Cairns Reef Tours | Green Island Snorkel Tour | Full Day Great Barrier Reef Tour

Cairns Reef Tours | Green Island Snorkel Tour | Full Day Great Barrier Reef Tour

Save $48.50 on our Great Barrier Reef Tour for families. 2nd Child Travels Free 

Cairns Reef Tour - Green Island Snorkel Tour - Full Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tours 

The check in at the ferry cruises counter at the Cairns Reef Fleet terminal in Spence Street is organised and hassle free with a choice of various departure times of 9.00 am 11.00 am and 1.00 pm tours to Green Island giving you the choice of 2 hours (half day tour), 4 hours or 5 hours to spend snorkelling around the island and the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

On Board The Boat

The Green Island tour is approximately 45 minutes on the Reef Rocket and 90 minutes on the bigger ferry boat with the time passing very quickly as the scenery is beautiful and there is more than enough going on onboard the boat to keep you enthralled.

The ferry transfer boats are high speed catamarans so the  ride is so smooth that you’ll hardly feel a thing and if you do think you suffer from sea sickness then this is a perfect short water crossing for you to get to see the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.

The Green Island ferry crew will conduct on board presentations about the different types of coral that you will see during your half day or full days snorkeling and also the species of fish and other marine life that inhabit these corals over the course of your day on Green Island.

The Green Island ferry cruises team will give you safety briefings and show you how to use your snorkel equipment and point out the areas on Green Island where there are life guards on duty to ensure everyone is swimming along nicely and point out where pool noodles and flotation gear can be borrowed from the beach hut on Green Island.

Things To Do And See On Green Island

Green Island is an absolutely brilliant showcase for aquatic life. There is a beautiful resort on Green Island accompanied by all the activities one could wish to do on a Great Barrier Reef island.

There is scuba diving, semi submersible submarine tours, glass bottom boat tours, snorkeling, shopping, day spa, restaurants and cocktail bars and a pool area to just laze about.

Green Island is relatively small and can easily be walked around in about an hour or more for those wanting to explore. At low tide much of the coral close to shore are exposed which means if you are snorkeling you can go out for the better part of a kilometer.

Take a pool noodle and place it under your arms so you can be out snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef from Green Island for hours just drifting along at your own pace.

Snuba (diving) - Go Beyond Snorkelling - Optional Extra

Diving made easy! With Snubba you can reach depth of up to 3 metres without having to carry the diving equipment.

The air tanks floats on the surface whislt you breathe through a normal scuba regulator mouthpiece.

Please note the minimum age for Snuba is 12 and all participants are subject to a medical questionnaire.

Snuba Diving is a small guided tour with a maximum of 4 people. 

No experience required.

Snuba Doo - Power Snorkel - Optional Extra

This a professionally guided tour with a maximum of 4 guests. 

Very similar to Snuba (diving) except you wear a buoyancy jacket so you stay on the surface the whole time.

Great family activity - minimum age 6

Snorkel Tour Experience - Optional Extra

Excellent for beginners or to help build your confidence in the water.

During this 45 minute session you will practice using your snorkelling equipment in the shallow waters at Green Island straight off the beach.

Once you are comfortable you will explore the coral gardens with the assistance of an experienced snorkeller.

Maximum 4 people per guide, includes Snorkel Equipment (Snorkel Mask & Fins), Lycra Suit and Floatation Vest.

• Great way to get your confidence in the water
• Snorkelling techniques
• 45 minutes experience
• Ideal for beginners
• Practice in the shallow waters straight off the beach
• Explore the coral gardens
• Experienced Snorkeller to assist and supervise
• Includes Snorkelling Equipment – Mask & Fins, Lycra Suit and Floatation Vest
• Use of the above equipment for the rest of the day

Scenic Helicopter Flights From Green Island 

The perfect way to see the Great Barrier Reef is both from above the water and below the water and when you choose a Green Island Day tour you can do both.

You and your family can book a 10 or 15 minute scenic helicopter flight to take you 500 feet above the reef so you can see all the beautiful coral formations and even spot Dolphins, Manta Ray or even Giant Humpback Whales and Dwarf Minke Whales (Whale season July to September).

