Swim with Minke Whale dive tours. Book your space on our 3 night Minke Whale dive and snorkel tours. Between the months of June and July a very special event happens on the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland Australia.
A once-in-a-lifetime adventure awaits you with our 3-night liveaboard dive tours, where you can swim alongside Minke Whales on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. These majestic creatures, which gather in large pods, can only be found in this region during the peak months of June and July. With a departure from Cairns, this swim with whales expedition offers the chance to interact with these Minke Whales while diving and snorkelling in some of the most pristine and biodiverse regions of the Great Barrier Reef.
Large numbers of Dwarf Minke Whales migrate to the Great Barrier Reef, the only known location in the world that these whales gather in large pods. It is the only event of its kind in the world, and these whales that are so rare and relatively unknown were only recognised in the 1980’s when they started to approach boats and snorkellers – the visiting of the elusive Dwarf Minke Whales.
This is a rare opportunity for divers and snorkelers to come to the only place where you can experience this amazing marine life encounter. Australian Traveller Magazine named this Minke Whale interaction on the Great Barrier Reef as one of the most “Incredible Travel Secrets in Australia”. Whoops! The secret is now out, swimming with Dwarf Minke Whales.
On this 3-night swim with whales tour, you will also dive at famous locations like the Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs, where the marine life is as vibrant as the coral formations. The trip is enhanced by a low-level scenic flight from Lizard Island back to Cairns, offering breathtaking views of the reef and Daintree Rainforest. This experience is perfect for divers and snorkellers alike, providing an intimate and unique encounter with the underwater world.
2025 Departure Dates Currently Available: 09/06, 16/06 & 21/07
2026 Departure Dates Currently Available: 08/06, 15/06, 22/06, 29/06, 06/07, 13/07 & 20/07
Join this extraordinary swim with Minke Whale dive and snorkel adventure, and witness one of the most special wildlife encounters the world has to offer. With the chance to swim alongside these gentle giants in their natural environment, this is truly a bucket-list experience for marine life enthusiasts.
See all the swim with Minke Whale tours on the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns.
Learn more about swimming with Minke whales on the Great Barrier Reef on The Tour Specialists Blog.
Choose from our 3 night, 4 night or 7 night liveaboard dive and snorkel tours to the Ribbon Reefs in the northern section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
There are a range of tours that leave Cairns for the swim with Dwarf Minke Whales leaving Cairns on different days.
On our 3 night departures guests take a low level scenic flight from Cairns to meet the dive boat at Lizard Island. On our 4 night departures guests take a low level scenic flight from Lizard Island back to Cairns.
3 Nights/10 Dives - Fly Dive - Swim with Minke Whales
The bonus of our 3 day swim with Minke Whales trips is the low level scenic flight from Cairns to Lizard Island to meet the boat. With a flight time of approximately 1 hour you will see the amazing patterns of the Great Barrier Reef as your first introductory along with the scenic coastline and the World Heritage Rainforests of Tropical North Queensland.
From Cairns our swim with Dwarf Minke whale tours are only conducted over the prime months of June and July each year, just when the Minke whales gather in their numbers on the northern section of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, giving us close to 98% chance of seeing them over the 3 nights.
Of course being wild animals/mammals nothing can be guaranteed, and thankfully to date we have not had any disappointments.
Over the 3 nights we will be visiting some of the most outstanding dive and snorkel locations on the Great Barrier Reef and you will encounter some of our regular characters such as the family of Giant Potato Cod at the world famous Cod Hole.
The Ribbon Reefs are teaming with a healthy variety of hard and soft corals that are home to reef sharks, octopus, stone fish, scorpion fish, sting rays and lot’s of other colourful and interesting reef fish like the Humphead Maori Wrasse that are like playful little puppies.
As our swim with Dwarf Minke Whale tours on the Great Barrier Reef are becoming so well-known worldwide, we encourage you to book your space very early to ensure your berth and not miss this wildlife experience that is only on offer here in Australia on the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef.
Monday: (3 dives)
Tuesday: (4 dives + night dive)
This is a sample of a ‘typical day’, however exact times may vary to optimise the prevailing weather conditions on the day.
Wednesday: (4 dives)
Thursday:
Important:
We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 5pm Wednesday).
A luggage allowance applies to the flight from Cairns to Lizard Island:
25kg / 55lb per person plus 3kg / 6.5lb – carry on.
An additional 10kg/22lb is allowed for professional photo/video housed systems.
Hosted by Minke Whale experts, this Exploratory Expedition will take you further out from the Great Barrier Reef to the Coral Sea beyond.
You will dive remote dive sites like Fairy Grotto and go diving with sharks at North Horn and experience seeing the rare Nautilus at Admiralty Anchor.
Dwarf Minke Whales are very similar to Minke Whales, but are slightly smaller, hence their tag “Dwarf”. Though, if dwarfs were measured as 8 metres long and weighing up to five tons then “giant dwarfs” might be nearer the description.
