• Luxury, reef tour boat with state-of-the-art facilities and offering the longest introductory dives in Cairns
• The huge upper sundeck, with a panorama of the reef behind you, is a fantastic spot for sunning yourself and admiring the view
• With over 17 Outer Barrier Reef dive and snorkel sites for the boat captain to choose from daily, you will be sure to see some of the best coral reef sights off Cairns.  
• Pre-book your dives and explore the thrills of swim throughs, wall and drift dives that will appeal to every level of diver experience.

You will travel to the Outer Great Barrier Reef and the skipper will choose the 2 locations to explore each morning and this choice will be based on the weather, visibility, tides and currents and also marine activity enabling you to see the best of the best.

This is one of the best value Great Barrier Reef tours from Cairns to the reef on board this luxury boat. 

During the day you will have a chance at exploring two different snorkelling sites and divers can even do up to three scuba dives.

Jump on board our high tech custom built reef boat and see some of the most amazing parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.

This is the place that Sir David Attenborough says is his absolute favourite due to its brilliant variety of marine life and the amazing varieties of corals and reef systems.

The 2 Great Barrier Reef sites you visit on this one day Great Barrier Reef trip from Cairns will be chosen by the skipper from the 17 privately licenced reef systems in the morning and will be decided depending on the forecast weather conditions, currents, tides and marine activity.

This ensures that you will not only have a comfortable cruise out to the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef but your snorkeling and scuba diving adventure really will be an underwater visual delight.

 

Great Barrier Reef Tour Itinerary

• 8am: Check in at Cairns Marlin Marina
• 8.30am: Depart Cairns
• 10.00am: Arrive at first snorkelling site
• 12.45am: Move to second snorkelling site and enjoy lunch
• 1.30pm: Continue snorkelling
• 3pm: Depart reef site
• 4.30pm: Arrive Cairns

 

Swim with Whales (seasonal)

Our boat has an exclusive licence to swim with Dwarf Minke Whales when they are sighted on the Great Barrier Reef.

This means that the boat will stop and a long line is put in the water and 10 people at a time are allowed to enter the water and wait for the Dwarf Minke Whales to approach and swim around them.

Swimming with whales is one of the most pure animal interactions you will ever experience, as these little 8 meter whales are so inquisitive and friendly and happy to interact and come close to have a good look at you.

Please note: As whales are wild animals this interaction is just a bonus to the Great Barrier Reef tour if whales are sighted.

 

Small Number of Guests On Board  

This lovely new boat only carries a small number of guests up to 80 persons ensuring you have plenty of space to relax.

The reef systems you will most likely snorkel and dive are near Norman, Saxon, Tongue and Hastings Reefs. All locations feature diverse marine eco-systems with flourishing coral reef and colourful schools of tropical fish.

Take a peek at the reef map below to give you more of an idea of where you will be going for the day.

Here you will have the chance to see Black Tip Reef sharks (quiet shy little things), sea turtles of 6 different species, sting rays, Palegic fish and the highly inquisitive Maori Wrasse giant fish that just loves to join in for a pet and photo bomb.

 

Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef

If you have never snorkelled before and you are not a good swimmer do not worry as we will give you good instructions whilst on board the boat on how to use the equipment.

We can also provide you with flotation vests if you are a non-swimmer so you can float around and enjoy the water just like all the more confident snorkelers.

 

Introductory Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef 

Have you always wanted to give scuba diving a go? If yes then what better place to learn and do your very first intro-dive than Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef? Your friends will be so envious about this adventure for sure.

Doing an introductory scuba dive is as easy as completing a medical questionnaire, listening to a brief instruction and then you’re off; submerge yourself under reef bommies and discover coral reefs that you are unable to see while just skimming the surface.

Please note, the minimum age for an introductory dive is 12 years old.

 

Certified Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Certified scuba divers need no introduction to the depths of the Great Barrier Reef as diving it is on the bucket list of every certified scuba diver in the world no doubt as it is the largest and most bio diverse reef system in the world. 

You can also do up to 3 deep sea dives on this reef tour in different locations enabling you to see a huge variety of corals and marine life.

PS: Don't forget to bring your dive card and log book so we can stamp it for you.

Please note: Children 10 & 11 years must be with a parent, guardian or private guide and children 12 to 14 must be with a parent, guardian or shared guide.

 

Buffet Lunch on the Great Barrier Reef

A tropical smorgasbord lunch is served to you and you may want to digest your meal while soaking in the sun’s rays on the sundeck before jumping back in the water for further exploring.

Join a guided snorkelling tour with a marine naturalist to feel and learn about the unique creatures of the deep.

 

New Great Barrier Reef Tour Boat

Our new luxury Great Barrier Reef tour boat carries a maximum of 80 passengers you will not feel rushed and forgotten about. Crew on board will go out of their way to ensure each passenger feels comfortable and has an enjoyable day.

Included in your day is all snorkelling equipment, wetsuits, a guided snorkelling tour, a tropical lunch buffet, morning and afternoon tea and coffee, chilled water, and two locations on the oute edges of the Great Barrier Reef.

After an action packed day on your Great Barrier Reef tour you will disembark in Cairns at approximately 4:30pm just in time for sundowner drinks at your resort.

 

Please note that the times provided above are approximate times and should be referred to as a guide only.

See more Great Barrier Reef tours.

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

Check in 8.00am directly on the boat located at Cairns Marina, B Finger - Departs 8.30am - Returns 4.30pm

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Norman Reef, Saxon Reef, Hastings Reef

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Duration

8.5 hours

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Digital camera hire
• Professional photos for purchase
• Soft drinks, alcohol and snacks
• Quality souvenirs

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium, Active

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

• All introductory scuba participants must meet medical questionnaire requirements and some conditions or medications may prevent you from diving.
• Currently the rules state that for a single no decompression dive, you should not fly/go to altitude for at least 12 hours, or 18 hours after multiple dives. Divers Den recommends waiting a minimum 24 hours whenever possible. These are guidelines only, there is no guarantee that these recommendations will prevent decompression sickness. There are no current guidelines regarding diving after flying.
• Altitude is defined as 300m/1000ft above sea level. This includes going to the Atherton Tablelands (a popular local scenic attraction), so be careful if booking tours to follow your dive trip. Under normal circumstances, you should be out of the water on your last dive at 12pm (midday).
• Minimum age for diving 12.
• All divers must complete dive medical. 
• Please note this ttip is not suitable for those with physical impairments. There are a number of steps to climb as passengers embark and disembark the vessel. There is no wheelchair access.

Eco Certifications

• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Swimsuit and towel
• Reusable water bottle
• Certcard and logbook for certified diving

• Children under the age of 3 travel free of charge
• Child price applies to children 4 to 14.
• All children MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Minimum age for Introductory diving is 12
• Full adult rates apply to any child scuba diver