Small-Group Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling Tour from Cairns

About This Experience

Reef Adventures Cairns runs this small-group day from its office on B Finger at Marlin Marina, and 363 reviews give it a 4.8 rating. You check in at the office 30 minutes before departure. Hotel pickup is not included.

Once everyone has checked in, you board one of the company's fast boats for a quick, bouncy ride out to the reef. The skipper chooses two locations on the day for the conditions, and you snorkel both with a guide who points out fish, coral and anything else that turns up. Between sites there is lunch and snacks on board, and drinks are for sale. The listing gives the day as seven hours. The day is shorter than a big-boat outer reef trip, at about seven hours, because a fast small boat spends less time in transit.

The small group is the selling point. The listing does not publish a head count for this trip, but recent reviews describe groups small enough that the crew learned names and helped each snorkeller at their own level. A crew member takes GoPro photos in the water and you can download them free after the trip, which saves hiring a camera. Several reviewers name their guides and skipper, which gives a sense of how personal the day feels.

This is a snorkelling-only trip with no scuba, and the operator is strict about who it suits. The listing rules out non-swimmers, children under six, people over 65, anyone with motion sickness, back, heart or breathing problems, high blood pressure, recent surgery or a low level of fitness. If that is you, a pontoon or island trip will be more comfortable.

Bring swimwear, a towel, a hat, sunscreen and a card for drinks. Snorkel gear, flotation devices and a stinger suit in season are supplied; a wetsuit or prescription mask can be hired. Put sunscreen on your back and legs before you board, which one guest learned the hard way. Tell the operator passenger names and any dietary needs when you book. On a cooler or windy day you may feel the chill after a long snorkel; the crew lets you return to the boat early.

Highlights

• Small-group snorkelling with personal attention from the guides
• Guided snorkel at two reef locations chosen by the skipper on the day
• Fast boat ride out from Marlin Marina
• Free GoPro photos of your day in the water
• Lunch and snacks on board

What's Included

• ✓ Trip to two Great Barrier Reef locations
• ✓ Quality snorkelling equipment and flotation devices
• ✓ Snorkel guide
• ✓ Stinger suit in season
• ✓ Lunch and snacks
• ✓ Free GoPro photos

Not Included

• Hotel pickup
• Drinks (available to buy)
• Wetsuit (available to hire)
• Prescription mask (available to hire)

What to Bring

• Swimwear
• Towel
• Hat
• Sunscreen, applied before you board
• Credit card for drinks and hire items

Good to Know & Caveats

• Check in at the Reef Adventures office on B Finger, Marlin Marina, 30 minutes before departure.
• Hotel pickup is not included.
• This is a strenuous snorkelling trip: the listing rules out non-swimmers, people over 65 and anyone prone to motion sickness.
• The two snorkel sites are chosen on the day for the conditions, and marine life sightings are never guaranteed.
• Give the operator passenger names and any dietary requirements after booking.

Meeting Point

Check in at the Reef Adventures office on B Finger, Cairns Marlin Marina (Pier Point Road), 30 minutes before departure. Hotel pickup is not included.