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Reef Adventures Mission Beach runs small number half day snorkel tours to Beaver Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The crew are all about the fun and ensuring your time on the reef is the best it can be. We spent 2 hours snorkelling and in some places it was like being in an aquarium, with colourful corals rising up to the surface and literally hundreds of fish darting around you. There were hard and soft corals, starfish and so many beautiful feather stars. This was a great way to spend half a day in Mission Beach and as an added bonus, you’re supporting a family owned business that really cares about their customers.
Our first snorkel session was epic! Swimming amongst hundreds of brightly coloured fish, silver fusiliers, blue green chromis, yellow damselfish and more.
We did the half day Reef Adventures Mission Beach snorkel tour, which went from 8.30am to 12.30pm. We met the crew at the Clump Point Boat Ramp at Mission Beach at 8am, where wetsuits and lycra suits were given to guests, before we all boarded their boat ‘Spirit of Adventure’. The day got off to an awesome start, with a bottle nosed dolphin cruising around in the waters next to the boat – talk about let’s get excited! This tour takes a maximum of 25 guests and the crew ensured the vibe on the boat was friendly and welcoming. The trip to the reef took around 1 hour, the tunes were pumping and the wind was in our hair, definitely a great start to our reef adventure. During the trip masks and snorkels were given to guests and on arrival a briefing was provided, before we all got in the water for our first snorkel session.
“From the get-go the crew were friendly and welcoming. The boat cruised to the reef travelling at around 24 knots, its open-air sides ensured lots of cool sea breeze and uninterrupted views of the Coral Sea. When we travelled the weather was awesome – a big blue sky day with matching sea – and when arrived at our destination at Beaver Reef, the water was so clear that you could see the seafloor. Beaver Cay was right there too, a stunning white sand cay rising out of the azure waters, creating a picture postcard setting and backdrop for our Reef Adventures’ tour. Not overstating the dream, but it’s days like this and places like that, which make you so grateful for being able to live up here in paradise.” – Julie Johnston
Beaver Reef is around 40km offshore from Mission Beach, and thanks to the speed of the super-charged Spirit of Adventure boat, it takes around 1 hour to get there. Reef Adventure has access to a few different mooring lines at Beaver Reef and will pick the best ones to maximise your experience in the water, pending tides, weather and conditions. At our first stop, it was a low tide with a turning tide, so some of the coral gardens were exposed above the waterline, while others covered the reef walls which dropped away around 12-15m to the sandy floor below. We could see the seafloor from the boat, so were excited to get in the water for snorkelling. Water entry was giant stride off one of the side doors, or via a lowered set of stairs at the front of the boat. For anyone who was uncomfortable about swimming in the open ocean, life jackets and buoyancy devices were available and included.
The swim from the boat to the reef was around 20m. The top of the reef was covered in hard and soft corals, including blue staghorn corals, red soft corals and multi-coloured feather stars. Swimming amongst all of these were hundreds of fish, of many different species including but not limited to large schools of gold band fusiliers, which appeared to almost have reflective scales, flashing blue and silver in the light which penetrated the water. Striped scissor tail sergeant fish patrolled the staghorn corals and blue and green chromis cruised through the waters beside you. There were lots of fish, it was like snorkelling in an aquarium. After about 40 minutes of snorkelling, everyone was called back to the boat so we could move to a new destination. While the boat moved, the crew handed out a light snack of lamington fingers and you could purchase cold beverages, including water and soft drinks.
We’ve personally experienced nearly every tour we offer and have extensive knowledge of the Cairns region, with a special focus on snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Best of all, our advice is completely free! Why not take advantage of our expert travel and package recommendations?
Our second snorkel site was only a short distance from the first, and yet completely different. At this site there were channels of water between the reef structures and the water depth ranged from around 5m to 15m. Everyone was straight back into the water to continue their snorkelling adventure. There were large table corals and staghorn corals, interspersed with soft corals and anemones. Some of the Great Barrier Reef fish and marine life we saw snorkelling at this second site included, but is not limited to, goldstriped sweetlips, yellow damselfish, blue starfish, giant clams and around 10-12 almost translucent smooth flutemouth fish. Some of the other guests saw a sea turtle, but we did not.
