Port Douglas Reef Tours

Due to its natural alluring beauty and massive marine diversity, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and is an iconic tourist destination for guests that wish to come for a holiday to swim, snorkel and scuba dive the colourful coral gardens.  There is a wide selection of  Port Douglas reef trips some suitable for families, snorkellers only, certified scuba divers and those who wish to experience an Introductory Scuba Dive for the first time. Some of the day tour boats are also fitted with special equipment to assist guests with disabilities to access and enjoy this beautiful underwater world.  

Port Douglas is only 30 nautical miles from the best snorkelling and diving spots on the Great Barrier Reef, making Port Douglas one of the best places to experience the Reef. This is the world’s largest reef system and can you believe it we have over 3000 individual coral reefs on your doorstep to scuba dive, snorkel and explore.  Discover a new world as you are taken out on one of the reef tour operators’ comfortable and spacious boats. 

Explore corals that look like weird models made from a sci-fi movie set, or brightly coloured fish flitting about their daily business. Take selfies with giant but friendly Maori Wrasse as they swim alongside you like a puppy dog as you explore the sights of the Great Barrier Reef. During the months of July to September you may be lucky enough to see the inquisitive Dwarf Minkes or giant Humpback Whales that come to the region to calve and find mates. They come up alongside the boats to take a peek at the humans on board and with some of the reef tours you can even hop in the water and swim with the Dwarf Minke Whales. A small number of minke whale tours at this time can be booked to get up close and see these magnificent animals.  

If you have never tried a scuba dive and wish to give it a go on your next Port Douglas holiday then this is certainly the place to do it. You can then brag that you did your first ever introductory scuba dive on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef which is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world! All of the reef tour operators offer an introductory scuba dive to those guests who are keen to sign up and give it a go (extra expense and must be pre-booked at time of booking your reef trip)’

For all Scuba Diving activities please check with the organisers beforehand what the physical requirements are before you book the tour to avoid disappointment.  On your trip you will be asked to fill out a “Medical Form” 

The Introduction to Scuba Diving is only for children over 12 years of age.

Scuba diving will bring you right up close to the reef fish and you’ll feel at one with the marine life. This is the closest you will get to feeling like a fish without growing gills.

Most of the Port Douglas reef tours go to Opal or the Agincourt Reef System and you can choose to go on the mixed scuba dive and snorkel boats or snorkel only boats.

If you haven’t snorkelled before the staff on the snorkel and dive boats are extremely helpful in giving instructions and helping you when you are in the water.  Just putting your mask on and looking into the azure clear blue below you as fish go by their daily business is like looking into another world! For those not quite wanting the full scuba diving experience there is also a tour offering helmet diving, where you can walk underwater along a platform and view the fish through a special helmet.

The ultimate Great Barrier Reef experience is on a private charter boat and in Port Douglas we have the Crystalbrook marina that is to become the luxury superyacht or private charter boat capital of Tropical North Queensland. See a selection of our private charter boats and talk to our charter boat experts at Port Douglas Travel 1300 761 612 

For the less adventurous you can still have the underwater experience without getting wet.

The Quicksilver pontoon out on the Barrier Reef at Agincourt Reef enables the land lubbers and physically challenged to get the same experience of being underwater. With semi-submersible submarines and glass bottom boats you can view the coral reefs on a guided tour or walk on the pontoon and view the underwater world through a window underneath the pontoon.

All the attractions of the Great Barrier Reef are accessible to all!

For luxury yacht charters see the crew at YOTSPACE.