Cairns Half Day Tour A Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience

This was such a fun time. Brandon, Miya and Cisco were wonderful tour guides. They did a great job making us feel safe, prepared us for everything necessary and all the what ifs, and had a great music play list going to add to the fun. The water was so beautiful. We saw sea cucumbers, giant clams, trigger fish, a huge school of fish, stingrays, sea turtles, and a bunch of coral. Highly recommend Reef Adventures and Viator. Thank you for a wonderful time!

Ideal length of time to enjoy what the Reef has to offer. 50mins out to the mooring, 90mins in the water, 50mins back. Any longer and I guarantee you’d have had enough. The two girls, Nicole and Kayleigh are stars and a credit to the company. I can’t fault it and neither could my two girls. The small group size, 20, is a definite upgrade plus.

This half day tour was amazing. It exceeded our expectations in every way. We saw plenty of colorful fish, and less colorful due to bleaching but still beautiful corals mostly hard corals but every now and then some soft corals. Trip to the Breaking Patches reef was not very long and the crew made everyone feel like a family about to experience something extraordinary and we did. Memories for our whole lifetime. Thank you Reef Adventures team. The whole team worked like a swiss watch to make this experience wonderful.

My boyfriend & I did the half day snorkelling with Reef Adventures. We struggled with deciding who to book our trip with but so glad that we went with Reef Adventures. In only an hour from leaving the marina we were on a 2-hour guided snorkel. We got a full 2-hours in the water and were given information about all the different coral & sea life that we were looking at. Big thank you to the crew - Lina, Caitlin & Harry - for making this trip so special. 10/10 recommend

Very disappointing customer service. I called to request a date change, but they were unwilling to accommodate my request. There was no flexibility or alternative offered, despite me simply trying to change the booking date. I understand policies are in place, but a little understanding and flexibility would go a long way. Very frustrating experience.

We had a lovely time. The captain handled the boat well and went over safety stuff. Our guide was educational and so friendly. Nadia was very attentive from start to finish. The reef was beautiful!! At the end, they shared the photos with no additional charge. This company was a class act from start to finish.

This was a great tour. I have had one other tour of the Great Barrier Reef but this was so much better. We had a guide in front in the water who gave us commentary about what we were seeing which made this tour so much more meaningful. I would highly recommend this tour.

After 1 hour boat ride to the reef the friendly staff of Lena Lilly and Brandon assisted with instructions and patience. They took photos and provided download info. A great experience

Easy book and wonderful experience! Elenor was great as were her ship mates!! Saw turtles lots of coral and exotic fish as well as one baby red shark.

Physical health is ok.. journey is smooth. Crews are friendly and helpful. Thanks for the accompanying.

Plz replace your masks. Reef was amazing but the cheap masks and snorkels kept letting water in. But overall the reef was amazing

It was a great experience, just the right amount of time. We got to see a variety of things in the GBR. Our guide did a great job pointing things out to us and the other attendance were very helpful as well.

Even though it's just a four-hour tour, the fast boat gets you right out to the reef for some fantastic snorkeling, and the crew (Nadia, Lily, and Lincoln) were very helpful for those of us with little experience.

Captain Lincoln, Nadia and Lily with Reef Adventures was great! The weather was overcast but Lily knew right where to guide us for great underwater pics and we even saw 2 turtles. Highly recommend.

Great family fun day out! Crew were great and took the time to make the kids feel engaged and entertained.

It was amazing, the crew Caitlin, Lina and Lincoln were very knowledgeable and professional throughout. What we got to see at the reef was stunning, so much too look at. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone I know heading this way. 😎

The staff were excellent. Mia, Sophia and Dan. The departure point was simple to find. Four hours was enough for me. I got the wetsuit. It gave me more buoyancy. Great operation. Very efficient. I highly recommend them.

