Cairns Great Barrier Reef Comparison: Which Breathtaking Reef Is Right For You?

Green Island. – Most Touristy & Expensive.

The most popular and commercialised Great Barrier Reef destination from Cairns is Green Island. Featuring a stunning 4-star resort and day-trip facilities for self-explorers or those visiting on a guided tour, it is geared towards first-time snorkelers and divers, experience seekers, and those who love visiting iconic destinations.

It is absolutely loaded with activities to fill your day.

Budget-friendly free things to do include snorkelling the lagoon, scenic walks around the GBR’s only coral cay with a rainforest, and seeing the abundant bird population. Day trip guests doing the guided tour with Great Adventures (run by Green Island Resort) also get a snorkelling tour at the reef edge, a Glass Bottom Boat Tour, and use of the pool, while resort guests get the latter two, plus the exclusive resort pool, and kayaks and lounges at the swimming beach.

Additional paid experiences include snorkelling and diving tours at the reef drop-off, Seawalker dives, scenic helicopter flights, parasailing, and day trips to Moore Reef, which is also run by Green Island/Great Adventures, allowing you to explore even more of the GBR. They certainly provide a lot of experiences of varying degrees of quality, but they add up quickly and can make a trip to Green Island very expensive.

There is also a cafe, restaurant, and bar for everyone to use.

As for the accommodation, it is top-notch but very expensive, with peak season prices starting at around $500/night and off-peak season at $400.

This makes Green Island best suited for the widest variety of visitors, from budget travellers looking for a 2-in-1 Great Barrier Reef day trip from Cairns, all the way to those seeking all the bells and whistles, including luxurious resort stays.

But is it actually worth it?

My honest experience of Green Island.

I stayed at Green Island for 4 days and 3 nights to experience as much as possible for my review. It was by far the most expensive GBR island I’ve visited, and was a mixed bag of good and bad.

Activities & Experiences.

I’ll kickstart with the activities first, as that’s what people are looking at first & foremost. While there are free ones, doing most of the paid tours and activities means its expensive! You, of course, don’t have to do all of them. But if you’re someone like me and have FOMO or want to spoil yourself, it’s hard to resist, and then your bank account goes down the toilet, because this place has many big-ticket experiences. But here’s what I thought of the ones I did.

Snorkelling.

Starting with the lagoon, the snorkelling wasn’t very good.

There are some sandy areas, typical of coral cays, but the rest was predominantly seagrass and very little coral. Altogether, I was only able to see one sea turtle and a large school of grey fish in the sandy areas, and one reef shark, some very small fish, and several creepy-looking sea cucumbers around the rest of the island, so it was definitely the weakest of the six Great Barrier Reef island lagoons that I’ve snorkelled.  However, the sandy patches may also be good for spotting rays, so keep an eye out for those, as they like to lie on the bottom either fully exposed or covered by sand.

I also didn’t have good results with the non-guided snorkelling tour at the reef drop-off I paid for, either. While there were vast seascapes of breathtaking coral formations, much of it was too deep for surface and duck diving viewing. Plus, it was one of the only times I didn’t see anything big like a turtle, shark or ray, even though there were only like 3 people snorkelling, but what marine life you see is, of course, highly variable.

Glass Bottom Boat:

Contrastingly, the free glass-bottom boat tour for resort guests and guided day tour visitors was the best of the four I’ve done. It was especially good because they have special permission to feed the fish, and so not only did we get many of them frenzying around and under the boat, but it also brought around a friendly reef shark and seagull, who came to see what was going on. We also saw rays and turtles, some girthy pineapple sea cucumbers, and many interesting coral formations, so I definitely recommend that.

Seawalker.

I also did the Seawalker tour, which was excellent. They feed the fish right in front of your face and take photos of you with a Great Barrier Reef sign, and I saw my first clownfish (Nemo), which was a big bucket-list animal I wanted to see, so I was very excited about that.

Helicopter Flight.

