangered and the vulnerable marine life.
We encourage all our guests to observe the marine life they encounter in a safe and respectful manner. If you were to sight any injured or distressed marine life during your time in the region, we recommend contacting 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority also have a great app – Eye on the Reef. This app contains a wealth of information on the weird and wonderful species you may encounter during your stay. We recommend downloading this app and encourage all guests to share their marine wildlife sightings with other marine park users.
During our winter months, we also welcome the annual migration of Humpback Whales to the Whitsundays waters. There are numerous guidelines and regulations in place to ensure we protect both ourselves, our vessels and these gentle giants. You can discover more about the Humpback Whales and what to expect here.
The Whitsundays is also home to multiple Master Reef Guides, a group of passionate locals who are ambassadors for the reef and share the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area through engaging stories and memorable experiences. You can meet our local Master Reef Guides here.
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Sustainable Boating
At Coral Sea Marina we advocate sustainable boating practices. Our marina rules reflect this commitment and provide guidelines for ensuring sustainable practices are observed by boat owners when staying at the marina.
We are also passionate about the marine park in which we operate and as a result encourage all boating visitors to be mindful of their conduct and their impact on the marine environment whilst out enjoying the cruising grounds of the Whitsundays.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have a range of resources available to visitors to the Whitsundays. These resources encourage sustainable boating practices, protecting native wildlife, as well as limiting the environmental impact of tourism in our region. Speak with our Guest Services team about the range of resources we can offer on check in.
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Eye on the Reef
Help to protect the reef whilst cruising the Whitsundays.
One of the easiest ways to help manage the reef and is to join the Citizen Science movement and to download the free Eye on the Reef app. This app allows you to record your sightings whilst on the Whitsunday waters.
The Eye on the Reef monitoring and assessment program enables anyone who visits the Great Barrier Reef to contribute to its long-term protection by collecting valuable information about reef health, marine animals and incidents that is used to understand the bigger picture and inform how the reef is managed.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have also provided a list of Responsible Reef Practices tips that you can view here.
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Marine Park Zoning
Before heading out on the water, ensure you are familiar with the Marine Park Zoning rules, to ensure you assist with the protection of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park environment.
You can view the Whitsundays Marine Park Zoning map here. Alternatively, you can collect a copy of this map from the Coral Sea Marina office or access it from the free Eye on the Reef app.
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Marine Debris
Coral Sea Marina are proud supporters of Tangaroa Blue, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the removal and prevention of marine debris.
We actively encourage all marina guests to assist with the collection and removal of marine debris during their time in the Whitsundays and on their onward journeys.
If you would like to help Tangaroa Blue with their Australian Marine Debris Initiative, please follow these steps:
Step One:
Collect a marine debris bag from the Coral Sea Marina Office.
Step Two:
Download the Tangaroa Blue Data Collection App. The app is available on both Android and Apple platforms.
Use this app each time you collect any marine debris around the Whitsundays. Be sure to note what you have picked up, and from where.
Step Three:
When you return to Coral Sea Marina, the marine debris can be disposed of in our normal Refuse and Recycling area.
Alternatively, you can contact Tangaroa Blue who will happily do an audit for you. However, they would need to know where and what you collected, and each location will need to be stored in separate marine debris removal bags. You can leave your bags at the Coral Sea Marina office for collection by Tangaroa Blue volunteers.
You can also choose to purchase your own Clean-Up Pack by clicking HERE. These can be purchased online and collected directly from the Coral Sea Marina office.
Other Tangaroa Blue projects:
The Rig Recycle Project: Please dispose of any unwanted or broken fishing line, plastic lures, plastic fishing line spools, hard plastic lures, floats and handlines at the Rig Recycle bin, located at the BCF store located in Cannonvale. These will be repaired and reused where possible.
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Healthy Heart Reef Partner
Coral Sea Marina is proud to be a Healthy Heart Reef Partner with the Whitsunday Regional Council.
Along with other local tourism operators, this partnership is dedicated towards working together to help debarbonise the tourism sector whilst achieving sustainable destination accreditation for the Whitsunday region.
The Healthy Heart Project provides an opportunity for Partners within the local tourism sector to set higher and more ambitious targets for climate change mitigation, lower our environmental footprint, improve the health of the Great Barrier Reef and to lead the way towards the region achieving a zero net emissions target by 2050.
The project is made possible via collaboration with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation through the Reef Islands Initiative.
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Ditch the Flick
Coral Sea Marina has joined the ReefClean Ditch the Fick campaign with Tangaroa Blue.
The ReefClean Ditch the Flick campaign is an initiative to help drive behavioural change among smokers around the Great Barrier Reef. The campaign is focused on helping smokers Ditch the Flick because the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database shows cigarette butts are one of the many items of single-use plastic litter impacting the reef and waterways across Australia.
Keep an eye out for our dedicated Cigarette Butt Bins located throughout the marina and dispose of your butts in the bin and - ditch the flick!
Tangaroa Blue are then monitoring the number of cigarette butts in these dedicated bins and comparing with the quantity before these with dedicated signage had been installed.
We’re not encouraging smoking, we’re encouraging smokers to change their behaviour and Ditch the Flick.
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The Last Straw
The Last Straw Great Barrier Reef campaign aims to eradicate plastic straws completely from business and vessels on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Sea Marina signed up to this great initiative and then set about gaining commitment from all marina dining outlets and commercial tour operators to do the same.
In June 2018, all five marina dining venues committed to becoming plastic straw free, as well as 123 vessels operating from the marina precinct. This made us the first marina in Australia to have all its food outlets saying no to plastic straws, which is a great commitment to the future of the environment. Only stainless and paper straws are now available, and only on request.
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EcoBiz Star Partner
Coral Sea Marina is proud to be a Star Partner of the ecoBiz accreditation through the Queensland Government.
ecoBiz is a free program for small to medium businesses, funded by the Queensland Government. With the help of ecoBiz, Coral Sea Marina has developed an action plan to help the businesses increase efficiencies. With over 1000 businesses registered from all over Queensland, 90% of businesses recorded an increase in productivity and savings.
After a sustainability expert visited our business facilities, we were then awarded a best practice Star Partnership (Waste) for all the measures we have implemented so far to our sustainability outcomes.
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Rig Recycle
Fishing tackle is one of the most significant litter pollutants on the Great Barrier Reef causing harm to marine life and disintegrating into harmful microplastics.Coral Sea Marina is the first marina in Queensland to have a Rig Recycle bin on site, as part of the ReefClean project, in conjunction with Tangaroa Blue. This bin is for for visitors and operators to dispose of unwanted or broken fishing gear in this innovative repair, reuse and recycle program.Everything from spools, handlines, hookers, sinkers, old fishing line can be disposed of to be repurposed and recycled. -
Let's Strain the Drain
In conjunction with the ReefClean program and Healthy Rivers to Reef, Coral Sea Marina has joined the Let’s Strain the Drain Project.
A ‘drain buddy’ has been installed here at the marina, as one of fifteen ‘drain buddy’ (traps) installed across Airlie Beach and Proserpine as part of the project.
The project is designed to collect and monitor data on the types of litter entering the stormwater system across the region and then provide the data to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database. This data will be used to guide source reduction programs.
These audits take place regularly as part of the Coral Sea Academy and are completed by volunteers – all are welcome to join.
The drain buddies are themselves a source reduction project, as they are capturing litter from entering the stormwater system and eventually our oceans.
