- Telephone
- Email
Reef Adventures run half day Cairns snorkel tours to the glorious Upolu Bay on Upolu Reef, where you can enjoy up to 2 hours snorkelling and exploring the clear blue waters. There’s a snorkel guide on board who is with you in the water to make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights, including a beautiful anemone which is home to the world famous Nemo, the clownfish. Your ride for the day is on ‘Mad Max’, a comfortable and high paced boat, which provides an adventurous trip to and from Cairns and the Reef. The music is pumping and the friendly crew are committed to ensuring you have an outstanding time. Passenger numbers are limited to just 25 guests, which means when you choose Reef Adventures you are a name not a number.
Everything you need for snorkelling is provided and included in the tour price. This is an awesome half day Cairns snorkel tour which runs in the morning and afternoon.
What We Love About Reef Adventures Cairns. Reef Adventures Cairns started operating in September 2024. It’s locally owned and family operated and has assembled a team that is committed to ensuring everyone has a great time, on every tour. Upolu Bay and Reef is a great snorkelling destination with relatively shallow and protected waters. Highlights include ‘finding Nemo’, blue starfish, red sea fans, giant clams and more. This one ticks a lot of boxes. Brand-new snorkel equipment. Comfortable boat. Friendly and enthusiastic crew. Free underwater photographs shared on socials. A great half day Cairns snorkel tour.
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 UsEnjoy a fantastic, half day Cairns snorkel tour at Upolu Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef. The boat ride is part of the adventure, with tunes pumping and some spins and turns along the way. The crew care about your day and provide excellent customer service. Up to 2 hours snorkelling time with a guide in the water the whole time, taking underwater photos which are shared on socials for free. Please note that Reef Adventures’ reef sites are 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.
Reef Adventures provides everyone with first class snorkel equipment to use on the tour, including a mask snorkel, fins and lycra sunsuit. There’s up to 2 hours of in-water time, snorkeling and exploring Upolu Bay. There’s guided snorkel tours which are included in the tour price and are a great way to learn more about the reef, its corals and marine life. Water access is straight off the boat, either jumping or using the ladder.
Check in at the Reef Adventures Cairns office, which is located inside the Pier Shopping Centre complex. Here you will be allocated your lycra sunsuit and the crew will walk you to Mad Max, moored in the Cairns Marlin Marina.
Mad Max fires up its engines and makes its way from Cairns out to Upolu Reef, which is around 30km offshore from Cairns. This open-air boat with shaded canopy zips through the water, with the fresh sea breeze in your hair. All snorkel equipment is aboard Mad Max and distributed to guests during the trip to the reef.
Arrive at Upolu Bay, Uplou Reef – part of the Great Barrier Reef. This is a stunning reef site with clear blue water, sandy sea floor, coral bommies and diverse marine life. It’s perfect for snorkelling. Opt into the guided snorkel tour to make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights, including ‘Finding Nemo’. You are also free to snorkel and explore on your own. Flotation devices are provided for your comfort. Snacks are provided during your time at the reef and cold drinks are available for purchase, at additional price to the tour. The pace is comfortable and relaxed, with a focus on fun and adventure.
Climbing back on board Mad Max it’s time to settle back and enjoy the return ride to Cairns. Chat to other guests about what you’ve seen and soak up the magnificent views.
Reef Adventures arrives back to Cairns.
Check in at the Reef Adventures Cairns office. This is inside the Pier Shopping Centre complex, on the side closest to Marlin Marina and is well sign-posted. The friendly team will issue with you a lycra sunsuit and once everyone is ready, the crew will walk you to Mad Max, moored in the Cairns Marlin Marina.
Mad Max fires up its engines and makes its way from Cairns out to Upolu Reef, which is around 30km offshore from Cairns. This open-air boat with shaded canopy zips through the water, with the fresh sea breeze in your hair. All snorkel equipment is aboard Mad Max and distributed to guests during the trip to the reef.
Arrive at Upolu Bay, Uplou Reef – part of the Great Barrier Reef. This is a stunning reef site with clear blue water, sandy sea floor, coral bommies and diverse marine life. It’s perfect for snorkelling. Opt into the guided snorkel tour to make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights, including ‘Finding Nemo’. You are also free to snorkel and explore on your own. Flotation devices are provided for your comfort. Snacks are provided during your time at the reef and cold drinks are available for purchase, at additional price to the tour. The pace is comfortable and relaxed, with a focus on fun and adventure.
Climbing back on board Mad Max it’s time to settle back and enjoy the return ride to Cairns. Chat to other guests about what you’ve seen and soak up the magnificent views.
Reef Adventures arrives back to Cairns.
Reef Adventures Cairns’ half day snorkel tours go to Upolu Bay, Uplou Reef part of the Great Barrier Reef. This is around 30km offshore from Cairns, past Green Island. The water here is shallow and somewhat protected. Reef Adventures have a couple of mooring locations to choose from, and will pick the best one on the day to maximise your in-water experience.
The snorkelling on Reef Adventures Cairns’ half day snorkel tours is great. This boat and tour caters only to snorkelers – not offering any form of scuba diving – this means they focus on sites which are either all shallow water, or where the corals rise up to within a few metres of the surface. Water entry is easy and comfortable from the side of the boat. All equipment is provided and included, including flotation devices if required. Guided snorkel tours are also included and the crew will be taking photos of your Great Barrier Reef snorkel experience and sharing them on socials, for you to access and download for free. If you have up to 2 hours snorkel and water time.
No, you cannot scuba dive on Reef Adventures Cairns reef tours. This is a snorkel only boat.
I would say no, Reef Adventures Cairns is not suitable for non-swimmers. They do not have a glass bottom boat, or semi-submersible and they do not visit a pontoon, island or sand cay. As such, the only way to see the reef is to get into the water and snorkel / swim. If you are non-swimmer looking for a Cairns reef tour, we suggest a pontoon or island tour would be more suited to you.
No, Reef Adventures Cairns does not have a glass bottom boat.
Yes, Reef Adventures Cairns is suitable for kids, as long as they are comfortable swimming in the open ocean. We’ve taken our son snorkelling with them and he had a great time! Floatation devices are available. Older kids will love the chance to jump and back-flip from the boat into the clear blue waters below.
Yes, Reef Adventures Cairns is family friendly – it’s family owned and operated and the crew are attentive and helpful to all members of the family.
Reef Adventures only started running Cairns snorkel tours in September 2024. They are committed and enthusiastic about ensuring their guests have the very best time possible. Their snorkel equipment – which is provided for your use – is brand new and the boat is immaculate. Guest numbers are limited to just 25, guided snorkel tours are included as is in-water photos of your time on the Great Barrier Reef.
Reef Adventures Cairns snacks are light and tasty. We enjoyed the biscuits. Cold beverages are available to purchase on board, at additional cost to the tour. It’s only a half day tour, so you do not need a ‘meal’ as such.
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.
Reef Adventures Mission Beach runs small number, half day snorkel tours to Beaver Reef. The crew are all about ensuring your time on the reef is the best it can be. We saw colourful corals with literally hundreds of fish darting around us, it was like being in an aquarium.
More
Magic Mission Beach. Best known for its golden beaches, rich rainforest, resident Cassowaries and offshore islands. But beyond the coast, the underwater gardens of the Great Barrier Reef are calling your name - go make some memories.
More
© I Love Cairns 2025