FAQs

Reef HQ Aquarium is temporarily closed for refurbishments for up to two years. We expect to reopen in 2023.

Follow our social media channels for updates on the refurbishments and reopening.

During our temporary closure for refurbishments, the Reef HQ Aquarium Business Operations team will reinvigorate our membership program. Follow our social media channels and check the website for updates closer to our reopening in 2023.

88 species of shark call the Great Barrier Reef home. There are several shark species at Reef HQ Aquarium, these include:

• Tawny Nurse Shark
• Leopard Shark
• Black Tip Reef Shark
• Epaulette Shark
• Nervous Whaler Shark

(Please be aware our species list may change without notice.) During our temporary closure for refurbishments, follow our social media channels for creature features and updates on your favourite Reef HQ animal.

During Reef HQ Aquarium's temporary closure for refurbishments, all our fish will continue to be well cared for. We will be decommissioning those tanks and exhibits that are being redesigned and refreshed. The animals in those exhibits may be moved to exhibits that will continue to operate during the closure, or be permanently rehomed in other aquariums, and some animals will be housed off site and returned to Reef HQ once the works are complete.

Follow our social media channel for updates on how our fish are faring without visitors in the aquarium, and for creature features highlighting some of your Reef favourites.

The IMAX theatre was an independently owned and operated business to Reef HQ Aquarium and is no longer operational.

The Cultural Centre is no longer located next to Reef HQ Aquarium. This space is part of Townsville’s waterfront priority development area. New and exciting opportunities will be coming over the next few years as the concourse area and buildings are fully re-developed.

Since December 2019, Reef HQ Aquarium have received $40.1 million over four years for an upgrade to the infrastructure at our 33 year old Aquarium. The majority of the works will be undertaken when Reef HQ Aquarium closes from February 2021.

You can read more about the funding and refurbishment by clicking the link here.

Reef HQ Aquarium is located at the end of Flinders Street, between the CBD and Magnetic Island SeaLink ferry terminal.

• Location Address:   2-36 Kelleher Place, Townsville, QLD, 4810
• Postal Address:   PO Box 1379, Townsville, QLD, 4810

You can find links to pages, documents and publications relating ‘Coral Bleaching’ here.

For more information on climate please refer to this page on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website.

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/our-work/threats-to-the-reef/climate-change

Reef HQ Aquarium is reviewing their internship program and has no internship opportunities at this time.

Reef HQ Aquarium is temporarily closed for refurbishments. There are currently no volunteer positions available. If you are interested in finding out what other volunteering opportunities are available in the North Queensland region, we encourage you to contact Volunteering North Queensland, which is a referral agency for volunteers. The contact details for Volunteering North Queensland are below:

Volunteering North Queensland

Website:  www.vnq.org.au.

PH:  4725 5990

SMS  0439 0439 39

EMAIL:  hello@vnq.org.au

Reef HQ Aquarium has no work experiences available at this time.

Reef HQ Aquarium is temporarily closed for refurbishments. We look forward to supporting the community again when we reopen in 2023.

Reef HQ Aquarium is the Australian Government’s National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBMPRA). GBRMPA is the agency who manages the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. For more information use the link here.

An outline of the management structure within GBMPRA and Reef HQ can be found here. http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/our-board

For communications to Reef HQ Aquarium, please use the Contact Us form which can be viewed on this link here.

For the latest vacancies at Reef HQ Aquarium please use the link here.

We are very proud of Reef HQ Aquarium. We love to see what you’ve taken so share your Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef experience by using #reefhqaquaiurm and tagging us on Facebook (@Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium) or Instagram (@reefhqaquarium).

If you’re looking for content for a documentary or news piece, then we’d love to hear from you. As we are closed for refurbishments, we may be able to conduct interviews offsite and provide footage to complement stories. We have some great stories to tell:

• Turtle Hospital: Since opening in 2009 we have cared for more than 255 patients. Patients have been admitted suffering from boat strikes, marine plastic ingestion, fishing hook ingestion, floatation syndrome due to other unknown blockages, malnourishment, among other injuries. You can read more on the Turtle Hospital here.
• Leopard sharks: Our Leopard Sharks are world famous after it was confirmed they were giving birth without a male, after previously mating in the usual way. This process is called parthenogenesis.
• Olive Sea Snakes: For two consistent years our olive sea snakes gave birth. From what we can determine, this is the first known case of captive breeding of olive sea snakes. Two of the first litter born are now housed at Cairns Aquarium, with the rest of the sisters on display at Reef HQ Aquarium. You can read more on our sea snake research here. (link to research paper)

Please contact us for more great story ideas. The Contact Us form which can be viewed on this link here.