These curious, gentle and amazing animals come to the warmer waters of the Great Barrier Reef at this time to feed on lantern fish, krill and other crustaceans and small fish.
It is not unknown to have populations of 100 or more feeding and cruising off the ribbon reefs of the Great Barrier Reef around this time.
This is an extra special scuba dive trip only available from Cairns where you can be in the water to interact with these mammals.
Minke Whales are naturally curious and seem to enjoy their human friends and will approach boats and snorkelers spending hours swimming with the scuba divers and snorkellers.
It is this natural desire to interact that has enabled local diving and snorkelling operators to organise swim with Dwarf Minke Whale dive and snorkel tours from Cairns on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Being in the water with these gentle giants is truly remarkable. You’ll never forget looking into the eyes of these amazing creatures as they gently approach and gracefully glide past you.
You will realise how privileged you are to share the ocean with such beautiful animals and it truly is a humbling and almost life changing experience.
Swim with Minke Whales Dive Tours & Expeditions Only Operate in June and July.
These unforgettable close-up Dwarf Minke Whale experiences can be enjoyed by both divers and snorkellers however the Minke Whales prefer to spend time with snorkellers rather than divers with tanks on their backs .
The itinerary of this amazing adventure will be dictated by the Dwarf Minke Whale activity and proximity of the key dive sites so allowing the best utilisation of time.
Your boat for this adventure is the most highly awarded liveaboard dive boat in the country. This well-appointed luxury dive liveaboard is your home and the expedition is offered to divers over 12 years (inclusive) with a minimum age of 8 years old, however we are unable to provide the correct dive equipment sizes for children.
To ensure the best safety for divers and snorkelers and the Dwarf Minke Whales, all interactions with these animals are strictly governed by clear rules from the Australian Government and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Once a pod of Minke Whales has been spotted the boat will stop its engines and everyone will quietly slide into the water with their snorkelling gear.
There is a floating cast line that runs from the boat that allows people to hold on and wait for the Minke Whales to approach.
The Dwarf Minke Whales can be a little nervous around scuba divers and moving snorkelers, but will approach with no trepidation to snorkelers hanging quietly on the surface and will get very close as they curiously pass by.
Sometimes they even come right up close and spy hop amongst you and take a close look at the humans hanging onto the ropes and they look at you eye to eye as if trying to communicate with you.
All guests will also be involved in helping to research and gain information on these elusive creatures. Whale observations and photographs are all valuable resources in helping to update the Dwarf Minke Whale database.
When not snorkelling with the whales, you will still have a whale of a time diving the amazing dive sites on the northern section Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Continental Shelf.
The coral reefs off off Tropical Far North Queensland are some of the most pristine reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.
Due to less coastal settlements and farming by man there has been less impact on the health of the coral reefs and acidity levels of the water.
At times a James Cook University Minke Whale Project researcher may be present to help with questions and to inform guests on these amazing animals.
As mentioned previously, dwarf is a rather a relative term for an animal that can grow up to 8 metres long and weigh several tonnes.
An average interaction with the Dwarf Minke Whales consists of around 2-3 whales for around 90 minutes or longer. Some of the best encounters to date was a Minke Pod of 28 whales with an encounter that lasted for 10 hours.
It has to be remembered that these are wild animals and this isn’t a Disney theme park. Past successes do not guarantee any future successes, so your trip really will be a case of seeing what happens.
Research on the Dwarf Minke Whale is continuous. There are only two known species of Minke Whales, the slightly larger Antarctic Minke and the North Atlantic Minke.
It is thought that the Dwarf Minkes, and the ones that visit the Great Barrier Reef are related to the North Atlantic Minke, or is an unknown species.
Yes, the Code Hole is aptly named as the place where you will see Cod and is the most famous dive site on the Great Barrier Reef. The Potato Cod at Cod Hole are the size of a diver (and larger) and can reach up to 8.5 feet and weigh in up to 110 kilograms (240 pounds).
These curious fish are used to divers and are very used to being photographed (if they had their own phone they would be the ‘selfie’ fish of the Pacific). Other dive friendly big fish are the Maori Wrasse (other names – Napolean and Humphead Wrasse).
The Maori Wrasse are another dive sized fish that can reach up to 2 metres long and weigh up to 180 kg, but typically most you see will be around 1 metre long.
These are listed as endangered, but are protected in the area. They will follow divers around sometimes like little puppies and are inquisitive of divers.
This is a great dive for the photographers – so make sure you have a wide angled lens – so you can get in all the action.
Other marine life at the Cod Hole includes anemones, giant clams, Solomon’s sweetlip, feather stars, cruising white tip reef sharks and plenty of cleaning stations.
Steve must be chuffed - this is one of the most popular sites in the area. This dive site is one for all macro and wide-angled photographers. It is one of the best sites on the Great Barrier Reef due to the density and diversity of marine life here. Large schools of fish take refuge around the bommie and circle it.
Watch large schools of trevally and barracudas, reef sharks and rays. Interspersed in the colourful corals macro life clings to the sides of the bommie and you can see anemone fish, stone fish and nudibranch.
