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Ocean Freedom is proudly locally owned and family operated, by a team that are passionate about providing outstanding Cairns reef day tours. They’ve been running out of Cairns for decades, have excellent mooring sites and provide guests with up to 6 hours at Great Barrier Reef, which is longer than any other day tour. They visit 2 reef sites each day, Wonder Wall on the outer edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef. You have unlimited snorkelling with the option to join an adventure drift snorkel tour and the chance to do 2 dives. Ocean Freedom provides the best food of any Cairns reef tour, it’s fresh and fabulous.
Scuba divers can do 1 or 2 dives on an Ocean Freedom Cairns reef day tour. All diving is in addition to the tour price. All dives are guided. Certified divers will need to show proof of certification. Those wanting to try diving for the first time can opt for an introductory dive. More details below.
Cairns reef tour. Up to 6 hours at the reef. Visits 2 sites. For snorkelers and divers. All diving is guided. Excellent food.
What We Love About Ocean Freedom. We love everything about Ocean Freedom. Their reef sites are excellent and home to more clownfish than any other site we have been too, off Cairns. The food is definitely the best of any Cairns reef tour. Danishes for morning tea, buffet lunch with smoked salmon and prawns, tropical fruit platter in the afternoon. Locally owned business, which invests back into the community and the reef, with awesome crew delivering a top Great Barrier Reef day tour. Read Our Ocean Freedom Trip Review.
Get a free underwater camera rental when you book tours departing Cairns through us valued at over $750, we’ll lend you a GoPro underwater camera to use for the duration of your tours. Numbers are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. Get in touch with us to claim this deal today.
Ocean Freedom run dive and snorkel tours to the Great Barrier Reef, from Cairns. They provide up to 6 hours at the reef, which is more than other Cairns reef tour. They visit 2 different reef sites, Wonder Wall on the outer edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef, which have excellent coral colour and an abundance of marine life. Please note that as the Ocean Freedom reef sites are located in open water, waves and current is sometimes present. As such, you should be a confident swimmer with reasonable fitness. Flotation devices are available, if required.
The snorkelling from Ocean Freedom is awesome. Their day tour price includes all of your snorkel equipment, as well as a guided Adventure Drift Snorkel Tour. Water access is from the back of the boat, and flotation devices are provided should you need them. The 2 reef sites they visit, offer very different snorkelling experiences for guests. Wonder Wall on Upolu Reef is snorkelling over coral gardens, which reach up to within meters of the surface. While at Upolu Cay, pending the tides on your day of travel, it is from the boat or the sand cay itself. Lots of large clams and colourful corals, an abundance of Great Barrier Reef fish.
Ocean Freedom is passionate about providing their guests with the best Cairns reef tour possible, and the introductory diving is available to guests aged 12 years old and over. The student to dive instructor ratio is 2 to 1, which is less than other Cairns reef tours. The price for introductory diving is in addition to the day tour price, and includes all equipment, dive site briefing and dive instructor guide. The dive depth is usually 5-6m and introductory dives generally last 30 minutes.
Please note certain health conditions can prevent you from participating in introductory 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 can do up to 2 dives with Ocean Freedom. Both dives are conducted at Wonder Wall on the outer edge of Upolu Reef. All diving is guided and the dive price is in addition to the tour price. The dive price includes your equipment, dive site briefings and dive guide. Wonder Wall is an excellent diving location, with an abundance of anemonefish and more. Certified dives are generally no more than 15m depth and last around 40 minutes.
Please note you will be required to provide proof of your dive certification and you will be required to complete a safety waiver, prior to dive (and snorkel) activities.
Ocean Freedom provides glass bottom boat tours at its Wonder Wall site, weather permitting. This tour is included in the day tour price. Commentary is provided by a marine naturalist, allowing you to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef, its corals and marine life. The glass bottom boat tour does not need to be pre-booked.
Ocean Freedom’s motor catamaran is moored at Cairns’ Marlin Marina. Prior to boarding, you must check in at their tour desk, which is located inside the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal. Check in is from 7.15am, boarding is from 7.30am and you depart Cairns at 8am. Morning tea includes Danish pastries and fresh fruit. Lunch is a cold buffet featuring smoked salmon, prawns, roast chicken, deli meat, salads and assorted breads. Afternoon tea is fruit, cheese and crackers and cake. 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.
Check in at the Ocean Freedom tour desk, which is located inside Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal. Once you have your tickets, make your way to their motor catamaran, which is moored at the Marlin Marina.
