When planning your trip to the Great Barrier Reef, there are many reading options available.

First, set yourself up with a beautiful coffee table-style book so you can get a real feel for the beauty of this area. “Great Barrier Reef (National Geographic Insight)” by David Doubilet is one good option, and is full of interesting essays and amazing underwater photography from a master at the craft.

To fully understand the area, pick up a copy of “The Great Barrier Reef: History, Science, Heritage” by James Bowen and Margarita Bowen. This nearly 500-page book features a wide array of interesting and factual documentation of the area, from early European explorers, to attempts to keep the area healthy and viable.

You’ll likely want a good travel guide to help you plan your trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Consider one of the popular Lonely Planet guides (“Lonely Planet Islands of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef”) or one of the Insight pocket guides (“Insight Pocket Guides Cairns, the Barrier Reef”. Or pick up the always reliable Frommer’s guide to the Great Barrier Reef (“Frommer’s Portable Australia’s Great Barrier Reef”.