The 8 Best Great Barrier Reef Tours Of 2022
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“This full-day tour on a high-speed, air-conditioned catamaran is a must for all beach lovers.”
“This three-day combo tour showcases the regions best-loved highlights.”
The Great Barrier Reef: An Incredible Place
Coral reefs are an amazing place to visit, and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef is a great way to see them. You can see the reef without diving, but its far more enjoyable if you dive. Outside of our planet, you can also see the reef. Because it is located in the Coral Sea, it is a perfect fit for the area.
Great Barrier Reef Cruise Deluxe $205
Great Barrier Reef Cruise Deluxe $205
A visit to Australias tropical paradise Cairns is never complete without a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Join us on our Deluxe Great Barrier Reef tour where you can explore two outer reef sites to discover the colourful corals, vibrant tropical fish and charismatic marine animals that call this natural wonder home. Departing from Cairns on a state-of-the-art catamaran, our Great Barrier Reef Deluxe tour includes everything for a once in a lifetime experience on the reef. As well as unlimited snorkelling and equipment, this tour also includes a beginner or certified dive, glass-bottom boat tour, yummy hot breakfast and lunch, Cairns accommodation transfers and more. Plus, our friendly crew are on hand all day with information about the reef and tips on how to make the most of your trip. Dont miss out on exploring this spectacular underwater world! Book your Cairns Reef tour today.
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Best Sailing: Green Island Sailing Cruise From Cairns
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This full-day tour takes place aboard a 54-foot, two-masted schooner and is the only engines-off sailing cruise leaving from Cairns . It lasts around nine hours and takes you to Green Island, a protected Marine National Park on the Great Barrier Reef. Once you get there, the captain moors at Pinnacle Reef, where you can enjoy spectacular snorkeling or scuba diving. In the afternoon, youll transfer by dinghy to Green Island. Here, you can relax on the beach, hike through the rainforest or watch the crocodiles being fed at Marineland Melanesia.
Other exciting activities include a fish feed and reef talk by the boats marine interpreter. Snorkeling tuition, snorkeling equipment and an impressive variety of complimentary refreshments are also included. On your way to Green Island, enjoy tea, coffee, and fresh muffins. Lunch is a lavish buffet served on board the schooner, while a glass of wine on the cruise back to Cairns provides the final touch to a perfect day. Diving costs extra. This is an intimate tour with a maximum of 25 guests.
How Much Does It Cost To Snorkel In The Great Barrier Reef
The cost of snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef varies depending on the tour company and the length of the tour. However, most tours range from $50-$100 per person.
The Price Guide to Diving in the Great Barrier Reef How to Choose a Snorkel Tour in Cairns In comparison to other places on the planet, there are over 35 reef tour companiesdeparting from Cairns and Port Douglas. When planning a reef tour with your family, you should think about these four things: What is the best route to take? A dive day boat is the best option if you enjoy snorkeling as well as diving. It is far smaller and less traveled than larger vessels. People who do not like to swim should use a pontoon. You can see the reef while not swimming with the help of these tools. On a pontoon day trip, you will have a buffet lunch during the morning and afternoon tea, and all snorkeling equipment, including snorkels, fins, and masks, is included.
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Which Great Barrier Reef Tour Is The Best
With so many amazing tours and day trips to choose from, finding the right Great Barrier Reef experiences can feel like a challenge. This is why weve filtered it down to only the best and most trust-worthy experience providers. That way, you can rest assured that when you shop with us, youre booking into a Great Barrier tour that will actually deliver on everything it promises.
If youre looking for a Great Barrier Reef experience that suits you, you could start with what kind of activities youre looking for. Do you want to go snorkelling? Scuba diving? Other water sports? Do you want to experience a glass bottom boat tour? An underwater marine viewing room? Once you know what activities youre interested in, you can narrow your search to reef cruises that include those.
You could also base your search on how much time you have, or how much youre willing to spend. If youve made the trip all the way to Australias Great Barrier Reef, we recommend you commit to the best tour you can afford, and with our Lowest Price guarantee and constant promo codes, youll be getting the best deal for your money. We have short reef cruises, half day tours, full day tours, or multiple night stays out on the Great Barrier Reef, so theres something to suit whatever time frame youre working with.
Finding amazing Great Barrier Reef tours is easy at Adrenaline, so rest easy knowing that youll have an unbeatable and unforgettable experience of this great natural wonder.
Dangers Of Snorkeling On The Reef
If you follow the rules you really shouldnt be in any danger on the Great Barrier Reef. Yes, there are things out there that could hurt you. But there are anywhere.
