• Discover an amazing array of birdlife on Michaelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef
• Great for families and beginner snorkellers and introductory scuba divers.
• With the amazing array of birdlife and sea life and the pristine surroundings at Michaelmas Cay, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Snap yourself on the pristine beach or snorkelling with a friendly green sea turtle. 
• Snorkel in the calm, shallow waters off the beach at Michaelmas Cay
• Stay dry and view the spectacular fringing reef and diverse marine life from the semi-submersible
• Family Deal - Save $130 based on 2 adults & 2 children

Great Barrier Reef Tours Cairns. Cruising to Michaelmas Sand Cay a solitary sand cay in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, spend a day snorkelling and diving .

What to Expect

With a departure from Cairns, you can discover the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef on a luxurious catamaran tour to Michaelmas Cay, a pristine sand cay surrounded by vibrant coral gardens. Spend your day snorkelling, diving, and exploring the marine life and bird sanctuary at this unique reef location. Enjoy the comfort of a spacious catamaran sailboat and indulge in freshly prepared meals as you soak up the sun and scenic views across the Great Barrier Reef.

Features and Highlights

Michaelmas Cay Tour - Cairns Great Barrier Reef Trip

Experience a popular luxury Great Barrier Reef tour sailing from Cairns city to the remote Michaelmas Cay. This sandy coral cay offers safe snorkelling from its gentle sloping beaches, a semi-submersible tour, introductory scuba diving lessons, and a chance to observe a significant seabird nesting site. This reef tour is ideal for non-swimmers and families.

Departure and Return

The snorkelling tour departs from Cairns Marlin Marina at 8:30am and returns at 5:00pm. Transfers from Cairns City and Northern Beaches hotels are available upon request. The 90-minute cruise to Michaelmas Cay offers stunning views of rainforest-clad mountains and the azure waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Snorkelling and Introductory Scuba Diving

Upon arrival, enjoy four hours of snorkelling and scuba diving among beautiful coral gardens. The coral cay is known for its diverse marine life, including Green Sea Turtles. Take a guided snorkelling tour with a Marine Naturalist or try an introductory scuba dive to explore the reef’s underwater secrets.

Bird Sanctuary

Michaelmas Cay is a protected bird nesting sanctuary home to over 20,000 migratory seabirds. Parts of the cay are roped off to protect these birds, making it a perfect spot for bird watchers and photographers.

Semi-submersible Tour

For those who prefer to stay dry, the semi-submersible tour offers a fascinating view of the reef’s coral formations and vibrant marine life.

Fresh Meals and Refreshments

Enjoy morning and afternoon tea, as well as a sumptuous buffet lunch prepared by the onboard chef. Please advise any food allergies when booking so that your dietary needs can be accommodated.

Optional Extras

• Introductory Scuba Diving: Experience the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater world with a guided introductory scuba dive in shallow waters. Suitable for beginners aged 12 and above, pending a medical questionnaire.
• Guided Snorkelling Tours: Join a Marine Naturalist for a guided snorkelling tour to learn about the reef’s ecology and interact with various sea creatures.
• Whale Watching: From July to September, enjoy whale watching as Humpback and Minke Whales frequent the reef. Dolphins are also commonly seen playing around the boats.
• Turtles: This area is a well-known sea turtle habitat so keep your eyes peeled for them as you are snorkelling around the coral gardens.

End of the Day

As the day concludes, sail back to Cairns with the engines off (wind permitting) and enjoy live entertainment and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. Relax on the deck and take in the breathtaking views of the rainforest-clad mountains as the sun sets, marking the perfect end to an unforgettable day on the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef Tour Itinerary

• 8:30am: Departure from Cairns Marlin Marina
• Cruise: 90-minute journey to Michaelmas Cay
• Snorkelling/Diving: Four hours of in-water activities on Michaelmas Cay
• Return: Sail back to Cairns with live entertainment and refreshments
• 5:00pm: Arrival at Cairns Marlin Marina, followed by coach transfers to your accommodation

Additional Information

• Location: Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef
• Duration: Full day (8:30am - 5:00pm)
• Included: Morning and afternoon tea, buffet lunch, snorkelling gear, semi-submersible tour (subject to conditions)
• Optional Extras: Introductory scuba diving, guided snorkelling, whale watching (seasonal)

Experience the best of the Great Barrier Reef with this luxurious and comprehensive snorkelling and introductory scuba diving tour from Cairns that is perfect for nature lovers, families, and adventure seekers alike.

View all Cairns snorkelling and scuba diving tours in Cairns.

Learn more about the Great Barrier Reef on our blog. 

The Michaelmas Cay Great Barrier Reef Day Cruise

The reef trip cruise departs from the Cairns Marlin Marina at 8.30am and returning at 5pm with coach transfer from Cairns City hotels and Cairns Northern beaches hotels available if required.

The tour to Michaelmas Cay reef takes approximately 90 minutes cruising past rainforest clad mountains out to the azure aqua waters of the world famous Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns Australia is noted as the best place to see the Great Barrier Reef in all its glory as it is the most dense location of the coral reef system lining the east coast of Australia .

