Outer Reef and Coral Cay Snorkel and Dive Cruise from Cairns

About This Experience

Ocean Free and Ocean Freedom run this day on a fast 20-metre catamaran, and 1,626 reviews give it a 4.8 rating. You check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal on Spence Street and walk about three minutes to the boat at Marlin Marina. Hotel pickup is only available as an extra you book directly with the operator at least 48 hours ahead.

Breakfast on board is a Danish pastry, fresh fruit, tea and coffee during the 75-minute run out. Both sites are on Upolu Reef, inside Marine National Park Green zones. The first is the Wonder Wall on the reef's outer edge, where the coral comes to within a metre of the surface and you snorkel along the top of the wall. The itinerary gives about two and a half hours here, with a glass-bottom boat ride (sea conditions permitting) and a guided drift snorkel led by a marine biologist or interpreter.

Lunch is an hour-long spread of prawns, smoked salmon, cold meats, a chicken platter, three salads and bread. The afternoon brings another two and a half hours at the Upolu coral cay, a sandbank where turtles, blue-spotted stingrays and damselfish are often seen. On some low-tide days you can stand on the cay itself; when the tide or swell won't allow it, you snorkel the shallow water around it. The day finishes with a fish feeding and a 75-minute ride home with fruit, cheese and cake platters, reaching Cairns around 4:30pm.

This suits people who want as much time in the water as possible and like to learn what they are looking at. Introductory and certified dives are extras, up to two per person, and first-time divers go two to one instructor on their first dive. Every diver completes a medical form on the day, so tell the operator about any conditions or medication beforehand.

Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and sunglasses. Snorkel gear with prescription masks, Lycra or wetsuits and flotation devices are supplied, as are chilled water and fresh-water showers. Soft drinks and alcohol are extra. You need to move around a moving boat and step down into the glass-bottom boat, and reviewers who get seasick recommend taking tablets before departure.

Highlights

• Two sites on Upolu Reef: the Wonder Wall and the Upolu coral cay
• Six hours at the reef: two long snorkel sessions either side of lunch
• Guided drift snorkel with a marine biologist or interpreter
• Glass-bottom boat tour at the reef, sea conditions permitting
• Chance to stand on the sand cay on some low-tide days
• Fast 20-metre catamaran, 75 minutes each way

What's Included

• ✓ Catamaran cruise to two sites in Marine Park Green zones
• ✓ Glass-bottom boat tour and guided drift snorkel tour
• ✓ Snorkelling gear with prescription masks, Lycra suits, wetsuits (seasonal) and flotation devices
• ✓ Danish pastry, fruit, tea and coffee on boarding
• ✓ Smorgasbord lunch with prawns and smoked salmon, plus afternoon platters
• ✓ Chilled water and fresh-water showers

Not Included

• Introductory and certified scuba dives (optional extras)
• Hotel pickup and drop-off (book with the operator at least 48 hours ahead)
• Alcoholic and soft drinks
• Underwater cameras
• Snacks and merchandise sold on board

What to Bring

• Swimwear
• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Seasickness tablets if you are prone to it

Good to Know & Caveats

• You need to be steady enough to move around a moving boat and to step between the catamaran and the glass-bottom boat.
• Standing on Upolu Cay depends on the tide and conditions on the day.
• All diving depends on passing a medical form on the day; tell the operator about any past or present conditions or medication in advance.
• The minimum age for an introductory dive in Queensland is 12, and guests under 18 must travel with a parent or guardian.
• The boat returns to Cairns around 4:30pm.

Meeting Point

Check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, then walk about three minutes to the boat at Marlin Marina. Hotel pickup can be added only by booking directly with the operator at least 48 hours ahead.