You need to be aware of Stinger Season and follow regulations with regard to stinger suits. They are there for your protection.
The sun is possibly your biggest danger out there, its fierce.
You may see fish that can sting or puncture, some rays, maybe a lionfish, but they wont chase after you to hurt you.
Follow instruction. The crew know what they are doing.
Dont snorkel or dive beyond your limits.
Dont swim too far. Most boats have somebody on watch, often the skipper, they keep an eye on everyone in the water. If youre told to stay in a certain area, do it.
Crew count snorkellers time and time again. If somebody goes missing they will know.
Dont be dumb, dont touch anything or get too close to anything. Even an angry turtle could bite.
Sharks are not a danger , sharks are friends.
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Snorkeling And/or Diving Day Trips To The Great Barrier Reef
Its a well-known fact that the Great Barrier Reef is one of the worlds top dive sites. To get up close and personal with the coral reefs, Great Barrier Reef diving and snorkeling are probably the most rewarding ways of experiencing it in all its glory.
A day reef tour happens often are often on smaller boats with fewer people, and head even further offshore to the outer Barrier reef, where youre dropped off and allowed to explore to your hearts content.
Day trips run from most departure points , and generally leave between 7.30 and 8.30 in the morning and return by 5.30 pm latest. There are numerous different companies that run snorkeling and diving day trips such as Tusa, Reef Experience, Quicksilver, Pro Dive Cairns, and Silverswift.
Great Barrier Reef snorkeling tours and diving tours are often all-inclusive, and the fee is normally somewhere between 150 and 240 AUD . You can normally get a discount if you have your own equipment.
Tours usually include breakfast, lunch and snacks, trips to two or three sites and more, depending on the company.
If youve never dived before, dont worry! There are introductory dives available for complete beginners you just need to pass their health checks and then youre away. Tuition happens on the boat, then youll dive with an instructor and no more than three others.
Usually, you still get the chance to do a second dive in the Great Barrier Reef in the afternoon where you can put your newfound skills into practice.
The Best Great Barrier Reef Locations
Our tours have the option of visiting many different Reef locations across many of the best outer Great Barrier Reefs.
56+The places visited will be decided by your boats Captain each day to provide the best conditions based on the current weather, time of year and other circumstances.
As the coral on the Great Barrier Reef needs sunlight to survive and grow, the best reef locations are in relatively shallow areas.Snorkelling area depths range from 1 12 metres deep .
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My Personal Great Barrier Reef Experience Review
We booked a Great Barrier Reef snorkeling tour with Divers Den from Port Douglas when we were in Queensland. We chose them because of the great reviews they got, the full day on the water, and the fact that they stop at two snorkeling spots.
We thought one might be too few and three too much as we didn’t want to spend more time going to places than actually swimming there.
When we embarked, we were all given a safety number so the crew could easily check throughout the day if we were all still there and okay. We also had to fill out a questionnaire to inform them of our swimming, snorkeling and if relevant diving skills as well as of any medical conditions we had.
They took this very seriously as someone came up to check if I was okay to snorkel on my own because of my asthma. I assured them I’m fine as long as I take my daily medication but was happy to know they took their job seriously.
Good to know: if you were not a confident swimmer, you could get a life vest and/or floating devices to use in the water.
We had about an hour and a half to snorkel at our first spot in the morning before lunch was served. I hadn’t expected much of the lunch but it was actually really good, with veggies, prawns, chicken, rice, bread, and even soup.
We then cruised on to our next snorkeling spot of the day where we again had ample time to roam the water.
Snorkelling At Agincourt Reef
Snorkelling is one of the many activities included in your day and is one of the best ways to view the incredible underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. Our friendly crew are on hand to show you how. On your journey out to Agincourt Reef, you can view an instructional video on how to snorkel to teach you the right techniques.
Upon reaching the outer reef, you can obtain your snorkelling equipment from the storage containers on the platform. Easy access to the water is available from submerged platforms. Our friendly snorkelling safety officers can assist you with your snorkelling gear and give you a few tips so that you can fully enjoy your experience.
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The Best Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling And Diving Tour
This Great Barrier Reef snorkeling and diving tour is the perfect option whether you want to dive or snorkel. It has exciting optional extras available, and even includes a fancy BBQ lunch. Youll travel in style on an air-conditioned superyacht and get 5 hours of reef time to use any way youd like.