Boarding commences on the Ocean Freedom motor catamaran. The crew will provide you with all relevant paperwork for snorkelling and diving on arrival. Morning tea is provided on the boat.
Ocean Freedom departs Cairns and commences its journey to the Great Barrier Reef. All safety, dive and snorkel equipment briefings are conducted on the catamaran, on the way to the reef.
Arrive at the first Great Barrier Reef site – Wonder Wall on the outer edge of Upolu Reef. Snorkelling and scuba diving here. This is also where the guided Adventure Drift Snorkel tour takes place.
Enjoy the delicious cold buffet lunch, while Ocean Freedom makes the short transfer (10 minutes) to the second site, Upolu Cay Reef. Unlimited snorkelling here. Giant clams and colourful corals, keep your eyes peeled for turtles and stingrays.
Once in-water activities are concluded, the crew complete a final headcount, before Ocean Freedom heads back to Cairns. During the return trip to Cairns, a range of snacks are provided, starting with fruit, then cheese and crackers and finally cake. Yum. You can purchase beverages from the bar, at your own expense.
Ocean Freedom arrives back to Cairns.
Ocean Freedom’s Cairns reef tour visits to 2 locations each day. Wonder Wall on the outer edge of Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay Reef. Both of these sites offer very different and complimentary experiences of the reef. You are guaranteed to see Nemo and a whole array of other anemonefish during your day tour. They provide up to 6 hours at reef, which is more than any other Cairns reef day tour.
Snorkelling is excellent on Ocean Freedom. Their two sites provide some colourfrul coral gardens with giant clams and anemones, home to a diverse array of Great Barrier Reef fish and marine life. All snorkelling equipment is provided and included in the tour price and you can join an Adventure Drift Snorkel Tour, with their marine naturalist. You can enjoy unlimited snorkelling at the 2 reef sites they visit. 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 Ocean Freedom. They visit 2 reef sites and you can do 2 scuba dives. All diving on Ocean Freedom is guided. All dives are completed at Wonder Wall, a beautiful site on the outer wall of Upolu Reef. Certified divers will be required to show their dive certifications. Ocean Freedom also provides introductory diving opportunities for its guests, with no prior experience needed. The minimum age to participate is 12 years old. For introductory diving, the ratio of student to dive instructor is 2 to 1. Certain health conditions will preclude you from diving, such as asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, sinus and ear infections and more.
Certified scuba divers and introductory scuba divers can do up to 2 dives each day on Ocean Freedom. Dive time is around 45 minutes.
The scuba diving with Ocean Freedom is good, with an abundance of marine life. Water entry is generally giant stride, off the back of the motor catamaran.
No, we would not recommend an Ocean Freedom Cairns reef tour for non-swimmers. While they do have a glass bottom boat tour, it is subject to weather conditions on the day of travel. If you are a non-swimmer, we suggest a pontoon or island day tour would be more suited to you.
Yes, Ocean Freedom has a glass bottom boat. Tours on it are included in your ticket price, but tours are subject to weather conditions.
We don’t participate in generic discount voucher sites, but we do offer a specific advantage for this trip. Since Ocean Freedom does not have an onboard photographer, our Free GoPro Hire (included on bookings over $750) is the best way to capture your memories without paying for a private camera. If you are looking to save on the ticket price itself, we recommend pairing this trip with White Water Rafting. Creating this “Reef & River” combo is the most reliable way to unlock a genuine discount.
Yes, Ocean Freedom is suitable for kids. We’ve taken our son on Ocean Freedom at various times throughout his life. As a young child he enjoyed the glass bottom boat tour. Then he enjoyed snorkelling and now he can scuba dive with them.
Yes, Ocean Freedom is family friendly – it’s family owned and operated and the crew are attentive and helpful to all members of the family.
Lunch on Ocean Freedom is awesome. In fact, they have the best lunch of any of the Cairns reef tours. It includes smoked salmon and prawns, cold roast chicken and selection of deli meats, salads and breads. Morning and afternoon tea is provided and included and is also delicious. You have the option to purchase additional drinks (soft drinks etc) at the bar, at additional cost.
If you have any question regarding this tour, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can help you find the perfect tour for you, we understand it can be overwhelming trying to decide. Our advice and booking service is free.
Do you want to find Nemo? We’ll give you our top tip - we went to Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay with Ocean Freedom on the weekend and saw at least six different anemone, each home to a healthy population of resident clownfish.
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Passions of Paradise visit some amazing Cairns Great Barrier Reef sites, perfect for divers of all experience levels and snorkelers. The crew are great. The boat is comfortable and the vibe is high. Let's dive right in.
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