The Best (and Worst) Cairns Reef Tours For Non-Swimmers

Non-Swimmers Best Cairns Reef Tours

In our opinion, the best Cairns reef tours for non-swimmers, and those travelling with non-swimmers, is a day tour that splits its time between an outer reef pontoon and Great Barrier Reef island. Why? You get the best of both worlds. The outer reef pontoons provide a range of activities, including glass bottom boat and semi submersible tours, underwater observatories and helmet diving (for non-swimmers). They have platforms lowered into the sea where you can stand waist deep and be surrounded by fish. For swimming companions, fantastic snorkelling from the pontoons. Then the islands offer splashing in the shallows, walks and land-based activities. We recommend 2 amazing choices for the reef and island tours, both have daily departures from Cairns. Let’s look at them both.

Sunlover Cruises – Reef & Fitzroy Island Day Tour

Sunlover Cruises is our top pick for non-swimmers and mixed groups. This one includes 2 hours at their Moore Reef pontoon and 3 hours at Fitzroy Island.

• For Non-Swimmers: The reef pontoon has lots of activities included in the tour price, such as: Semi-Submersible (a boat where you sit below the waterline with big windows), Glass Bottom Boat, Underwater Observatory and Marine Life Touch Tank. Other activities which are additional cost to the tour price are: scenic Helicopter flights and helmet diving (suitable for non-swimmers). Helmet diving is a unique experience where you wear a large helmet that keeps your head completely dry, you can even wear glasses, and you walk along a submerged platform to see the fish face-to-face. Fitzroy Island has a bar and restaurant; island walks and lots of beaches.
• For Swimming Companions: The snorkelling from Sunlover’s pontoon is amazing. The vibrant coral gardens are a short swim from the pontoon, and are home to an abundance of fish, including anemonefish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, Moorish idols, rabbitfish, wrasse (big and small) and schools of chromis. There’s the option for introductory (no experience necessary) and certified scuba diving (in addition to the tour price), plus all of the non-swimming activities. So you aren’t compromising on your reef experience, by choosing this option. Enjoy Fitzroy Island together on walks, at the beach and the island’s bar and bistro.

Great Adventures – Green Island & Great Barrier Reef Adventure

Great Adventures is another of our top picks for non-swimmers and mixed groups. You have 2 hours at Green Island in the morning and 3 hours at their Moore Reef pontoon, which is like a floating activity center, in the afternoon.

• For Non-Swimmers: Their reef pontoon offers a similar range of non-swimming activities included in the tour price, but with a few less options. Included activities are: Semi-Submersible Boat and an Underwater Observatory. Other activities which are additional cost to the tour price are: scenic Helicopter flights and Scuba Doo (suitable for non-swimmers). Scuba Doo is like helmet diving but on an underwater scooter, you wear a helmet which has a permanent surface air supply and are guided on a short underwater trip, to come face to face with the fish. Green Island is a tropical island with sandy beaches and rainforest; there’s island walks and a bar and bistro. An optional extra activity on Green Island is to visit Marineland Melanesia which has aquariums, crocodiles, a sea turtle and more.
• For Swimming Companions: The snorkelling from Great Adventure’s pontoon and Green Island is excellent. At Green Island, snorkel under the jetty and explore the coral gardens to see anemonefish, parrotfish and maybe even sea turtles and stingrays. At the pontoon there’s an abundance of fish including angelfish, giant trevally, coral trout, rabbitfish, wrasse and more. There’s the option for introductory (no experience necessary) and certified scuba diving (in addition to the tour price), plus all of the non-swimming activities. So again, you aren’t compromising on your reef experience, by choosing this option. Enjoy Green Island together on walks, at the beach and the island’s bar and bistro.

Our Verdict: The best Cairns reef tours for non-swimmers and their companions are those that combine outer reef pontoons and islands. Something for everyone. Our Recommendation – for value and inclusions is Sunlover’s Reef & Fitzroy Island day tour. See our video trip review at the bottom of this page.