A small underwater plaque commemorates ‘Steve’ who the bommie was named after in 1989.
This is another popular site for divers and for the Dwarf Minkes. Diving here you will see large schools of yellow and blue snapper and many types of anemone fish and a good likelihood of seeing the amazing Dwarf Minkes on the surface.
This dive site boasts a pinnacle that is 30 metres tall and 15 metres diameter. This Pinnacle, like an ornate cake is decorated on the sides by wonderful coral formations and a host of marine life. Your dive starts at the top at just 2 metres depth and you slowly work your way down around the hard and soft and corals, dodging sea whips, large gorgonian fans and sponges.
Some of the nooks and crannies and overhands shelter lionfish, shrimps, moray eels, clownfish in their anemone home and the amazing flaming fire shells.
Circling in the blue next to the pinnacle are schools of surgeonfish, barracuda and trevally. For the small critter enthusiasts you can check out lace scorpion fish, harlequin ghost pipefish and leafy scorpion fish.
On all the trips you will have the opportunity to do night dives (led dives) or twilight dives (you and your buddy). These dives are usually spent on the last dive site and moor up of the afternoon.
Night lights can be rented or bring your own (with spare batteries).
As day turns to night you can see feeding coral polyps, colourful fans, crustaceans and cruising sharks. The night dives are a whole different experience and a completely different show. As the day animals curl up to sleep and nestle under their rocks – out come the thousands of reef animals that surface under the cover of dark.
View the red eyes of shrimps illuminated in your dive light like the eyes of lots of little aliens. Colourful fish will follow your light with curiosity. Catch sight of hunting octopus, moray eels, or a sleeping turtle with its head under a rock.
You might see a nocturnal black spotted puffer fish, a dog face, epaulette sharks and clown fish. The hard coral your saw on your afternoon dive now looks different as the polyps have come out to feed.
You might see passing sharks looking for easy fish to pick off amongst the rocks and sleeping Parrotfish encased in their own specially made saliva sleeping bags.
There’s nothing like diving at night amongst phosphorescence or surfacing under the stars of a clear tropical night.
Your well-appointed liveaboard dive boat has plenty of room to spread out and many living areas that include an alfresco bar (handy for watching another beautiful sunset with sundowner cocktail) an inside bar and lounge area, a large sundeck (with sun beds)
Instruments on Board
If you don’t wish to lug heavy equipment on the airlines and in bags then you can rent all your equipment for the trip.
That includes BCD’s (Aqualung Wave), wetsuits (5mm full length), snorkel gear, regulators, gauges, dive lights and snorkel gear.
By law all dive companies that provide equipment have to have it serviced every 6 months (that’s BCD’s and regulators). So you don’t have to worry about renting shonky equipment. If you do bring your own equipment then it is recommended that you ensure it has been serviced within the year.
For safety on the dives all divers are provided with a Nautilus Lifeline GPS (no extra rental charge), which is worn on each dive.
No matter what your first stage set up the boat has European DIN and US style tank valves.
For keen photographers you can also hire an underwater camera.
Rebreathers
Due to the demand the boat now has facilties to cater for rebreather divers. Please advise the tour specialists when booking the trip as paperwork is sent prior to ensure that all the equipment and support you require on the trip is in place.
Rebreather services include:
Please note: All rebreather divers are requested to dive with a buddy and this is a safety policy on board these trips.
Note: Remember when you pack to bring adaptors for the electrical sockets (Australia sockets are two thin prongs pointed together and a straight thin prong at the base). Also remember any chargers and USB sticks and memory card readers.
Nitrox is offered on this trip whether as a certified nitrox diver (bring your certification card) or why not take the nitrox certification course whilst on board. This will extend your bottom times as it offsets your nitrogen limits (at extra cost).
Your diving day will consist of:
A certified experienced Dive Master can accompany you on dives if you wish. If you prefer to dive with your dive buddy then that’s fine as well.
Book your swim with Minke Whales liveaboard dive trip now to secure your berth on these limited marine encounter opportunities on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
View more Cairns liveaboard dive tours and specialised dive with sharks and swim with Dwarf Minke whale tours.
Cairns
6.30am
June - July
Monday
2025 Departure Dates Currently Available: 09/06, 16/06 & 21/07
2026 Departure Dates Currently Available: 08/06, 15/06, 22/06, 29/06, 06/07, 13/07 & 20/07
3 nights
Medium, Active
Scuba Diving Restrictions
All cancellations must be in writing.
We understand things may change, so we have made cancellations very easy.
In every instance we always recommend you purchase travel insurance for life’s last-minute hiccups.
Please see our terms and conditions for details prior to booking.
Operators policy:
Cancellations by Client:
Cancellations by MBDE:
Children:
Notes:
au$2,304.00
Prices are AUD, per adult and include all levies fees and taxes.
Child:
au$2,304.00
Family: au$9,216.00
Tour Code: 670