The 15-minute helicopter flight around Green Island and the Arlington Reef was breathtaking even though it was an overcast day, and the azure blues, turquoise, and deep sea blues weren’t popping as much as they would on a sunny day.

Parasailing.

The parasailing one was one of the biggest letdowns. My initial tour was cancelled due to mechanical issues. Then, when I tried to go on the last day to see if they had any spots left, they were initially busy, but then completely ignored me for 10 minutes after and were clearly just standing around.

Beach & Kayaking.

The island has a dedicated ocean swimming area with red and yellow flags, lifeguards and a kiosk for buying drinks, and hiring beach chairs and kayaks. The latter two are free for resort guests, but I wasn’t able to make use of the kayaks because it was too windy, which I thought was weird because I ended up snorkelling the entire island and didn’t have any trouble with the current.

Accommodation:

For the resort accommodation, I went in the off-peak season (November) and even with their 3 nights for the price of 2 special through their website, it still ended up at $380/night for the cheapest room! They wouldn’t even honour the price listed on their website when I called them after I couldn’t book it directly online. Five minutes after I complained to my dad, he contacted them, and there was NO PROBLEM getting that price! WTF…

The room was gorgeous, and the best of the 3 GBR resorts I’ve stayed at, so great for spoiling yourself. But the knob to close the bath drainage broke, so I couldn’t enjoy that.

Restaurant & Dining:

In terms of food and service, there is the main restaurant, Emeralds, a poolside bar, and the cafe, Little Bite, which has drinks, coffee, sandwiches & a few other packaged foods and snacks. They are available for all guests.

The service at Emerald’s Restaurant was absolutely terrible. They screwed up my order the first night, even though I was very clear that I can’t handle spicy food and then tried to blame their mistake on me while I was asking about the same thing about a dish the next night, to prevent the same thing from happening again. So it was definitely the poorest restaurant experience that I’ve ever had.

As for the food itself, they have a good vegan and vegetarian range. My first dinner was intolerably spicy, the second was tasty but dry, but the lunch was better. The quail taking the lobster from the plate was hilarious, though!

Staff:

Aside from the restaurant staff, most of the other interactions I had with the workers on Green Island were very positive, especially the guy I encountered three times, with whom I bantered about doppelgangers. Legend. I never got to see his friend, who he thought I was, though!

Day Trip To Moore Reef:

As a resort guest, I was also able to book a day trip to Moore Reef, which has a platform owned by Green Island/ Great Adventures and was also a bit of a hit and miss for me, which I’ll talk about more in the dedicated section below.

Boat Ride Between Cairns & Green Island & General Busyness:

Something else to note is that the boat ride over was extremely packed. However, I did travel to and from the island multiple times during my stay, and those were a lot less busy, so it just depends on the time and day. I think I caught a time when they had extreme busyness on that runout.

That being said, daytime and nighttime on the island were starkly different. When the day-trip visitors were there, it was insanely busy around the pier, the main beach, and the day-use areas. But then, after they all left, it felt almost deserted, which I liked, but it felt insane that there were so few people on the island. It almost felt. That probably has to do with the fact that it is very expensive to stay even in the off-peak season.

VERDICT.

Honestly, this place is pretty, but the off-the-beach snorkelling is not good. And if you do want the goods, it’s expensive! So, it is not a place I’d recommend above the others unless you are interested in doing the Seawalker tour or helicopter flight. (Moore Reef also has helicopter flights and a similar Sea Scooter tour, so I recommend that one if you’re just looking for a day tour.)