Cairns Reef Pontoon Tours

Cairns reef pontoon tours are another excellent choice for non-swimmers and their swimming companions. The pontoons provide a stable base at sea and offer guests a range of activities, catering to all skills and ages. These tours are shorter than the combined reef and island tours. We recommend 2 amazing choices, both have daily departures from Cairns. Let’s look at the differences.

Sunlover Reef Cruises

In addition to providing reef and island day tours, Sunlover Cruises also provides dedicated pontoon tours. You have 4 hours at their Moore Reef pontoon, providing plenty of time to experience the reef and also relax on the sundecks; this is our top pick for the pontoon tours.

• For Non-Swimmers: Lots of ways for you to experience the reef from the pontoon. The tour price includes: Semi-Submersible tours (a boat where you sit below the waterline with big windows), Glass Bottom Boat tours, access to the Underwater Observatory and a Marine Life Touch Tank. Optional extras include: scenic Helicopter flights and Helmet Diving. Helmet diving is accessible for non-swimmers, but not if you are a nervous person. For this one you wear a large helmet that keeps your head completely dry, and you walk along a submerged platform under the pontoon. Fully guided experience. Lots of time to also enjoy the reef views and relax on the pontoon’s sundecks and sunlounges.
• For Swimming Companions: The outer reef is awesome for snorkelling and scuba diving. The Sunlover pontoon provides immediate access to some very beautiful coral gardens. You’ll see a huge array of Great Barrier Reef fish, including anemonefish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, Moorish idols, rabbitfish, wrasse (big and small) and schools of chromis. Optional extras include: introductory (no experience necessary) and certified scuba diving. All diving is guided. The Sunlover pontoon also has a waterslide, which is lots of fun for people of all ages.

Great Adventures – Great Barrier Reef Adventure

The Great Adventures Great Barrier Reef Adventure is another of our top picks for Cairns reef pontoon tours. You have 3 hours at their Moore Reef pontoon, providing plenty of time to experience the reef and enjoy the views.

• For Non-Swimmers: The Great Adventures pontoon provides non-swimmers with a few ways to experience the reef. Activities included in the tour price are: Semi-Submersible Boat tours and unlimited visits to the Underwater Observatory. Optional extras are: scenic Helicopter flights and Scuba Doo. Scuba Doo is like helmet diving, but on an underwater scooter. It’s available for confident non-swimmers. On this activity you’ll wear a helmet which has a permanent air supply, and are guided on a short underwater trip, coming face to face with the fish. Time to relax and enjoy the views too.
• For Swimming Companions: The snorkelling from Great Adventure’s pontoon is great. It’s a short swim to the nearby coral gardens, where you’ll find angelfish, giant trevally, coral trout, rabbitfish, wrasse and more. Optional extras include: introductory (no experience necessary) and certified scuba diving. All diving is guided.

Our Verdict: The pontoon tours provide you with more time on the Outer Great Barrier Reef. Our Recommendation – for value and inclusions is Sunlover’s Reef Pontoon tour – which gives you 4 hours at the reef, compared to Great Adventures which gives you 3 hours.

Cairns Island Tours

Cairns island tours are probably the most ‘obvious’ choice for non-swimmers, because they are land-based tours, so you’ll be in your comfort zone the whole time. There are two main destinations, Green and Fitzroy Island, which offer slightly different experiences and activities for guests. Our Top Tips: Green Island’s boardwalks make it better for accessibility and prams, and its sandy beaches are great for young children. Fitzroy Island provides more land-based activities and hikes; the coral beaches can be hard underfoot. Let’s look deeper at the differences and our picks for top tours.

Great Adventures – Green Island Day Tour

The Great Adventures Green Island day tour has 2 departure and 2 return times, so you can choose how long you want to spend on the island. If you pick the earliest and latest time, you’ll have up to 7 hours at Green Island. There are half-day Green Island tours available, but the price is the same, so you may as well maximise your island time.