Day Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Tour $460
2 Day Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Tour $460
This is your chance to experience the Great Barrier Reef in a way that few others ever will. Spend one night sleeping on this underwater wonder and explore more with two full days of snorkelling. Jump aboard our modern vessel for comfortable accommodation, chef prepared meals and evening drinks from the onboard bar. You’ll spend two glorious days exploring the reef’s top outer sites, swimming among marine life and colourful coral. Add a beginner or certified dive upgrade to make the most of your time exploring one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Theres even the chance for a night dive for a unique perspective of this strange world. Then in the evening, relax onboard and share a meal with your fellow travellers. This Great Barrier Reef Cruise includes liveaboard accommodation, all meals, unlimited snorkelling and upgrade diving options. It doesn’t get better than this!
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Is Snorkeling On The Great Barrier Reef Scary
A lot of people are nervous or anxious about deep water, fish with teeth, getting left behind or many perceived dangers. I can relate because that was me, I was scared to death to go out there the first time.
Read on, its not so scary really!
The Great Barrier Reef is a long way away from the Queensland coast, certainly up here in Port Douglas and Cairns. It takes around an hour to an hour and a half on the boat to get there.
Its not just paddling out from the shore like you would with fringing reefs, you are in open water and its deep away from the actual areas of coral.
Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef involves jumping off the back of the boat or pontoon into deep water, it can be scary, the thought used to terrify me, but now I find my desire to see the fish is stronger than my fear of jumping in the water.
I just used to get on with it but nowadays, after a few years of practice and knowing theres really nothing to worry about, Im fine.
You usually find that there will be a bit of deep water to cross before you get to the actual coral, obviously boats cant moor on the coral.
You can see the bottom if the visibility is good and there should be lots of other people around. Its not so bad, my 6 year old can do it.
The Only Cultural Reef Experience
Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel pride our-self on our commitment to sustainability. The ECO Certification logo is a globally recognized brand which assists travellers to choose and experience a genuine and authentic tour, attraction, cruise or accommodation that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Experience Co acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land and Sea on which our business operates on throughout Australia. At Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel we acknowledge the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji , Mandingalbay Yidinji, Yirrganydji & Gunggandji people, Traditional Owners of the Sea Country on which our business operates. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging.
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Will I See Sharks On The Reef
There are loads of sharks on the Great Barrier Reef but will you see them? Yes, if youre lucky. Its quite common to see reef sharks.
Species of shark found on the Great Barrier Reef include white and black tip reef sharks, leopard sharks, wobbegongs, epaulette sharks and grey whalers.
None of these are particularly dangerous unless you try to touch, feed or otherwise mistreat them.
Sharks dont want to be around people and youre most likely to get a glimpse of one disappearing rapidly.
On our most recent snorkel trip I saw 1 white tip in 3 hours and I was actively looking for them by swimming along the wall, away from people.
The time before we saw 4 white tips throughout the day, again, we were looking for them, we like sharks. All were smaller than my son.
Staff on the boat told us theyd seen a leopard shark the day before, a rare event that was really exciting for them.
You are far more likely to see sharks scuba diving. You dont often see them on top of the reef, in fact Ive never seen one above the reef, only in the deeper water around the edge.
In theory, there are no Great White Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. Its too warm for them as theyre a cold water fish.
There is a vague possibility of tiger sharks, oceanic whitetips, bronze whalers, or hammerheads wandering into the coral from deeper waters, but I dont know anyone whos ever seen one while theyve been snorkeling on the GBR. I do know boat crew who have.
Great Barrier Reef Facts
More than 1400 miles / 2300 km of jaw-dropping, living coral. Hundreds of tropical islands with turquoise glittering shores and white crescents of sand. Over 6,600 species of flora and fauna. The Australian Great Barrier Reef is a landmark so vast that it can be seen from outer space.
Is there any doubt why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world?
It sits at the top of many peoples bucket lists for good reason. UNESCO World Heritage-listed, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on the planet. Parts of the reef could be up to half a million years old!
There are over 3000 individual reefs in total and 900 tropical Great Barrier Reef islands including the breathtaking Lizard Island, idyllic Lady Elliot Island, and tropical Heron Island. Its made up entirely of living organisms and supports an extraordinary diversity of life, from fish, mollusks, and whales to birds, turtles, and reef corals.
The Great Barrier Reef is found in the Coral Sea off the north-eastern coast of Australia. It stretches all the way along the Queensland coast. From Bundaberg in the south up beyond the northern tip of Australia, to near the south coast of Papua New Guinea.
It protects the coastline, buffering it from stormy sea conditions, waves, and floods. This has created a unique natural sanctuary for endangered marine life like the dugong and the green sea turtle.
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