📍 Positioning vs other reefs

• Most touristy & commercialised
• Widest appeal. Budget trips to all the bells and whistles
• Worse than Fitzroy for beach snorkelling, corals, and marine life.
• Most activity-packed
• More convenient than the outer reef

Important Green Island Info:

• Destination Type: Resort Island
• Uniqueness: The only GBR Coral Cay with a rainforest.
• Vibe: Very touristy, very busy.
• Best For: First-timers, tourists, families, diving, guided activities & unique experiences & Spoiling yourself.
• Snorkelling Quality: Free snorkelling around the lagoon is mostly seagrass. AKA not good. Snorkel tour – Too deep.
• Coral Range & Diversity: Close to shore, very little. Much better further out (only accessible by tours). Mostly hard coral.
• Marine Life Encounters (My experience):
  • Lagoon:
    • Sea turtle.
    • Reef Shark.
    • A large school of medium-sized grey fish.
    • Lots of the same weird-ass sea cucumbers.
  • Sea Walker Tour:
    • Clownfish (Nemo & Marlin)
    • Big Clams
    • Lots of fish
  • Snorkelling Tour:
    • –
  • Glass Bottom Boat Tour (Free):
    • Reef Shark
    • Tons Of Fish
    • Pineapple Sea Cucumbers
• Activities & Things To Do: Snorkelling, Diving, Seawalker, Helicopter Flight, Parasailing.
• Restaurants/ Food: Cafe & Restaurant
• Accommodation: Yes – Green Island Resort – $$$
• How to Get There: Catamaran – As far as I’m aware, I don’t believe it is available for people visiting in their own boats.
• Tour Operators:
  • Great Adventures (Green Island Resorts’ own catamaran for resort guests, day trippers & transfers)
  • Sunlovers Reef Cruises. (Day tour)
  • Big Cat GI Reef Cruises (Day Tour) – Book Here.
  • Fitzroy Island Adventures (Has a two island day tour)
• Price Range: $-$$$$$$
• Time To Get There: 50 minutes. (Great Adventures)
• Time Spent On Island: Up to 7 hours. (Great Adventures)

Fitzroy Island.

Fitzroy Island is a large and absolutely breathtaking continental island. Because it was once connected to mainland Australia, rather than being built up from the sea floor on a coral bed like the coral cays, it features mountainous terrain, similar to the surrounding landscape from which it broke off.

Not only is it geographically completely different to Green Island and the other islands near Cairns, but even the atmosphere of it is worlds apart. While Green Island is very expensive, busy, and commercialised, featuring many unique activities to draw people in to spend the big bucks, Fitzroy Island is much more relaxed and nature-oriented.

What keeps this vibe in check is that it isn’t overloaded with paid activities, which goes a long way in keeping the budget down. There are only guided snorkelling tours, diving, a glass-bottom boat tour, and kayaking — just all the essentials of a premium island-reef visit.

The snorkelling is particularly excellent, and so close! Directly off the beach, especially at the northern end of Welcome Bay, where White Rock is, there are lots of unique formations and striking colours, and plenty of marine life out there, such as sea turtles crunching on the corals, so it’s perfect for beginners hoping to see some of the good stuff without going too far away from the shoreline or spending money.

That said, the guided tour is even better because, even though it’s only a bit further around the corner and also close to the island, it’s inaccessible to reach on foot, but is spectacular. There are these gorgeous, massive cabbage-like corals everywhere and big, massive boulders to swim near, plus an abundance of colour and textures, making it Cairns’ most unique snorkelling adventure. I highly recommend it.

Plus, because it is that close to the island, it’s shallower, so no duck diving is required, perfect for beginners.

Back to the topography above water — another thing that makes Fitzroy Island a standout is that, because it is so close to the mountainous mainland and is a rugged mountain itself, it has, by far, the most breathtaking scenery of any Great Barrier Reef island!

The ferry ride across and the coral-covered beaches are gorgeous enough, but the hike to the lighthouse and summit is an absolute must-do, because they are two of the most ridiculously beautiful lookouts in Far North Queensland, with plenty of off-the-charts wow-factor views to enjoy along the way as well! The trails are very steep and challenging, so it’s best to start before daybreak, but the best thing is that they can be knocked off in one fell swoop as part of a single loop.

This is one of the best reasons to spoil yourself at the Fitzroy Island Resort. Not only is the gorgeous 4-star accommodation one of the two places to stay overnight at a Cairns Great Barrier Reef island resort, but it’s also home to the city’s most convenient offshore campground too, for the best budget-friendly trip ever.