Upon arrival at Michealmas Cay you can begin to enjoy four full hours of snorkeling and scuba diving and only taking time out to enjoy a tour on the semi-submersible boat over coral plates and bommies.

Spend time relaxing on the soft white sand or tucking into some freshly prepared morning and afternoon tea and a sumptuous buffet lunch prepared by the on board chef.

Please advise us upon booking if you have any food allergies so they we may be able to cater to your personal needs.

Optional Extras on the Michaelmas Cay Great Barrier Reef Tour

Introductory Scuba Diving On The Great Barrier Reef from Cairns 

Enhance your experiences of Australia's Great Barrier Reef and try your hand at introductory scuba diving in shallow waters of up to ten meters, led by a dive guide in groups of 2-8 people to see the secrets that lie beneath the water amongst the corals of the Great Barrier Reef!

Scuba diving allows you to indulge and discover the mysterious depths of the Great Barrier Reef in serene safe waters just off the gently sloping beach which allows you to gently wander into the water and get submerged in your own time at your own speed.

Just remember children will have to be 12 years and above for diving and a medical questionnaire will need to be filled out prior to undertaking any scuba diving activities.

Guided Snorkelling Tours On the Great Barrier Reef at Michaelmas Cay

For those not so keen on diving you can join a guided snorkelling tour with a qualified Marine Naturalist to have all those fascinating sea creatures brought to the surface and their role in the ecology of the reef system explained to you in lay mans terms.

You can even get to touch and feel some of these sea creatures but be gentle as some of them are very fragile.

Exclusive Snorkel Adventure Up To 10 Guests

Differing from the “optional” guided snorkelling tours, this is a dedicated tour tailored specifically to the guest’s needs.

• Conducted by one of our knowledgeable Reef Biosearch Marine Biologists/Master Reef Guides.
• Guests will gain expert insights and a deeper understanding of the reef’s biodiversity and ecological importance.
• They will share conservation efforts and challenges, and inspire guests to be advocates for its protection.
• Included in this exclusive tour will be a pre and post briefing along with the 40-minute (approx.) snorkelling adventure.

Whale Watching on the Great Barrier Reef

July to September is whale season in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. These magnificent mammals come to the safety of our pristine waters to find a mate and calve or just laze around for a while in the warmer waters before heading back down south to Antartic summer where food will be in abundance with the melting snows.

The young Humpbacks and Minke Whales are very inquisitive and will come right up to the boats for a good look at all the passengers on board and they even seem to encourage their very young to do the same.

Dolphins are just as friendly in these waters and are regularly seen riding the bows of the boats just for some fun.

When you snorkel with them you can go under the waters and hear their pipping to each other or their sonar's that show them the depths of water they are in.

Well your day is now over and on arrival to Cairns Marlin Marina it's all aboard the coaches and you're off to your holiday accommodation to freshen up and reflect on your magnificent day on Australia's Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.

Sail back to Cairns from the Great Barrier Reef

On the homeward journey back into Cairns, the skipper will shut down those engines for a good portion of the journey (depending on the winds) for a sail back to Cairns from the Great Barrier Reef.

Kick back on the vast front deck and enjoy live entertainment whilst enjoying a complimentary chilled glass of sparkling wine as the sun starts to set in the west over the rainforest clad mountains that surround Cairns City.

The trip back into Cairns is just the best ending to a beautiful day with the magnificent scenery the mountains and the ocean offer.

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

0730: Check-in at Ocean Spirit’s counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal for boarding passes. 08:00: Boarding commences. Vessel departs 08:30.

Departure Instructions

• Passengers booked on Ocean Spirit will receive a digital check-in link from our Reservations team 24 hours before their travel date. They will first get a text message, followed by an email, guiding them to:
• Check in online
• Download their digital boarding pass(es) –
• And on the day of travel…
• Skip the queue inside the Reef Fleet Terminal & proceed directly to the Ocean Spirit vessel presenting their boarding pass(es) to the crew.
• (If the passenger doesn’t complete digital check-in in advance, they can still check in at the terminal and collect a physical boarding pass as usual)

Pickup Locations

• Cairns Northern Beaches
• Palm Cove

• Please note: All return transfers will depart Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal 17.30pm. Ocean Sprit and Silverswift passengers will need to wait for up to 1 hour for their return bus.

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Michaelmas Cay

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Does not operate on Christmas Day

Duration

8.5 hours (approx)

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Beverages & Snacks available onboard
• Souvenirs
• Introductory Scuba Diving (Recommend to pre-book)
• Coach Transfers from accommodation

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium

Restrictions

Scuba Diving – minimum age 12

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.

Eco Certifications

• Camera,Towel, Swimmers, Hat, Comfortable shoes
• Sunscreen (SPF 30 +), Sunglasses
• Cash/Credit Card for onboard purchases.

• Family Fare: 2 Adults and 2 Children (not applicable with other discounts)
• Child Fare 4-14 years inclusive