Our Favourite Great Barrier Reef Experiences

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef is on many people’s bucket-lists, and for good reason. As one of the seven wonders of the natural world, this incredible phenomenon is home to stunning coral formations, rare species of whales and six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, in addition to over 1,600 species of fish!

Stretching over 2,300 kilometres across the Queensland coast, there are so many ways to experience the Great Barrier Reef. Keep reading to learn more about our favourite Great Barrier Reef experiences.

Exploring Green Island

Just 27 kilometres northeast of Cairns lies Green Island, a gorgeous coral cay home to pristine sand beaches and unspoilt rainforest. Nestled within the inner ocean of the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island can be reached in just a short 45-minute ferry from Cairns and makes for the ultimate day trip for those looking to experience both the reef and the rainforest.

Despite being just 12 hectares in size, Green Island is surrounded by 710 hectares of reef, making it one of the best places to experience this natural wonder. Just take a few steps off the beach to snorkel amongst over 190 different types of hard corals and over 100 types of soft corals that surround the island. Our tip? Stick closer to the jetty to hopefully spot turtles and dugongs as they feed amongst the seagrass!

Green Island is also home to the Seawalker, a unique experience in which visitors can walk along the seafloor. Simply don a diving helmet and explore the bottom of the Great Barrier Reef, where tropical fish and colourful coral reign supreme – all with no scuba diving experience needed! This Great Barrier Reef experience is a must when visiting Green Island.

Flying Over the Whitsundays

For the ultimate island escape, be sure to add the Whitsundays to your Queensland bucket-list. An archipelago of 74 tropical islands, visitors travel to the Whitsundays from across the globe to relax on the pure white sands of Whitehaven Beach and sail around the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

While there are so many majestic Great Barrier Reef experiences to be had while visiting the Whitsundays, there’s something extra special about seeing it from above. The Whitsundays are famous for their scenic flights, during which you’ll get a bird’s eye view of iconic sights like Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef, one of the most photographed locations on the Great Barrier Reef. The views don’t get much better than this!

Witnessing Sea Turtles Hatching

A visit to the Great Barrier Reef is always filled with incredible marine life encounters, but few are as special as witnessing the hatching of baby sea turtles. To experience this magical spectacle, take a trip to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, specifically, Mon Repos Beach in the city of Bundaberg.

Visit between November and January to watch as nesting sea turtles, including endangered loggerhead turtles, come ashore at night to lay their eggs. Then, between January and March, the hatchlings leave their nest and take their first steps toward the ocean. Trust us, this is a Great Barrier Reef experience you won’t forget.

To witness this amazing act of nature, join Mon Repos Turtle Encounters, who operate night-time tours every day of the week. These tours are accompanied by environmental scientists who offer insights into the conservation programs that are run in the area, as well as the fascinating life cycle of these majestic sea turtles.

Snorkelling the Outer Great Barrier Reef

There may be plenty of places to dive and snorkel close to shore, however, the Outer Great Barrier Reef offers an out of this world experience. The Outer Great Barrier Reef marks the point where the complex coral system meets the great, wide ocean, and takes a few hours to reach from the Queensland shore. Since it’s all open ocean, snorkelling here offers a completely different experience than at the inner fringing reefs.

One of the best things about snorkelling in the Outer Great Barrier Reef is the improved visibility – since there’s no runoff from the islands, you can see up to 15 metres! While snorkelling and diving at the Outer Great Barrier Reef, be sure to keep your eye out for the Great Eight, a checklist of must-see marine life that includes whales, manta rays, clownfish, turtles, giant clams, potato cod, Maori wrasse and sharks.

Giving Back to the Reef

While there are so many incredible experiences to be had on the Great Barrier Reef, it’s important to be mindful of how your visit can affect this fragile marine ecosystem. While tourism is vital to funding the ongoing research and restoration of the reef, we also implore that you make conscious efforts to minimise your environmental footprint during your visit.

There are numerous ways to give back to the reef, although the first step should be to look for a tourism operator with EcoTourism Australia or EarthCheck certification. Additionally, consider downloading the Eye On The Reef app before your trip, which allows you to log information about reef health, marine animals and any incidents during your visit – this data is then used to inform sustainable reef management.

Additionally, you can do your bit to prevent reef damage by avoiding contact with coral while snorkelling or diving, and not taking any souvenirs home with you. And be sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen – some ingredients found commonly in sunscreen can be damaging to the coral. Helping to give back to the reef will only make your experience more special.

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