These options also give you ample time to explore the reef and conquer the mountain without feeling rushed or like you missed out, because, damn, this place is magnificent above and below the water.

Resort guests get exclusive use of its pool and the fancier one of its two restaurants, while all visitors, including day trippers and campers, can eat at Foxy’s Bar & Cafe, buy drinks from the pool bar, and get supplies and souvenirs from the general store.

Plus, private mooring is permitted, which is an extra win for self-sufficient adventurers and campers.

My Experience At Fitzroy Island:

I stayed at Fitzroy Island Resort for three nights and did half of the paid activities and all the free things to do. I had an excellent time and cannot recommend it enough.

The relaxed atmosphere and orientation towards a nature-based experience were the things that appealed to me the most. I also absolutely loved how good the snorkelling was, and that it was so close to shore! Seriously elite and perfect for beginners, whether doing it on your own or on a guided tour.

I also very much appreciated the affordability of everything, including the resort accommodation, with the option to camp being hugely appealing for a return visit.

Oh, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking! The view from the beaches of the mainland’s mountains was one thing, but the summit view was on a whole other level of jaw-dropping. Seriously, one of Cairns’s must-dos!

Snorkelling:

I was super impressed by how good the snorkelling is.

All the Great Barrier Reef islands I’ve been to haven’t had much coral near the shore, but Fitzroy Island has amazing colour and formations just a few metres away, especially at the northern end of Welcome Bay. I was also able to spend some time with two majestic sea turtles, plus several striking six-band angelfish and sabre squirrelfish.

It was even better on the guided snorkelling tour, not far past the other side of White Rock at Shark Fin Bay, where the cabbage-like hard corals were outstandingly unique and visually striking — like gorgeous marine gardens. I also loved the boulders to explore marine life around, and we encountered three more sea turtles and some clownfish (although very hard to see), making these two sites some of the most memorable snorkelling trips I’ve ever done.

That said, I didn’t find the snorkelling at Nudey Beach very good. It’s beautiful above water, but below, it’s mostly sand, which may be good for spotting rays, but the only fish and coral formations were near the rocks at either end.

Note: Fitzroy Island’s beaches are absolutely covered in broken coral pieces, which makes it hard to walk on. Water shoes are highly recommended.

Hiking:

Fitzroy Island is already a great place to visit, but what makes it exceptional — and my favourite Cairns Great Barrier Reef destination — is that it is not just gorgeous below the water, but above it too. The hiking trail to the summit (including the detour to the lighthouse) is peak epic!

The view from up here (as well as many along the trail) is phenomenal: 270 degrees of breathtaking scenery of rugged mountains and individual reefs dotted through the stunning azure-blue ocean. It’s one of those places you definitely cannot miss — it has to be seen to be believed. It’s so cinematic!

Most of the trail is very steep and exposed past a certain elevation, so it’s best to start early and when it’s not raining.

Accommodation:

The resort was excellent! I loved that it was significantly more affordable than Green Island, even though the promotion was only “Stay 3 Nights and get 15% off.”

I love the overall look, design, and feel of Fitzroy Island Resort. It felt modern, crisp, and had a warm, welcoming, humble sophistication. It just had such a nice visual appeal, far superior to Green Island’s

The pool, exclusively for resort guests, was lovely, with an in-pool bar, a sheltered area, a splash pool, and ocean views.

The room (315) was nice (although I didn’t like the leather couch). I definitely wouldn’t say it outdoes Green Island Resort’s digs, but it is still a good room at a like 1/3 of the cost. Plus, there’s a wide range of room options and even lifts for levels 2 & 3. There’s no luggage-to-room service, but the open storage area for check-in and check-out worked well.

As someone who loves camping, I also really appreciated that this is an option for my next visit.

Restaurants:

I liked the restaurants and food much better than Green Island.

Zephyrs Restaurant is upscale, for resort guests only, and serves breakfast and dinner. I had dinner there, with a choice between two or three courses. It was expensive, and the portions were small (as fancy restaurants often are), but the taste was outstanding.

