Green Island, on the Great Barrier Reef is a much loved Cairns Island day tour for guests wishing to swim in clear blue waters that gently lap onto the beach. Its the perfect half day tour or a full day tour for everybody, and great for families to enjoy especially with our famous family package deals where one child travels free. Only 45 minutes from Cairns, Green Island is a popular Great Barrier Reef tour offering a range of activities for swimmers and non-swimmers.
Enjoy snorkeling direct from the sandy beach to view the abundant marine ecosystems within in the coral gardens, the schools of fish, and enjoy a self guided walk through the rainforest on the island.
How to Get to Green Island?
Green Island Ferry operates multiple times a day, for a choice of full day or half day reef tours from Cairns. A ferry ticket price to Green Island is great value, and when booking you have the option to include a combination of Island activities to maximise your reef experience during your Green Island visit. Another option is to Fly to Green Island by scenic helicopter from Cairns.
What to do on Green Island?
When you book your Green Island reef tour you can choose to include snorkel equipment hire and/or a glass bottom boat coral reef viewing tour plus there is a wide range of optional activities including boat snorkel tours, scuba diving (Introductory & Certified), parasailing, scenic helicopter flights and helmet diving. These are highly recommended to be pre-booked to avoid missing out during your day trip.
Seawalker Helmet Diving is a unique experience available at Green Island - it's where you walk on the ocean floor with fish, including Gavin the famous Parrotfish swimming around you - great for those who don't want to get their hair wet, or for those with glasses.
Scenic helicopter flights are a great way to see Green Island and the spectacular views of the reef from above as well as the fun underwater, you can choose a 10 minute scenic flight, 15 minute flight, from Green Island, or Fly out to Green Island and return by cruise, or even combine your Green Island day trip with a scenic flight to an Outer Reef Pontoon.
Looking at combo of an Island Trip plus the outer reef trip - have a look at the two in one Green Island and Outer Reef Day Trip which includes both!
Lunch and refreshments can be purchased from the Island's restaurant and food outlets including the Canopy Grill for burgers, fish & chips, wraps, the Pool Bar for cocktails and pizza, Ice Creams, and Emeralds Restaurant for a la carte dining or set course menus.
There are pathways that wind their way through the trees on Green Island that provide shade as you explore all the gift shop, restaurant and tourist facilities as part of the Green Island Resort which is a great option if you'd like an Island getaway.
The coral around Green Island are soft corals, and vary from the corals you see on the outer Great Barrier Reef - still very interesting and lively with tropical fish and ensure to keep an eye out for the turtles that call Green Island home. During the months of June to August you will witness the annual migration of the mighty Humpback Whales from the beach and on your boat tour transfer from Cairns.
Green Island Resort
Enjoy the tranquility and luxury of staying on the Great Barrier Reef at the
Green Island Eco Resort.
The Island Resort is a 4 and a half star eco certified resort with accommodation to suite couples and families.
As a
guest of Green Island Resort, you receive complimentary return catamaran transfers from Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal, complimentary sunset drinks, glass bottom boat tour, fish feeding presentation daily, snorkelling equipment, self-guided island walks and most non-motorised beach activities such as kayaking, beach volleyball and complimentary use of sun lounges and beach umbrellas. We recommend a three night Island Package which will provide you with the opportunity to visit the Outer Reef Pontoon reef trip, along with enjoying the Island facilities and tropical island experience.
Marineland Melanesia Green Island - Crocodiles
Marineland Melanesia, first established in the early 1960’s originally named “Marineland” and the Craig family gained ownership and then added the “Melanesia” to its name. With a history of hunting Crocodiles in Papua New Guinea, George Craig also collected rare and unusual Indigenous and Tribal artefacts from all over the Melanesia region.
His beautiful collections are showcased within the islands tourist attraction. He also collected other historical nautical apparatuses over his lifetime on the oceans of the world.
What To See and What to Do at Marineland Melanesia?
Take a wander through the “Corridor of Gore” an extensive compilation of historic newspaper articles from all over the world and their gory pictures of the less fortunate who crossed paths with many giant salt water crocodiles, I guess as the saying goes… never smile at a crocodile!
Marineland Melanesia is also home to a few giant native sea turtles that have been rescued and being rehabilitated to be set free on the Great Barrier Reef and reef fish such as lionfish and Barramundi which share a huge aquarium.
This Cairns tourist attraction houses in excess of 20 ferocious Saltwater Crocodiles and also the world’s biggest captive saltwater crocodile, Cassius who turned 120 years old in May 2020. He is 5.48 metres long or 17ft 11.75 inches long.
The crocodiles are fed at 10.30 and 1.30pm each day so check on the notice board outside Marineland Melanesia for the timetable to ensure you do not miss out seeing Cassius out of his murky green billabong, you will be awestruck at his size with a girth big enough to swallow the family car!
The next largest crocodile at Marineland Melanesia is “Bulla” a welcoming name in the Fijian language but not when you are face to face with him as he is 4.3m in length and quite feisty. He and Cassius are kept as far away as possible from each other for fear of the fences being torn down to get to each other!
To see these dinosaurs in action will make your bones tremble! The incredible “SNAP!” as their jaws slam together. Crocodiles have a biting force up 5000lb/2250kg! It’s no wonder why they eat the unwitting human for breakfast!
Have your photograph taken to put in a frame of you or your children holding a baby crocodile that has its mouth sticky taped closed so it won’t bite you to put on the mantel piece
How To Get to Green Island and Marineland Melanesia
A walk around Marineland Melanesia will broaden your knowledge and appreciation for these beautiful creatures and it’s a must-do activity to include in your Green Island, Great Barrier Reef Tour.
Located on the eastern side of Green Island Marineland Melanesia is a great attraction for all the family take a full day tour or a half day tour and spend a day on an island on the Great Barrier Reef. Book and pay at the door for Marineland Melanesia and buy some souvenirs in the gift shop.
There is so much to see and do for families on Green Island and its a safe place to swim for the little one's and the older folks.
Discover the options of Island Day Trips including Green Island here.
Need to know before you go - read our travel tips for Cairns and Port Douglas
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