An amazing experience with amazing staff. I went with my 9 and 11 year old. The 9 year old got tired and Nicole was brilliant and hung out with him and taught him about the reef. She let him lay on the floatie and he out his head in the water to see the reef. My 11 year old followed Sofia, she was the tour guide we followed when snorkelling. The whole crew were so helpful. Dan was also great. My only regret is not bringing a camera. I saw some amazing fish and got up close to a turtle. Thankfully, Sofia took a picture of the turtle with my 11 year old. Highly recommend this tour.

Visibility underwater was poor. The boat ride to the snorkel are was an hour and a half. Not recommended for anyone who gets seasick. If you have wide size feet they don’t have any fins that will fit you. I had to get towed around by a staff member. I WOULD NOT do this activity again!

This is something everyone should do! Such a unique experience! The guides explain everything very well and are also in the water with you. In the water they give more info about the reef and marine life. Would 100% book again!

Everything went smoothly. Finding the place was easy, and check-in was effortless. The boat trip was fast, the destination was amazing, and the whole experience was highly satisfying. Highly recommended!

Unfortunately the visibility was not great. This is a great trip options from Cairns, though if I had the opportunity I'd rather take a longer trip from Port Douglas. The reefs are much better out there. The staff and whole operation. Is great. No issue with with the tour.

My twin and I had issues locating the place but found it just in time. The staff were friendly and really helpful throughout the whole trip. Both my brother and I got really sea sick from the bumpy ride and staff were really good at supporting us. The trip itself was not my favourite but purely because the water didn’t have good visibility and was absolutely freezing to even focus on what few fish we could spot. Managed to see a tiny shark and a beautiful turtle which made it better. Don’t let my review hold you back from experiencing it yourself especially with reef adventures, just choose a day with better weather than we did ! 😂

Great organisation and amazing crew The spot for the snorkeling was full of life and we were given more than enough time to explore Highly recommended

We were both beginners and they were very helpful and made us feel at ease. Reaching the reef was a bit bumpy so I suggest taking something for seasickness. They also provided prescription goggles for 15 AUD. Overall amazing experience and special thanks to Jo!

Really fun day! Staff very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed our time snorkelling on the reef. Would recommend the company

Nice family run operation. Clean boat and equipment. Friendly staff. Free photos and snack are nice touches . It is a guided tour so you jump in with a guide and snorkel around with the group about an hour the snorkel back to boat. You see. various parts of the reef. They don’t just drop you off to float around the same spot for an hour. Nice job!

Great experience. Everything was smooth .. staff Joe and George were outstanding . Communicated well.. showed us various marine live ..

All the team on the boat were incredibly friendly and helpful. I was really scared of the water and became terribly seasick, but Kaitlyn stayed with me the entire time and made me feel safe and comfortable. Because of her support, I was able to see the beautiful coral and fish. She truly made my snorkelling trip worthwhile! I would definitely recommend this team. I wish I could give them more than 5 stars!

Was an incredible experience- the visibility was the best I’ve seen it - the crew were great and the whole experience was phenomenal

Absolutely incredible experience snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef! The staff were friendly and knowledgeable with good vibes the whole way. I would highly recommend!!

Overall, Reef Adventure is a good company with understanding staff, but a few key issues held the experience back: 1. Communication: The guide (lady) giving the safety instructions had a very heavy accent that was difficult for the mostly international crowd to understand. For important briefings, clear communication is essential. 2. Comfort & Safety: We were freezing after getting out of the water, and the boat had zero blankets available. My husband was very cold, and it is concerning that they don't have blankets on hand in case of hypothermia. 3. Towels: No towels were provided. Since other tour companies typically supply them, Reef Adventure needs to either offer them or clearly warn guests beforehand to bring their own. 4. Location & Vibe: The snorkeling spot was an hour away from the shore, which felt a bit far, and the onboard music selection could definitely be improved. It was a decent trip, but focusing more on guest warmth and clearer instructions would make a huge difference.

We had an amazing time. Bradley, Lily and Harry were knowledgeable and made the trip fun. We saw an array of wildlife and reef formations. Highly recommend.

Amazing experience, experienced and helpful staff. They always made sure the pack was together and was very informative about the coral habitats 🪸. Experience - 10/10 Recommendations - 10/10

Small boat was very windy and bumpy, saw a turtle and fish.