Foxy’s Bar is for everyone, day visitors, resort guests, and campers, and was good too, though they stopped serving food at 8:00 pm, which is way too early for me. I got the vegan burger. The crumb was crunchy, but the “chicken meat” didn’t have much taste. However, the bread, sauce and salad with it were good, as were the chips. They took a long time to give me my chocolate cake, even though there were few people there, while the burger was faster when they were busy. I loved that the beers on tap were also vegan.

Staff:

The staff were excellent, and I had no issues with them.

Boat Ride Between Cairns & Fitzroy Island & General Busyness:

Even though the boat had day visitors and resort guests, both the boat and the island never felt super packed, unlike Green Island. It was really enjoyable and relaxing.

VERDICT.

Fitzroy Island is easily the best all-round Great Barrier Reef destination from Cairns for budget-friendly day trips, easy, straight-off-the-beach snorkelling and unforgettable scenery for those who love immersing themselves in nature!

Plus, with an upscale resort at an affordable price point, a rustic campground, and visitation allowed for day trippers and private boats, it caters brilliantly to just about everyone!

This makes aking it ideal for people who are looking to reconnect with their wild hearts rather than indulge in an experience-based trip.

So, unless you want helicopter flights and Seawalker/Sea Scooter experiences or to go somewhere completely wild and untamed, I highly, highly recommend paying a visit to Fitzroy Island for their Cairns reef trip.

IMPORTANT FITZROY ISLAND INFORMATION:

• Destination Type: Mountainous Resort Island.
• Uniqueness: Rugged continental GBR Island with rainforest.
• Vibe: Relaxing getaway.
• Best for: Self-exploration, solo travel, and mid-range budget escapes, hybrid land & water activities.
• Snorkelling Quality: Very good. Excellent coral formations just off the Welcome Beach!
• Coral Range & Diversity: Excellent. Mostly hard corals.
• Marine Life Encounters (My experience):
  • Solo snorkelling:
    • 2 Sea Turtles.
    • Six Band Angelfish
    • Sabre Squirrelfish
    • Whitley’s Sargeantfish
    • Steephead Parrotfish
    • Blue Barred Parrotfish
  • Guided Snorkelling Tour.
    • 3 Sea Turtles.
    • Clownfish (Nemo)
    • Six Band Angelfish
    • Blue Lined Sturgeon
    • Blue Barred Parrotfish
    • Elephant Nosed Parrotfish
    • 6 Band Wrasse
• Activities & Things To Do: Snorkelling, diving, glass-bottom boat, hiking.
• Restaurants/ Food: 2 restaurants (one for resort guests only)
• Pool: 1 (for resort guests only)
• Accommodation: Yes.
  • Fitzroy Island Resort – One of the cheapest GBR resort stays.
  • Fitzroy Island Campground.
• How to Get There: Catamaran/ own boat
• Tour Operators: Fitzroy Flyer (Owned by Fitzroy Island Resort)
  • Sunlover
    • Fitzroy Island Adventures
• Price Range: $-$$$
• Time To Get There: 50 minutes. (Fitzroy Flyer)
• Time Spent On Island: Up to 6 hours. (Fitzroy Island Adventures)
  • Up to 3.5 hours (Sunlover Cruises)

Moore Reef.

Another very popular Cairns Great Barrier Reef destination is Moore Reef, where two platforms lie permanently fixed on this iconic Outer Reef site.

The southern platform is run by Green Island Resort/Great Adventures, and is doable as a day trip directly from Cairns, a 2-in-1 including a Green Island pit stop, or as a day trip for resort guests already staying on the breathtaking coral cay.

