Whose expedition first charted the Great Barrier Reef’s eastern edge in detail?
Quick Answer
Captain James Cook’s 1770 voyage on the HMS Endeavour mapped much of the reef after his ship struck it. The grounding turned the “Endeavour Reef” into a famous navigational hazard.
The Full Story
Captain James Cook and the crew of the HMS Endeavour were the first Europeans to chart large stretches of the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. After the ship ran aground on the reef on 11 June 1770, Cook’s detailed navigation notes helped place the hazard on maps used by later sailors. The voyage was a major step in European knowledge of Australia’s eastern coastline. Today the Great Barrier Reef remains the largest coral reef system on Earth, stretching for more than 2,300 km.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The shipwreck that helped map the world’s biggest reef"