Premium Half-Day Outer Reef Snorkel Tour from Cairns

About This Experience

Tusa Reef Tours runs this half-day snorkel trip from A Finger at the Cairns Marlin Marina aboard its own purpose-built catamaran. It holds a 4.7 rating from 66 reviews, a smaller review base than the busiest reef boats, and it suits people who want the outer reef done by early afternoon.

Check in at 8:40am for a 9:00am departure. The cruise out takes about 90 minutes, and the crew use it to brief you on the day, snorkelling technique and the reef conditions. Tea and coffee are available throughout the trip, with a morning tea on the way out. The boat is built with spacious decks, comfortable seating and easy entry and exit from the water, which helps on a morning when you will be climbing in and out several times.

Once moored, you have up to two hours in the water at an outer reef location the captain chooses for visibility, weather and marine life on the day. A guided snorkel tour is included, and the guides help first-timers get comfortable and point out fish and coral along the way. All snorkel gear is provided, including wetsuits or Lycra suits and prescription masks. Afterwards there are hot showers on board and an afternoon fruit platter on deck for the 90-minute cruise back to Cairns, arriving around 2:00pm.

Introductory diving is available as an extra, with gear provided and a limit of 12 places a day; it can be booked ahead or paid for on board, and every diver fills in a medical questionnaire first. A picnic lunch for the ride home is a separate extra that must be pre-booked, since the base fare covers morning tea and fruit only.

The trip suits beginners and confident snorkellers alike, and it sits in the budget between the <a href='/tours/great-barrier-reef-half-day-snorkelling-tour-from-cairns/'>lower-priced half-day snorkel tour</a> and the noon <a href='/tours/all-inclusive-half-day-reef-snorkelling-trip-from-cairns/'>Pure Snorkelling trip</a>. Bring swimwear, a towel and something comfortable to wear over the top, and expect a photographer on board selling pictures of the day. Choppy days happen on any outer reef run, and guests on rough mornings still praise the crew for keeping spirits up. Children under 5 cannot join.

Highlights

• Up to two hours snorkelling at an outer reef site chosen on the day
• Guided snorkel tour with marine guides
• About 90 minutes each way on a purpose-built catamaran
• Morning departure at 9:00am, back in Cairns around 2:00pm
• Introductory diving available, limited to 12 places a day
• Hot showers and an afternoon fruit platter on the way home

What's Included

• ✓ All snorkelling equipment, including prescription masks
• ✓ Wetsuits or Lycra suits
• ✓ Guided snorkel tour
• ✓ Morning tea and coffee
• ✓ Afternoon tea fruit platter
• ✓ Hot showers on board

Not Included

• Picnic lunch for the return journey (optional extra, must be pre-booked)
• Introductory diving (optional extra, pre-book or pay on board)
• Photographs from the onboard photographer (available to purchase)

What to Bring

• Swimwear
• Towel
• Comfortable sportswear to wear over your swimwear
• Sunscreen and a hat
• Cash or a card for extras on board

Good to Know & Caveats

• Check in at 8:40am on A Finger at the Cairns Marlin Marina; the boat leaves at 9:00am and returns around 2:00pm.
• Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice are charged in full.
• Lunch is not part of the base fare; pre-book the picnic lunch or eat before and after.
• Introductory divers must complete a medical questionnaire, and some conditions or medicines may need a doctor's release arranged before the trip.
• The operator recommends waiting 24 hours after diving before flying or going above 300 metres.
• Sea conditions vary and some days are choppy; visibility and wildlife are never guaranteed.

Meeting Point

Check in at 8:40am on A Finger at the Cairns Marlin Marina, beside the Reef Fleet Terminal on the Cairns waterfront.