They offer:

• Snorkelling
• Diving – $
• Sea Doo – $
• Semi-Submersible Reef Tour
• Underwater Observatory
• Scenic Helicopter Flights – $

Reef Magic also does day tours to their platform, located just north of Great Adventures, and features:

• Free & Guided Snorkelling – Free / $
• Diving – $
• Sea Doo – $
• Helmet Diving – $
• Underwater Observatory
• Glass Bottom Boat
• Scenic Helicopter Flights – $
• Transfer Flight From Cairns To Reef Magic Pontoon – $

As does Sunlover Reef Cruise & Platform:

• Snorkelling – $ (For Guided)
• Semi Submarine
• Glass Bottom Boat
• Waterslide
• Underwater Observatory
• Seawalker Helmet Dives – $
• Diving – $
• Scenic Flights – $

These are great ways to experience the abundant marine biodiversity at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

They basically offer everything that Green Island offers, but without the island (and the parasailing), so it’s a great alternative if you just want to jump straight into the sea and see the biodiversity at the edge of the reef and do some unique activities. It is also the last safe haven before you drift off into the Pacific Ocean and end up in Chile, so be careful! (Just kidding, they have lifeguards watching.)

The coral is really beautiful and shallow for surface snorkellers, with some deeper areas for all levels of free and duck divers, perfect for beginners to skilled swimmers. There are fewer soft corals here, but lots of colours, and some of the best fish species sizes and diversity, both hanging out in the corals and around the pontoons.

My Experience At Moore Reef With Great Adventures.

I visited Moore Reef straight from Green Island, rather than a direct Great Barrier Reef day tour from Cairns or via the coral cay. It was mostly a positive experience, but I didn’t do all the activities, only snorkelling and diving, not that there was enough time to do them all with the three-hour window we had. However, you’ll have more time with the full-day tour with no detour, if you want to tick off more of the activity list.

Snorkelling:

Snorkelling at Moore Reef was my favourite thing to do. The coral colour and diversity are very good, and there is a huge expanse of shallow areas not too far from the pontoon, which means it is perfect for beginners and those who can’t duck dive to see the vibrancy and variations.

There were also many different species of fish, ranging from the super tiny to dent-sized ones like parrotfish that I see the most of, to big chunky ones, like the sturgeons, which were right by the snorkel ledge! So great view the second you get it!

The pontoon is obviously anchored to the sandy seabed, but that means you get a nice coral slope between that and the aforementioned shallow stuff, so it’s perfect for free diving down to see the deeper stuff too.

Introductory Dive:

It’s also an ideal spot for diving. I went for my first dive. The directions were easy enough to follow. But the instructor didn’t like how my (prescription) mask was looking, so adjusted it… and not in a good way, because water kept leaking in it after. It meant I had to blow it out a lot, so I don’t remember as much of it as I would have liked to, which sucks!

I do recall liking being down there if it wasn’t for that problem, but I was sad that we didn’t get to go off on our own, always have to be arm linked to each other

Observatory & Semi-Submersible:

The Observatory is really not that interesting. I’m not sure if they do fish feeding, but that would be excellent if they did above that. But for people who want to see the reef but don’t want to get in the water, it’s okay.

However, the semi-submersible would be the much better option. Line up quickly, though, because it’s popular. It’s also super annoying because you have to be in dry clothes, which is why I wasn’t able to do it after my dive.

Lunch:

Lunch was a mix of hot & cold dishes. There’s a sign before the lineup that has what they were and dietary labels fully listed. However, the labels in front of the food were a bit confusing.

The orange chickpea salad was pretty nice, and the fruit were, freshy, crunchy and juicy!

VERDICT.

With the best range of fish sizes and species, super easy access to coral of various depths and biodiversity, and plenty of activities on offer, Moore Reef is a solid Great Barrier Reef day trip from Cairns.

It is suited for those looking to explore the outer edge and have unforgettable experiences with all the bells and whistles, if they don’t mind big crowds and don’t need an island visit.