• For Non-Swimmers: Green Island is the only Great Barrier Reef island to have reef and rainforest, making it an ideal destination for non-swimmers. It’s also the closest island to Cairns, so you spend more time enjoying yourself and less time travelling. There’s a range of activities available including: splashing in the shallows on the sandy beaches, looking for turtles from the jetty, exploring the island’s rainforest interior on boardwalks, soak up the sunshine by the pool. Optional extra activities include: Glass bottom boat tours and a visit to the island’s attraction, Marineland Melanesia which has sunlit aquariums, crocodiles, tribal art and a sea turtle. You can take your own lunch or purchase it at the island’s bar and bistro.
• For Swimming Companions: Snorkel under the jetty at Green Island to see stingrays, snapper and more. The adjacent coral reef is home to anemonefish, parrotfish and sea turtles. Optional extra activities include: introductory (no experience necessary) and certified scuba diving. All diving is guided. The diving here is not as good as the outer reef destinations.

Sunlover Cairns – Fitzroy Island Day Tour

Sunlover Cruises provides full day tours to Fitzroy Island, with up to 6.5 hours to enjoy and explore the island. Fitzroy Island has island walks to the lighthouse and summit and is home to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which you can visit.

• For Non-Swimmers: Fitzroy Island is a continental island, which means it was once attached to the mainland. It has more of a mountainous terrain than Green Island, which can be explored on hiking tracks and trails which provide amazing views over the island and Coral Sea. It also has a combination of coral and sand beaches. There’s a range of activities available including: the walking and hiking tracks (4 to choose from) and splashing in the shallows on the beach. Optional extra activities include: Glass bottom boat tours, a guided kayak tour and a visit to the island’s attraction, the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. You can take your own lunch or purchase it at the island’s bar and bistro.
• For Swimming Companions: The snorkelling from Fitzroy Island is pretty good. You can snorkel from any of the beaches, with the chance to see stingrays and sea turtles. If you add a guided snorkel tour (addition to tour price), you’ll take a boat ride to a secluded bay, where there’s coral gardens and anemonefish. There’s no option for scuba diving on a Fitzroy Island day tour.

Our Verdict: The island tours are focussed on the island experience, with a reef component. The reef accessible from the island’s is not as good as the pontoons. If you are travelling with small children, Green Island will be better. For mature non-swimmers, Fitzroy Island offers a greater diversity of experience.

Cairns Reef Boat Tours: Not Ideal For Non-Swimmers

There’s nothing worse than being stuck on a small boat for 6 hours with nothing to do but stare at the horizon, while everyone else has fun. We’ve seen people spend hundreds of dollars to sit on the boat and watch; we don’t want that to be you! These are the boats to avoid for non-swimmers.

• The “One-Shot” Glass Bottom Boats: Some reef boats include a glass bottom boat ride in their price. Boats like Ocean Freedom are fantastic, but they only offer 1 glass-bottom boat tour per trip. If you aren’t swimming, what are you going to do for the other 5 hours? You’ll be stuck on the boat.
• Snorkel Express” or “Dedicated Dive Vessels”: These are the reef boats offering outer Great Barrier Reef tours, such as Silverswift, AquaQuest and Reef Experience. These are fantastic for snorkellers and divers, but they don’t carry glass-bottom boats or semi-subs. If you don’t swim, you’ll be sitting on a bench all day.
• Half Day Reef Tours: Pure Snorkelling and Reef Adventures. They are built for speed and water time, providing amazing snorkelling tours. If you can’t swim, you’re sitting on the boat watching everyone else snorkel. May as well go to the Cairns Aquarium instead.

Our Verdict: Cairns reef boat tours are not suitable for non-swimmers. Choose one of the other options and have an amazing time exploring the Great Barrier Reef.