Half-Day Outer Reef Snorkelling Tour
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Cairns & the Tropical North, Australia
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentAll snorkelling gear provided, including wetsuits/lycra suits and prescription snorkel masks
- Use of Scuba equipmentIntroductory dives are an optional addition (must be pre-booked) and all scuba gear is included in this cost
- Guided snorkel tour for all guests
- Up to 2 hours snorkelling on the Outer Great Barrier Reef
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Fresh, hot showers onboard
- Admission Fee - Due to significant volatility in supply and operational costs, we reserve the right to collect a fuel surcharge prior to travel. This will be collected via emailed payment link.A$10.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 40 Wharf St, Cairns City QLD 4870, Australia
Check-in 8:40am A Finger, Cairns Marlin Marina for a 9:00am departure. Returns to the original departure point at approximately 2:00 pm.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:40 am
What To Expect
1
Great Barrier Reef
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please arrive at the vessel at 8.40am for boarding, for prompt departure at 9am
- Please advise the staff on board if you wish to try an introductory dive for staffing and equipment purposes as sports are limited to 12 per day
- Special Introductory Dive Notes: Tusa Dive recommends a wait of 24 hours after diving before flying or ascending over 300 meters
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Naga_P
Great experience. Staff went above and beyond to make sure we are comfortable and take care off. Definitely recommend them if you are considering for a day trip.
Reviews
4.7
based on 510 reviews
Brenda_Z, Jun 2024
Tusa Reef Tour is the best tour to see the great barrier reef:
The sites they presented for viewing the corals and sea creatures are unbeatable! They go to the outer reefs which are much further out from the shore where have various vibrant corals and very colorful tropical fish, very much like what we see in the movies.
Their on-board service is unbeatable - Tusa has a very well maintained large faster boat that’s nice and clean with padded bench and table space for each of the tourists. They provide breakfast, a restaurant style lunch, and snacks. Hot tea and water throughout the day. They even have a hot water shower equipped in a clean bathroom. They give you a detailed tutorial in a very small group setting on how to use the snorkeling and scuba diving equipment, and each of the possible creatures that you may encounter under the water. They have at least one staff to help you put on the equipment from head to toe, and help you practice in water until you feel comfortable before diving into the water. They have a staff diving with you arm-in-arm at all times, which provides strong confidence needed for new divers. The entire prep and diving process makes you feel like you’re receiving a VIP service.
The day before Tusa Reef Tour, we took a similar boat tour with another company, it was a very disappointing experience. It was a smaller boat with very loud engine noise. The boat was not well-maintained, we were told upfront the restroom toilets could be clogged. Tourists said that they saw toilet dirty water spilled on the entire floor in that tiny bathroom. Before diving they just briefly gave a quick overview to a large group of people, with a very loud boat engine noise (much less engine noise on the Tusa boat) it’s hard to hear clearly, and they don’t care if you’re ready or not, just rush you into the water due to the time scheduled. The worst part is that the boat only goes to the inner reef (they don’t tell you this), we ended up only seeing the reef rocks, no corals and only very limited number of non-colorful fish, and their staff told us that “this is what the real coral reef is like, don’t believe those you see on the Internet”. we were shocked, because that’s not what we took 30 hours of flight to come to the Great Barrier Reef for.
After both tours, we did some searches and found out the differences: The Outer reef is more than 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from the shore, It has high biodiversity with a greater abundance of larger scale of species, clearer and higher visibility in water, and known for its spectacular coral formations. The Inner reef is less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the shore, it’s much less in all characteristic features comparing to the outer reefs due to the sediments and the influence of freshwater runoffs.
Based on this search finding and our actual boat tours experience, we believe the Tusa Reef Tour worths every single extra penny we paid (although Tusa tour is at higher price than other tours). We had the opportunity to see the good part of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s a once in a lifetime unforgettable stunning experience!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi there!
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and lovely review of your experience with Tusa Reef Tours. We're thrilled to hear that you had such an incredible experience exploring the Great Barrier Reef with us. We take great pride in providing premium on-board service and ensuring that every aspect of your journey exceeds expectations. Thank you for choosing Tusa Reef Tours, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Naga_P, May 2024
Great experience. Staff went above and beyond to make sure we are comfortable and take care off. Definitely recommend them if you are considering for a day trip.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Naga_P,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review! It's wonderful to hear that our staff went above and beyond to ensure your comfort and satisfaction throughout your day. We would love to see you back on-board again in the future!
kelly_k, Feb 2024
Couldn’t recommend Tusa more! We had the best time - we did two introductory dives and snorkled twice. The boat was very clean and updated, the gear seemed top notch, the crew was extremely helpful and the ‘fliperella’ service was just the icing on the cake! If you’re looking for a day trip from Cairns, do Tusa!!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hi Kelly, fliperrela is an awesome touch to an all-inclusive service. the crew appreciate you talking a moment to review your experience with them and the reef. From all of us, we hope to see you again in the future.