MOORE REEF INFORMATION:

• Destination Type: Outer Reef Pontoon
• Uniqueness: Floating pontoon at the edge of the reef.
• Vibe: Tourist day trip.
• Best For: Outer reef exploration. Diving.
• Snorkelling Quality: Good. Lots of stunning corals.
• Coral Range & Diversity: Good. Mostly hard corals.
• Marine Life Encounters (My experience):
  • Diving.
  • Snorkelling
    • Sturgeon.
• Activities & Things To Do:
• Restaurants/ Food: Accommodation: N/A
• How to Get There: Day tour. (to the platform)
  • Own boat (Off platform)
• Tour Operators:
  • Great Adventures (Either as a day trip from Cairns, or add on from Green Island as a resort guest.
  • Sunlover Reef Cruises. – Book Here.
  • Reef Magic – Book Here.
• Price Range: $$$-$$$$$
• Time To Get There: 2 hours (Green Adventures direct from Cairns)
• Time Spent On Island: Up to 3 hours (Great Adventures detour to Green Island)

Michaelmans Cay.

Michaelmans Cay is an absolutely stunning coral cay located 42 kilometres northwest of Cairns, which is just pure unspoilt wilderness above and below the water.

It is a completely sandy island with very little vegetation and is a protected bird sanctuary with thousands of birds on or flying around it. Like all the Great Barrier Reef coral cays, it is surrounded by a shallow lagoon with striking azure-blue colours and breathtaking coral formations around the reef drop-off.

Featuring large coral structures and a huge diversity of formations, bright colours that stand out from the rest, and the largest amount of soft coral I have seen from all my snorkelling experiences, this makes it one of the best Cairns Great Barrier Reef destinations.

The large sandy sections also mean it’s prime real estate for spotting rays, which like to lie on the ocean floor either fully exposed or partially buried in the sand.

Reef Adventures is one of the tour companies that will take you here as part of their 2-stop full-day adventure, with the other being the other reef on this list, Breaking Patches.

That being said, they don’t actually go to the island, only the reef (however, some companies might), but because they specialise in small group tours with only a 27-person capacity, it has a much more personalised feel. And with fewer people in the water, it means there’s less chance of scaring away marine life.

As this is a standalone reef and not a privatised or commercialised one, like Green Island, Fitzroy Island, and Moore Reef, it is also freely accessible for people who bring their own boats to explore a true marine wilderness experience for themselves.

My Experience With Reef Adventures Visiting Michaelmans Cay.

I had a really positive time on my full-day tour with Reef Adventures at Michaelman’s Cay and Breaking Patches. Even though we didn’t get to go to the island, which would have been amazing with all the birdlife there, I absolutely loved snorkelling this spectacular reef.

Snorkelling.

It’s always majestic encountering a sea turtle, but that wasn’t the only thing that made this site my favourite hidden gem near Cairns.

It was also home to the largest amount of soft coral I’ve ever seen, with a particular highlight being the trippy optical illusion that a large patch of long, swaying coral had created, making it seem like the hard coral was moving instead. I also loved the pillars, the crystal-like structures, and the lilac purple and electric blue colours that stood out so vividly.

Plus, I got to see several sea creatures that I have never seen before, such as cone shells, starfish, red & black anemonefish, a new species of sea cucumber, trout, wrasse, not to mention numerous parrotfish and many other species I can’t identify.

It was a really successful outing, even without seeing sharks or rays. And I really appreciated that we spent a good amount of time out here and even got caught in a big rainband, which made the experience more unique and memorable.

Plus, the guides pointed out many things that would have otherwise missed, so it was a great day!

Tour, Boat & Atmosphere.

Reef Adventures’ 27-person capacity makes visiting the reef around Michaelmans Cay feel even more elusively off the tourist trail.

The boat is modern and edgy, and it feels more catered towards young-to-middle-aged adults, which I appreciated more than something designed for everyone.

I like that it had a high crew-to-passenger ratio and felt more personalised. Plus, we got to listen to tunes the whole way there and back, which just adds to the vibe.

Lunch.

A pre-packed lunch is provided. Everyone gets a bread roll, an apple, a peach, and a muffin. My vegan salad roll was okay, but the bread was a little stale. The fruit was really crunchy and juicy, and the muffin was also excellent.

VERDICT.

Michaelmans Cay is perfect for people who have already explored the more popular Cairns reefs and want somewhere new, those who don’t like touristy places, and folks who enjoy off-the-radar gems.