Amazing first time experience. The whole team was friendly, open to questions and very inclusive. Lily and George were our guides in water and Harry was the skipper, they were all very professional and knew their stuff. George was well informed about the reef and the marine life that inhabit it. He kept us informed throughout. Lily and George both ensured our safety in the waters. Its really good that gopro pics are included in your package so that we dont have to pay a fortune to get them, and immediately downloadable. Thanks guys!! Overall a worthwhile experience. Im already planning a trip with my family. Keep up the great work team! Will be seeing you again for sure :)

Wonderful experience for the whole family. Just to mention a few cool things: -the thrilling jet boat ride by Skipper Brendon. -the amazingly caring and inspiring assistance (while on the sea) to kids by Maria. -the superbly helpful and very courteous reception given by the third person on board (apologies for forgetting her name) Over all a lovely evening spent well with Reef Adventures. The admission fees could well include a water bottle per person.

Staff were really engaging. Going to the outer reef and seeing some of the realise was amazing

On board the Maverick with the great crew of Harry, Jo and George, learn and witness the undersea visual magic of the Great Barrier Reef. I highly recommend this experience.

The whole trip was amazing! Bradley and Nadia guided us and they were both really helpful and knowledgeable. The skipper was lovely too. We saw loads of amazing fish and was in the water for around 1 and half hours. My husband has some breathing issues so they went above and beyond to make sure he was ok and could access everything with no issues. On our way back we saw some humpbacks which was an added bonus. There was only about 12 of us but the boat on holds around 30 people so even in peak it wouldn’t be too crowded which I like. I would definitely recommend this trip to others!

This was a fantastic experience. We got lucky with good weather. The guides were incredible and I would absolutely recommend.

Great staff great day out. Highly recommend

I did the half day tour with my 13 and 10 year old kids and could not speak highly enough of our guides, Gabriela, George and Renee. They were so engaging, knowledgeable and kind, especially when we were unprepared with warm clothes after the snorkelling..they offered us their jumpers! Was an amazing experience and we can’t thank them enough. Would 100% recommend Reef adventures to anyone!

LOVED this snorkeling experience. We went on Mad Max with the most awesome crew - Brandan was the skipper. I think it was also Hayley and Lucy?? The ride out to the reef and back was pretty choppy but it felt safe with Brandan navigating the waves and it was also an awesome experience to watch humpback whales breaching in the sea both there and back!! The whole experience felt safe with 3 guides in the water with us, Brandan watching from the deck, options to wear life jackets (it was a bit choppy) and the guide (I think Lucy was the lead) had incredible knowledge of everything we were seeing. How she talked and bobbed in the water was a skill in itself! I think the thing that came across the most for us was the passion shown by all the crew in what they love about the reef, protecting it, and just their enthusiasm and positive attitudes. Would definitely recommend this trip with Reef Adventures.

Great trip. The guides were friendly and professional who had a passion for what they do! The go pro photos were a bonus. Thank you.

Super organised and clear instructions made this snorkelling trip a sensational success on the majestic Great Barrier Reef. The guide shared interesting info which improved the experience and pointed out cool fish and coral. Great photos were taken and shared easily with everyone. Highly recommended!

We met at the marina to board the Maverick. On our boat we had Jo, Eleanor and Lincoln. We (me, my husband and our adult children ages 17 and 18) enjoyed our time on the snorkel. The crew interacted with everyone and were very friendly. Once we got to our destination, Eleanor was a fantastic guide in the water pointing out different fish and coral. We had about 17 people on our boat which was a great size to be in the water with. We left the dock at 8:00 am and returned about noon. It was a great experience and the reef was beautiful!

The time in the water flew by, but it was exactly the time we wanted, and perfect considering the temperature.

It was so good that my kid kept asking if we could go again the next day. My only concern is that coral reef seems to be visibly fading away - I understand that the tour company cannot change that. Guides were kind, funny, well organized and caring. Totally worth it