Cruising and Diving in the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, located along the northeastern coast of Australia, is a vast collection of reefs and islands with a total length of about 2,300 km! The reef covers an area of about 350,000 sq km, which is larger than the size of Great Britain. This reef is home to about 350 types of corals and about 1,500 species of fish.
Photo courtesy of Reef Magic Cruises, Cairns Australia ©
The reef can be reached from the cities and towns along northern Queensland's coast, with
the city of Cairns being the most successful choice thanks to being a large, vibrant city offering tourists various additional entertainment options, as well as having a relatively large port and an international airport with many incoming flights from around the world.
The recommended season to visit the reef is during the Australian winter, because during this season you are not expected to encounter the venomous jellyfish that arrive in summer when the water is warmer and reaches 29 degrees Celsius.
♦ Booking recommended tours to the Great Barrier Reef from the Viator website:
The cruise departs from the city of Cairns:
Many companies offer cruises to various destinations on the Great Barrier Reef, some to nearby islands like Green Island or Fitzroy Island, some to low sand cays surrounded by coral, some to the reefs themselves, and some combining two sites. The total duration of the cruise and diving trip is around 8 hours, with the cruise time to the reef and back taking about three hours. The size of the boats varies from one company to another; some have small boats for 20-30 people offering a more personal atmosphere, while others have larger, more spacious vessels for one hundred or more passengers. There are also large, fast catamarans that reach the Great Barrier Reef site within an hour and a half.
♦ Another article of ours: Tours in Cairns and its surroundings
At the main dive site reached, there is a large, spacious pontoon to which passengers transfer. On the pontoon, there are sundecks, a large hall with tables for lunch, and convenient railings for entering the water.
Available to divers from the pontoon are also cruises in a glass-bottom boat or a semi-submersible vessel, so that even those who do not want to or cannot dive can see the corals and fish on site, and spend the rest of the time relaxing on the pontoon deck enjoying the pleasant tropical weather in a sea surrounded by reefs.
The duration of the stay at the site is 5 hours, allowing enough time to enjoy diving at the reef, glass-bottom boat tours, semi-submersible rides, as well as lunch and relaxing on the spacious pontoon deck. The company's staff is efficient and friendly, including knowledgeable marine biologists who provide professional explanations about the reef both during the sail to it and during the guided tour while snorkeling.
The price of the cruise includes round-trip sailing, lunch, coffee, tea, and cold water available at all times, snorkeling equipment: mask and fins, and free rides on the glass-bottom boat and semi-submersible.
For those interested, for an additional fee, there is: rental of suit made of lycra or neoprene, rental of scuba diving gear – tanks and wetsuit (don't forget to bring your diving certification). There is also an introductory scuba diving course for beginners.
For those inexperienced in snorkeling, there is an option for guided snorkeling.
It is especially recommended to join a snorkeling safari with a marine biologist guide that lasts about an hour, departing from the pontoon by boat to the edge of the reef open to the ocean, where you jump into the water and snorkel along the walls of the outer reef that drop steeply into deep water. There you will see a great variety of fish and corals, including huge schools of fish of different types and vivid colors. During the snorkeling, in addition to fish of all sizes and species, you will also see eels, sea turtles, and even reef sharks (which are not dangerous to humans).
Photo courtesy of Reef Magic Cruises, Cairns Australia ©
For those interested, there is a small helipad next to the pontoon, offering short scenic flights over the reef—5, 10 minutes—or even a one-way/round-trip flight between the city and the pontoon. Naturally, the price increases according to the duration/length of the flight.
