World Heritage site

Listed in 1981 as a World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's great natural wonders.

Stretching over 3,000km, the marine park is found along the Queensland cost and measures roughly 350,000sq km and is between 60 and 250km wide. It is home to around 3,000 reefs and thousands of plant, bird and marine life. Humpback whales journey from the Antarctic to the Reef annually for breeding and endangered species such as the sea cow and green sea turtle can be found here.

Full-day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef

Travelling in a state-of-the-art catamaran, you will be sailed to a spacious viewing platform with an underwater observatory allowing you to view corals and the underwater wonder of the Great Barrier Reef. You can also cruise in one of the semi-submersible vessels and get even closer to the kaleidescope of colours and marine life below the surface of the sea.

The viewing platform provides the perfect anchor and base for enjoying a day out at the reef. You can go snorkelling from the snorkel platform and several snorkel rest stations are attached to the platform providing easy access for a break.

There are changing rooms and freshwater showers on board so you can freshen up before lunch is served. There is an air conditioned vessel alongside the platform so you can seek refuge there if it gets too hot. If you want to soak up some sun, the sun deck on the platform is the place to be.

Excursion overview:

  • High-speed Wavepiercer catamaran cruise to the reef and back to Port Douglas
  • Morning and afternoon teas on board
  • Reef presentation by marine biologist
  • Hot and cold tropical lunch
  • All snorkelling equipment provided
  • Qualified snorkelling safety officers on board
  • Underwater observatory for fish and coral viewing
  • Coral viewing by semi-submersible vessels
  • Fish feeding (conducted by the crew)

This full-day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef costs AUD 210 for adults and AUD 105 for children below the age of 12. Lunch and snorkelling equipment are included and you can try scuba diving at an additional cost.

More information about the Great Barrier Reef

One third of the world’s corals can be found in the Great Barrier Reef and over a thousand species of fish live in the waters. The most common species are wrasses, damselfish and tusk fish. The Great Barrier Reef is also the habitat of more than five thousand species of molluscs.

On diving expeditions, it is not uncommon to sight various species of whales, porpoises and dolphins. The dwarfe minke whale is regularly sighted in June and July. Humpback whales migrate to these waters between May and September making it possible for visitors to witness these magnificent mammals. The most commonly sighted dolphins are the bottlenose dolphins.

There are seven species of turtle in the world and six of them live in the Great Barrier Reef area. The Olive Ridley and leatherback turtles are quite rare whereas loggerheads and green sea turtles are more commonly sighted.

Find out more about the Daintree Rainforest tour.