GBR - Cyclone damage?

[Traminer]

Hi.. can anyone give an update on the dive sites near Cairns and Townsville and on the damage to the Great Barrier Reef from that recent tropical cyclone Larry? Initial reports seem to indicate some heavy loss of coral. :06:

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/107978.asp

 

[ScubaTexan]

BBC World News (radio) this morning was reporting a large part of the reef was destroyed :116:

 

[alcina]

Interesting. I'm holding judgement until I hear from people actually there. The media has been known to be wrong. And some sectors will have a vested interest in making things worse than they are...

When a Cat 5 hit Ningaloo in '99 the reef was just fine and we were diving the southerly areas the day after.

 

[hlsooner]

I look forward to hearing more reports from dive operators in the area. I am traveling to the GBR in August for a week of diving. The maps of where the storm made landfall made it look like the Northern end of the reef was spared a direct hit.