IMPORTANT MICHAELMANS CAY INFO:

• Destination Type: Coral Cay Wilderness.
• Uniqueness: Pristine, unspoilt bird sanctuary.
• Vibe: Untouched.
• Best For: Hidden off the radar discovery.
• Snorkelling Quality: Excellent.
• Coral Range & Diversity: Excellent. Hard coral but also the most amount of soft coral.
• Marine Life Encounters (My experience):
  • Sea turtle
  • Sea jelly
  • Barefoot Mata parrotfish
  • 6 band angelfish
  • Steephead parrotfish
  • Blue sea star
  • Black sea cucumbers
  • Pineapple sea cucumber
  • Giraffe sea cucumber ***
  • Numerous clams
  • Dash & dot goatfish ***
  • Red-breasted Maori wrasse ***
  • Atlantic Triton??? (Conefish) ***
  • Tailfin batfish
  • Common coral trout
• Activities & Things To Do: Snorkelling
• Restaurants/ Food: Lunch may be provided on a day tour.
• Accommodation: N/A
• How to Get There: Guided tour/ your own boat.
• Tour Operators:
  • Reef Adventures (Small group tours)
• Price Range: $$
• Time To Get There: 50 minutes. (Reef Adventures)
• Time Spent At Reef:

Breaking Patches.

Breaking Patches is a standalone reef with no island, located just north of Michaelmans Cay. This makes it an even more exclusive site and one of Cairns’ most hidden gems.

The coral here is breathtaking and diverse, with some soft corals nestled amongst the hard formations, and plenty of colour variation. It’s also a great spot for beginner snorkellers and duck dives.

As for companies that visit here, there are a very small number that do, such as Reef Adventures. They combine this with the aforementioned Michaelmans Cay as part of their full-day snorkelling tour, where you can hit two reefs that sit side by side in a 7-hour adventure.

With a maximum capacity of 27 and being one of the only boats that go out here, it gives passengers a better opportunity to encounter marine wildlife, especially the iconic ones like turtles, sharks, and rays, as they are less likely to be deterred.

As this is a standalone reef in the oceanic wilderness, it is also an excellent place for boaties to head out and explore a slice of unspoilt Great Barrier Reef paradise near Cairns.

My Experience With Reef Adventures Visiting Breaking Patches:

I did this with them in February and it was a great experience. The small group size (maximum of 27 people) made it feel more intimate and personal, which I loved.

Snorkelling.

I loved that we spent a significant amount of time out at this reef, so the visit felt unrushed and complete.

Seeing the coral pillars, colours, and both variations of hard and soft coral across the seafloor was beautiful. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any turtles, sharks, or rays at this particular reef, but there were lots of parrotfish, red and black anemonefish, wrasse, and other beautiful fish, with the most memorable being the school of little squid!

Tour, Boat & Atmosphere.

See Michaelmans Cay section for review.

Lunch.

See Michaelmans Cay section for review.

VERDICT.

With Breaking Patches being in the middle of nowhere with no cay, island, or platform, it is truly off the radar. This makes it perfect for people who want to explore less-explored places, see pristine corals without lots of people around, and enjoy a small, intimate tour or self-visit with little to no other boats around.

IMPORTANT BREAKING PATCHES INFO:

• Destination Type: Standalone Reef
• Uniqueness: Seldom seen destination located on the outer Reef.
• Vibe: Untouched hidden gem.
• Best For: Repeat visitors to Cairns, those who love visiting lesser-seen places.
• Snorkelling Quality: Very good.
• Coral Range & Diversity: Excellent.
• Marine Life Encounters (My experience):
• Activities & Things To Do:
• Restaurants/ Food: Lunch may be provided on a day tour.
• Accommodation:
  • N/A
• How to Get There: Guided tour/ your own boat.
• Tour Operators:
  • Reef Adventures (Excellent small tour company that does this & Michelmans Cay as part of their full day tour. Read the review here.)
• Price Range: $$
• Time To Get There: 50 minutes (Reef Adventures)
• Time Spent On Reef: