Premium Snorkelling and Diving Reef Day Trip from Cairns

About This Experience

This Divers Den day on its purpose-built boat AquaQuest has 1,586 reviews and a 4.6 rating. At $179 it is one of the lower-priced full outer reef days on this site. You board at B Finger in Marlin Marina, and the listing doesn't mention hotel transfers, so plan to get there yourself.

The run to the outer reef takes about 90 minutes. The skipper picks two sites from the company's own moorings at Norman, Saxon and Hastings reefs. At the first you get about two and three-quarter hours, which covers a safety briefing, a guided snorkel tour, free time in the water and a hot and cold buffet lunch with salads, rolls and tropical fruit.

A 45-minute move takes you to the second site for another hour and a half of snorkelling before the 90-minute run home. The boat has a sunken platform for getting in and out of the water, big sun decks, air-conditioned indoor space and hot fresh-water showers. Turtles, stingrays, clownfish and Maori wrasse are among what guests report seeing, though no sighting is certain. Reviewers describe a relaxed, well-run day with plenty of crew on board, and several mention seeing giant clams and reef sharks.

The boat is set up for diving. First-timers can add an introductory scuba dive (minimum age 12), and certified divers can add guided dives; both cost extra and require a medical questionnaire, and certified divers must bring their PADI or SSI card. One reviewer noted the crew asked everyone going in to wear full snorkel gear, which may not suit anyone who only wants a quick dip.

Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, plus a card or cash for the bar, photos and dive add-ons. Snorkel gear, wetsuits or Lycra suits and prescription masks are included. Guests under 18 travelling alone need a signed parent or guardian form, and only those aged 16 and over may travel without an adult. The operator sells seasickness tablets on board, but taking your own before you leave the marina works better.

Highlights

• Two outer reef sites from Divers Den's moorings at Norman, Saxon and Hastings reefs
• About four hours of snorkelling across two sessions
• Guided snorkel tour with the crew
• Purpose-built dive boat AquaQuest with a sunken water platform
• Hot fresh-water showers and air-conditioned indoor space
• Introductory and certified dives available as add-ons

What's Included

• ✓ Up to five hours at the outer reef, visiting two reef sites
• ✓ Snorkel equipment with flotation devices, tuition and briefings
• ✓ Guided snorkel tour
• ✓ Wetsuits or Lycra suits and prescription masks
• ✓ Morning tea, tropical buffet lunch and afternoon tea, with coffee and tea
• ✓ Hot fresh-water showers

Not Included

• Guided certified diving and introductory dives
• Snacks and drinks from the bar
• Digital camera hire and professional photos
• Souvenirs

What to Bring

• Swimwear and a towel
• Sunscreen
• Sun hat and sunglasses
• Credit card or cash
• PADI or SSI card if you plan a certified dive

Good to Know & Caveats

• Hotel transfers aren't mentioned in the listing, so plan to make your own way to B Finger at Marlin Marina.
• Anyone diving must meet the medical questionnaire requirements; certain conditions or medications may rule diving out.
• The minimum age for the introductory dive is 12.
• Under-18s travelling alone need a signed parent or guardian form, and only guests aged 16 and over may travel without an adult.
• No compensation is offered if a certified diver can't complete all offered dives, and sea conditions can make the crossing rough.

Meeting Point

Board at B Finger in Cairns Marlin Marina, off Pier Point Road beside the Reef Fleet Terminal on the Cairns waterfront.