Troy_Z, Jan 2024
The scuba diving was great! I saw a sea turtle and a reef shark. The staff were very knowledgeable and Hannie (our group leader) was very patient with me as I had trouble equalizing with my ears coming down. Food was excellent and lots of it!! Could’ve had some hot beverages as it was cold coming in after second dive. We were able to park our RV at the Divers Den to catch a ride to the harbour. Shirts and souvenirs could have been advertised more. We bought on the boat but would’ve bought more at the office but it was already closed when we got back.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We appreciate this strong recommendation, and we shall take the merchandise feedback onboard.
Elizabeth_E, Jan 2024
We went on two similarly-priced certified dive trips with two different companies, and Tusa was the far better company. The boats were limited to 40 people. We had four people per dive guide. (On our trip with the other company, there were eight people per guide). Tusa’s equipment was also top-notch.
We were very well taken care of by our dive guide, Annabelle. She happily took care of any issues we had, and I felt safe diving with her. I also didn’t feel rushed to get my gear on and into the water, which was the case with the other company.
The service and the food were also top-notch. Overall a very well run organization.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We are happy you found the service top-notch, thank you.
Paige_C, Dec 2023
Amazing day exploring Saxon Reef. We saw rays, sharks, so many corals and fish while diving. My favorite was the cuttlefish! Wonderful boat. Staff was friendly, attentive, and helpful. The food was good and the boat was emaculate. Would dive with this company again.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Many thanks from all the crew., it sounds like the perfect experience on the reef.
grinev3, Jan 2020
The crew is great! Funny, energetic and extremely professional. Even the most nervous participants were able to achieve a calm when diving and have a great experience! I would definitely use them again! This was my first ever dive and my boyfriend is licensed and we both had a great experience catered to our levels.
Naazim_S, Dec 2019
Great experience with friendly and safety-conscious staff. Great food and an overall amazing experience
Anna_P, Sep 2019
Staff super, warm and caring! We had the best experience. Safety issues and customer wellbeing were taken very seriously. Snorkeling was awesome, saw turtles, fish in all the colors of the rainbow and colorful corals. We first-time snorkelers got very personal service when snorkeling. We were very lucky since there were only about 10 guests (max. is 60). Surf was bad that day but otherwise a brilliant day! Modern boat, three light meals/snacks available. My only complaint is that facilities for changing were scarce. I can't think of enough appraising words to describe this day trip. We would definitely take any trip with Tusa Dive again!
Hongqin_H, Aug 2019
good service and nice journey, excellent guide, not bad food, looking forward to next visiting and recommend to friends
Matt_P, Mar 2018
I was underwhelmed by the two dives which we did on Hastings Reef. Visibility was restricted and I was surprised at the lack of marine life compared to even the western Caribbean. Lunch was also less than what I expected with only cold foods available. Finally, our third dive was canceled but that was understandable since a crew member's health was in question and we headed back to port earlier than planned.
StevenJ_M, Jan 2018
Oh my goodness! What an awesome day. Great ride to the Reefs, good team on board, two good snorkel stops, nice lunch served, but the second stop was truly like swimming in an aquarium!!! This was everything we had hoped it would be!! Book your excursion with the Tulsa boats via Viator!!
DEBORAH_R, Oct 2017
Wonderful snorkel stop
Great crew who really looked after you
Superb day
Amber C, Sep 2016
The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly! They were willing to explain everything needed for beginning snorkel or scuba divers. The dive spots were fantastic! They went out of their way to find beautiful and secluded locations.
William_C, Aug 2016
Saw a lot of Coral and Fish, was a bit nervous of diving since I hadn't been scuba diving in years, but the guides were very patient.
JoAnn_D, Jul 2016
We had an amazing day! The crew was knowledgeable and helpful! Best snorkeling experience ever.
ANGELOAUGUSTO_C, Jan 2020
Achei o passeio maravilhoso, a equipe é muito simpática e atenciosa. Minha filha não pode fazer o mergulho mesmo tendo pago , pois ela estava tomando remédio e a equipe não quis se responsabilizar por isso.
From $142.60
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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