Snorkel with Turtles Gold Coast
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Gold Coast, Australia
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Leave the crowds on land and immerse yourself in the underwater world off the Gold Coast in search of turtles and other marine life on this small-group boat tour from Chinderah, south of Fingal Head. Cruise to the Cook Island Aquatic Reserve, the foraging grounds of a large number of turtles. Then jump off board to snorkel and look out turtles, rays, and temperate species of fish.
- Get a unique perspective: Explore the world both above and below the waves
- Learn about the area and ecosystem from your onboard crew
- Includes snorkeling gear and fresh fruit onboard
- Enjoy a more personal experience on a small-group tour
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentSnorkel Equipment: mask, snorkel, wetsuit, fins, flotation noodle if requested
- Life jackets will not be worn in the water - all participants must be able to swim
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 139-151 Chinderah Bay Dr, Chinderah NSW 2487, Australia
Look for the big white trailer and the Cooly Eco Adventures flag! Please note: we operate on QLD time. All tour times are listed as such. If you are travelling from New South Wales, you will need to add one hour to your intended departure time to account for daylight savings.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Coolangatta
2
Gold Coast
3
Tweed River
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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
Christal_M
We had a great time! The tour guides were friendly and super knowledgeable. Would use them again in a heartbeat!
Reviews
4.9
based on 166 reviews
Kira_T, Jan 2026
We booked through Viator, when one of us fell really sick and attempted to cancel before the 24 hour refund guarantee which was stated on the website however it would not go through. We called and messaged eco tours to no response, then contacted Viator directly who sent a refund request which wasn’t responded to until after the period, therefore we were refused a refund.
We called Lachie at eco tours who was incredibly rude and dismissive, and refused a refund even after we explained the situation. He moved us to a date that we said had worse weather than another but he told us we were wrong.
We spent $70 on a driver out to the location, not until we were almost there did we get a message about it being delayed by an hour, after waiting half an hour, he called us and told us it was cancelled and that we could get the refund after all.
We wasted $140 on drivers and a whole morning on a refund we were entitled to initially, in addition to awful customer service - he clearly did not care, was yawning and being condescending, and had no empathy for our situation. Was super unapologetic and made no effort.
Finally, we were told the refund was to take 7 days to come through, but was still waiting a week and a half later after MANY follow ups.
Awful experience.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi Kira,
We are sorry to hear about your frustration, but we would like to clarify the facts regarding your booking and the refund process, as there seems to be a significant misunderstanding of how third-party bookings work.
The Cancellation Policy: You attempted to cancel within the 24-hour window. As a small business, we strictly adhere to the terms set by Viator. If their website experienced a glitch, that is unfortunately an issue that must be resolved between the customer and the platform. We never received a "refund request" from them during that initial period.
The Reschedule: Despite the late notice, we tried to be helpful by rescheduling your tour to Sunday. We do this to ensure guests don’t lose their money. Unfortunately, as a nature-based business, we cannot control the weather. The tour was cancelled for the safety of all guests due to conditions on the day.
The Refund Process: It is important to understand that when you book through Viator, they hold your funds. We do not receive payment until after a tour is completed. Therefore, we cannot "send" a refund for money we do not have. We authorized the refund on our end as soon as the weather cancellation occurred, but the actual processing time and communication rests entirely with Viator.
Our Business: We are a small, locally-owned operation, not a multinational corporation. We take pride in our tours and our communication. While we understand your morning was disrupted by the weather, we made every effort to accommodate your initial late cancellation and ensure you weren't out of pocket for the tour price.
We have fulfilled our obligations by authorizing the refund through the agent you chose to book with. We suggest following up directly with Viator support for any further delays in their banking process.
Naomi_P, Jan 2026
Great experience.
Super knowledgeable
Conner and Captain Snowy could not have done anything more to make the experience any bettwr
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Cheers for your lovely review - we really appreciate you taking the time! We're stoked you had a great time with the crew and hope to see you back in the future!
Jane_A, Jan 2026
Absolutely brilliant experience, saw heaps of turtles and fish and a Wobbegong. Early start was good and we were well prepared by Connor and Lockie
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your review! We’re stoked to hear you had a brilliant experience and got to see so many turtles, fish, and even a wobbegong.
We hope to welcome you back out on the water for another adventure soon!
Linda_R, Dec 2025
Great experience. Just 2 hours, but worth doing. Well run, caters for everyone. Great close encounters.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the close encounters and that the tour was a great experience for everyone. We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Christal_M, Nov 2025
We had a great time! The tour guides were friendly and super knowledgeable. Would use them again in a heartbeat!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear you had a great time and enjoyed the friendly, knowledgeable team. We’d be delighted to welcome you back anytime!
Neil_R, Nov 2025
Great experience Lochi and Cass run a great tour. Never seen so many turtles and sea life. Was better than my Great Barrier Reef tour!
