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Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel offers a unique Cairns reef day tour. This dive and snorkel tour takes you to the Great Barrier Reef and during the day, provides information on the world’s oldest living culture, including dreamtime stories and interactive activities, such as clap sticks and fire poles. The Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel tour visits 2 different Great Barrier Reef sites daily, with up to 5 hours at the reef. The tour price includes morning and afternoon tea, a hot and cold buffet lunch, snorkelling equipment and instruction, plus live demonstrations of traditional dances and the didgeridoo.
Certified scuba divers can enjoy up to 2 dives each day. Those wanting to try introductory diving (no experience necessary) can book up to 2 intro dives (the minimum age to participate is 12 years old). All scuba diving on Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel is guided and in addition to the tour price.
We’ve been on all the tours we book. As a couple, as a family with a baby, then with a young child and now pre-teen. We’ve taken non-swimming friends and older relatives to the reef. So, we have first-hand experience and can help you make the right choice for your Cairns Reef Tour. Chat with us or send us an enquiry and we’ll get back to you.
Get In Touch Chat With UsDreamtime Dive & Snorkel combines a Cairns reef tour to the world’s largest coral reef system, with an introduction to the world’s oldest culture. It is the only Cairns reef tour to do this. They have access to sites at several different reefs, including Milln, Flynn, Hastings, Saxon, Norman and Thetford Reefs. They will pick the best destinations on the day to maximise your experience, pending weather conditions. You visit 2 reef sites and have up to 5 hours at the reef.
You can enjoy unlimited snorkelling during your time at the reef, with Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel. All snorkelling equipment and instruction is provided and included in the tour price. Reef site briefings are provided by the crew at each location, pointing out the best places to snorkel. Water entry and exit is via a platform and stairs, which is lowered into the water at each site.
Please note that all of the Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel tours visit outer Great Barrier Reef locations. All snorkelling is conducted in the open ocean, which may have waves or current, pending conditions on your day of travel. As such, this tour is recommended for those people who are confident swimmers with a reasonable level of fitness. For your peace of mind, there is a lifeguard monitoring the snorkel sites at each location and you can use flotation devices and buoyancy vests if you prefer, which are available on the boat.
Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel also provide introductory scuba dives, with no previous experience necessary. The minimum age to participate is 12 years old. Introductory diving is in addition to the tour price and includes all equipment, instruction and your dive guide. The student to dive guide ratio is a maximum of 4 to 1. The maximum introductory dive depth is 10m and your dive will last 20-30 minutes.
Please note certain health conditions can prevent you from trying scuba diving, this includes but is not limited to: asthma, epilepsy, chronic sinus conditions and ear problems, heart disease and sugar diabetes. It is not advised to try scuba diving if you are pregnant.
Certified scuba divers travelling on the Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel Cairns reef tour, can book up to 2 dives. Each dive is at a different location and all dives are guided. The Dive Crew provides equipment and safety briefings on the way to the reef. Dive guests will be split into groups, according to experience and type / level of certification. If you are traveling with your dive ‘buddy’, you will be in a group together. If you are not, one will be allocated on the day. All dives last around 40 minutes and dive depth varies, pending your certification level and reef sites. All reef sites are suitable for divers with Open Water certification and above.
The dive price, which is in addition to the tour price, includes all dive equipment, briefings and guides. Please note, you will need to provide evidence of your certification to the Dive Crew. You are also required to complete a safety waiver, prior to dive (and snorkel) activities.
Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel is moored at the Cairns Marlin Marina. You will see it, with its distinctive signage. Boarding commences at 8.15am with a 9am departure. It returns to Cairns at 5pm. Snorkelling equipment, morning and afternoon tea and lunch is provided and included in the tour price. You should take a towel, sunglasses, hat, change of clothes and sunblock for the day, as well as cash or credit cards to make any beverage purchases. Tea, coffee and cold water is supplied and included.
Boarding commences at Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel, moored at the Cairns Marlin Marina. Tea, coffee and morning tea is available and provided for your enjoyment. You will be provided with relevant dive and/or snorkel paperwork, for you to complete. Final boarding is at 8.45am.
Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel departs and commences its 90 minute cruise to Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef. The crew provide a Welcome to Country and acknowledgement and share the Great Barrier Reef creation story. All safety, dive and snorkel equipment briefings are conducted on the boat, on the way to the reef.
Arrive at the first reef site. Certified divers enter the water. Followed by introductory divers and snorkelers.
A hot and cold buffet lunch is served in the air conditioned interior, it includes cold meats and salads, prawns and bread rolls with condiments. You can eat inside, or outside on the sundecks. During lunch, there will be dancing and didgeridoo demonstrations. While you enjoy lunch, Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel moves to its second reef destination.
In-water activities continue at the second Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel Great Barrier Reef site. This includes snorkelling and certified and introductory diving.
All guests back on board Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel for a final head count. In-water activities have ended for the day. The crew prepare the boat for the return to Cairns.
Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel arrives back to Cairns.
The Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel Cairns reef tour visits the Outer Great Barrier Reef. They have a range of moorings at 6 different reefs – Milln, Flynn, Hastings, Saxon, Norman and Thetford Reefs – and will pick the best reef sites, to maximise your in-water experience, on the day of travel. It visits 2 different reef sites, each day.
The snorkelling on Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel is good. They are at outer reef sites, so the underwater visibility is usually good and there’s an abundance of marine life. Please note you will be snorkelling in the open ocean, so for your comfort, it is recommended that you have reasonable swimming ability and fitness. There are flotation devices available for your use.
Yes, you can scuba dive on Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel Cairns reef tours. They provide introductory diving (minimum age to participate is 12 years old) and certified diving. All dives are guided and are in addition to the tour price. The dive price covers your equipment, site briefings and dive guide. Certified divers will need to show proof of certification.
Certified scuba divers can do up to 2 guided dives each day. Introductory divers can do up to 2 guided dives each day.
The scuba diving on Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel is good. The reef sites have good coral cover and are home to a diverse array of Great Barrier Reef fish and marine life. The dive equipment is well maintained.
No, the Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel Cairns reef tour is not suitable for non-swimmers. The boat visits outer reef sites. They do not have a glass bottom boat or semi submersible. As such, the only way to ‘see the reef’ is to get in the water and swim / snorkel / dive.
No, Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel does not have a glass bottom boat.
Yes, Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel’s Cairns reef tours are suitable for kids, who can swim with confidence in the open ocean. If you have younger children, or children who are not comfortable swimming at sea – where there may be waves and/or current, pending conditions at the time of travel – then we suggest a reef pontoon or island trip.
Yes, Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel’s Cairns reef tours are family friendly and best suited to families with older children, who are confident at swimming in the open ocean.
Lunch on Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel’s Cairns reef tours is pretty good. It includes chilled prawns and a range of cold chicken and meats, frittata, salads, bread rolls and a range of condiments. Tea, coffee and cold water is included in the tour price and you have the option of purchasing additional drinks (soft drinks etc) at the bar, at additional cost.
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