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04/09/2005: "CROWN OF THORNS STARFISH"

A giant and very old Acanthaster planci starfish - "the largest I've seen" said scientist and friend Dr Robert Endean of the University of Queensland.

"Possibly more than 230 years old too" he said at the time, commenting that such a creature "could have existed on the reef as a juvinille when Australia was being discovered by Captain James Cook".

Located in Fitzroy Reef lagoon (near Heron Island) by Captain Ron Isbell, the starfish could always be found on the same coral bommie. We found it within minutes of starting our dive.

A sister photograph to this picture became the first tourist postcard to show a CoT - a remarkable achievement and gamble by the publisher.

The northern Australian tourism industry had brushed crown-of-thorns starfish reports under the carpet for years while the problem got worse.

Today starfish control grants help dive teams keep the situation in check.