Great Barrier Reef Helicopters have one of the largest and newest fleets of helicopters in Cairns and Tropical North Queensland offering visitors the most space and comfort possible for you to enjoy the view out over the reef from the large windows.

A scenic helicopter flight will also give you those same fantastic photographs that you see in the travel brochures and on the internet and now you have the chance to snap your very own Great Barrier Reef photographs for your holiday album.

When making your day tour to Green Island booking ask our team to add in a scenic helicopter flight also.         

Green Island Glass Bottom Boat Tours

The fabulous glass bottom boat ride takes around twenty minutes or so and gives one a terrific idea about the diversity of marine life in and around the Great Barrier Reef.

You go out into the deep blue sea where the coral and marine life thrive in the deeper colder waters.

The fish feeding attracts all kinds of different species to the boat so make sure your camera is ready because there are so many great photo opportunities.

The glass bottom boat marine interpreter is informative and will point out and name the types of coral and fish as you cruise over the ocean floor just above the reef.

Green Island Semi Submersible Submarine Tour

The must book semi-submersible submarine tour is a fun ride as well showing you many more of the same fish from the glass walls in the concave of the submarine.

The perspective of the coral reef is totally different as you are cruising alongside the fish and they do not see you as a predator so the opportunity to see more fish and Green Sea Turtles is far greater so we do urge you to try the semi-submersible submarine whilst you are on Green Island.

On a few rare occasions giant Humpback whales have come alongside to take a look at the submarine to the delight of the guests inside the vessel.

These baleen whales frequent these waters from May to September on their annual Antartic migration.

If you have decided to skip all the activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving and helmet diving make sure that you take both boat tours as they are both great ways to see the reef and surrounding marine life without getting your hair wet and just the perfect way for the non swimmers to see and enjoy the Great Barrier Reef and her wonders also.

Snorkeling on Green Island

Snorkeling around Green Island is an excellent way to see the fish and other creatures of the Great Barrier Reef. The shallow waters that surround the island make snorkeling a good idea even for the most novices of swimmers.

As you get off the ferry cruise boat and walk onto the jetty the best area to snorkel is immediately on your right but please note this area is not patrolled by surf life savers and is only recommended for the better swimmers and snorkellers.

Here you may even have the chance of seeing a small shark. Nothing that could really harm anyone, just little black or white reef tip sharks so don’t be shy jump into it and start your snorkeling adventure.

Just off the lifeguard patrolled area which is on the northern tip of Green Island is a pretty good spot to see small fish and underwater sea life. On a low tide this area is ok but you will need to go out from the beach quite a long way to see bigger fish and more diversity of creatures so a flotation vest or pool noodle is recommended so you can go the distance and spend some leisurely time floating about watching the activity below the waters surface.

Scuba Diving Green Island

Scuba diving is a little similar but different at the same time. Experienced swimmers are required for scuba diving and the instruction process is a bit more intense.

You are less restricted for space while scuba diving as opposed to sea walking as you stay in a small area.

Much of the same things will be seen while doing both types of diving as you are on the oceans floor so if you are a poor swimmer and don’t want to get your hair wet then we recommend the helmet dive.

For the most complete experience be sure to sign up on your booking form for your first introductory dive or pre-book for your certified dives on your booking reservation form.

When you board the ferry boat tour you will be required to fill out "Medical Forms" and show your certified divers card and then the crew will help you with the rest.

The fish are exciting to see in action especially when it is feeding time. Enjoy a Green Island scuba diving experience and you won’t be disappointed as you get to go out to the deeper colder waters and this is where the best of the coral and marine life lives.

There are many exciting activities to do and see on a Great Barrier Reef Green Island cruise. Be sure to do as much as possible as this will certainly make for the most well rounded experience.

The boat ride back will be a very relaxing well-deserved break from the fun filled day you have just had on your Great Barrier Reef tour with Green Island Ferry Cruises.

See more Green Island snorkel tour options and more Cairns reef tours