After about 50 minutes snorkelling, it was time to get back onboard Spirit of Adventure and commence our return trip to Mission Beach. During the trip the crew handed out some more lamington fingers and let some of the kids drive the boat, which as you can imagine, was quite a thrill for them – our son loved it! As we approached the mainland the captain kicked up the speed to around 33 knots and did some turns and circles – a fun way to end our time with Reef Adventures in Mission Beach. We returned to Clump Point Boat Ramp at around 12.30pm.
The crew were awesome – we had Courtney, Lilly and Toby - Lilly was taking photos the whole time, on the boat and in the water. These were uploaded to Facebook for sharing and saving, for free – a great souvenir of our trip.
The Reef Adventures Mission Beach snorkel tours go to Beaver Reef, which is a part of the Great Barrier Reef.
No – 90% of the time, Reef Adventures’ snorkel tours are morning tours, operating from 8.30am until 12.30pm. On some days, pending weather and demand, they may run an afternoon tour, but this would be out of the ordinary.
The Reef Adventures Mission Beach snorkel tour includes your return boat ride from Mission Beach to the reef, all snorkelling equipment – mask, snorkel and fins – life jackets / buoyancy devices and a small snack. Beverages, including cold water and soft drinks, are available to purchase on the boat. This is in addition to your tour price.
No – the Reef Adventures Mission Beach snorkel tour does not visit Beaver Cay. However, their mooring sites are close to the cay and you will see it on your trip.
The snorkelling on a Reef Adventures Mission Beach tour is good. The reef sites are selected to provide ideal snorkelling conditions, with the corals rising up to within metres of the surface (and sometimes, pending tides, emerging from the water). All equipment is supplied and included, as is snorkel site briefings. One of the crew will be in the water to provide assistance and direction, and get photos of you snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. These are uploaded to their Facebook page and available to you, free of charge.
No – at this time you cannot scuba dive on a Reef Adventures Mission Beach tour. However during our trip, the crew mentioned this might be ‘coming soon’ so watch this space.
It takes around 1 hour – each way – to get to and from Beaver Reef, with Reef Adventures.
Maybe, it depends on the weather, the crew and the guests. It is at the captain’s discretion, so ask on the day.
Yes the Spirit of Adventure boat has toilet facilities, for your comfort.
No – Reef Adventures does not have a glass bottom boat and they do not visit Beaver Cay. As such, the only way to ‘see the reef’ when on Reef Adventures, is to get in the water and snorkel.
Yes. The Reef Adventures Mission Beach snorkel tour is suitable for families. We travelled with our 11 year old son and there were other families on board, with children of varying ages.
We went on this super cool boat to the reef, it was a semi-rigid inflatable with four massive outboards. When we got there, they gave us fins and got us ready. We jumped in the water for about 30 minutes and saw some really awesome corals and fish. Then we got back on the boat and moved just a little bit further, like 300 meters, to another spot. It was so cool seeing all the different things around the reef. I really loved driving the boat on the way back too. One of the best things of the day was to see a dolphin, it’s the first time I have ever seen one!
Reef Adventures runs half day Mission Beach snorkel tours, to Beaver Reef. The tours depart at 8.30am and return at 12.30pm. You should be at their departure point – Clump Point Boat Ramp – at 8am in preparation for meeting the crew, receiving your wetsuit / lycra sunsuit and boarding the boat. There is car parking at the boat ramp, but you should allow between 5-10 minutes walking time from your vehicle to the boat ramp, as on some days most of the parks close to the boat ramp are occupied by vehicles and boat trailers. The Spirit of Adventure boat takes a maximum of 25 guests with comfortable, covered seating for everyone. All snorkelling equipment is provided and included and you have around 2 hours of snorkel time at Beaver Reef.
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