Perfect tour length and a short boat ride.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Neil,
Thank you so much for your review and for booking with us. We are so glad you had a great time!
Jeanette_B, Nov 2025
The trip was fantastic. The guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. We had a close up encounter with a pod of dolphins on our way out to the island. Once we got near the island and started snorkelling we saw countless turtles, including the biggest turtle I have ever seen in person. There was an abundance of colourful fish, beautiful sea grasses, lichen and coral. We also saw an octopus. It was a wonderful experIence. Thank you Cooly Eco Adventure.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an amazing day on the water, from dolphins to turtles, colourful fish, and even an octopus - what a magical experience! We’re so glad our guides could make the day enjoyable and memorable, and we hope to welcome you back for another ocean adventure soon!
Nantaka_P, Sep 2025
Amazing, beautiful and just awesome experience. Swim with turtles, fishes and just wonderful. Staffs also amazing, they make everyone comfortable during the trip with no judgment.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an amazing time swimming with the turtles and exploring the reef. Our crew always aims to make every guest feel comfortable and supported, so it’s lovely to know that came through in your experience.
We hope to welcome you back on board for more ocean adventures soon! 🐢💙
Anna_B, Jul 2025
A truly special experience. Small group of 12 with Cass our lovely snorkel guide. We saw Green Sea Turtles, many beautiful fish and as an added a bonus, a Manta Ray came to say hello and have a swim around. Magical!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for your review Anna! Snorkelling at the island is always such an adventure with so much marine life to see. We can't believe you also saw a manta ray - how special!! :)
Joseph_T, Feb 2025
An awesome morning swimming with the Turtles. Great trivia and felt safe the whole time
Proposed on the dock after our tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for the review, isn't it so awesome snorkelling with the turtles. Congratulations again!
Vikas_K, Dec 2024
The best snorkeling experience- kids loved it
Gemma is great , and turtle island is the best kept secret
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you and the kids had an amazing time. Gemma will be thrilled to hear your kind words, and we agree—Turtle Island is truly a hidden gem! 🌟
Maryeri_R, Dec 2024
We had an amazing experience. Seeing the turtles was magical. The staff were absolutely amazing. We highly recommend this!!!!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you found the experience magical and enjoyed seeing the turtles. 🐢✨ Our team truly appreciates your kind words, and we’re thrilled to hear you’d highly recommend us. Hope to see you again for another adventure! 🌊😊
Bernadette_S, Nov 2024
Guides very professional and knowledgeable. Good vibes only.
Fortunate too see a pod of dolphins 🐬, wobbygong, beautiful colourful fish and turtles ranging in size 🐢
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hey! Thank you for your amazing review! It really does mean a lot and we are so happy we could give you an awesome time out on the Pacific Ocean! Until next time :)
Robert_H, Nov 2024
Great people, great marine life, great day.
Nice little pub on the water next to the meet up location to cap off the day as well.
Saw over 20 dolphins on the boat ride and 6 turtles
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thanks so much for your epic review - we're so pleased you had such a great tour! It
really is an awesome time out at the island! and the dolphin as a bonus how awesome was that :)
We hope to see you back onboard sometime in the future!
Evgenii_K, Nov 2024
Great experience! Tour was full of positive emotions! We’ve seen 4 big turtles and a lot of colourful fish!
Best tour I’ve tried so far! :) thank you team!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience and enjoyed seeing the turtles and colourful fish. It means a lot to us that you consider our tour the best you've tried so far! Your excitement and joy fuel our passion for sharing the beauty of the ocean. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon! 🐢
Renee_B, Jul 2024
We had the best time with the team from Cooly. We felt very well looked after, and the experience was very accessible and inclusive. We had a small group and had lots of time to ask questions and learn about the turtles. We lucked out on the weather with a beautiful clear day, and a heap of turtles, as well as whales and dolphins! Overall a magical experience and can’t recommend highly enough.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Such a perfect day! Thanks so much for your kind review Renee - we really appreciate it! We're so pleased you saw whales and dolphins on your turtle tour - what a day!
Steven_B, Jun 2024
This was a great experience. Georgie made swimming with the turtles so awesome. They provided all the equipment and the dive was fun. We saw so many turtles and fish.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hey Steven, thank you for writing such a lovely review, we really appreciate it! It was a pleasure having you onboard. We're stoked you had an epic time snorkelling with turtles and all the other marine life, it's such a magical place! Hopefully see you again sometime in the future! :)
Jack_G, Jun 2024
Simply an incredible experience, the water was so clear and just bursting with life, we saw dolphins plus plenty of turtles, and even a pair of Humpback whales on the way back to shore. The guides Lockie and Will were so knowledgeable about everything and helped make the experience even better! Cannot recommend highly enough, amazing!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Jack, what amazing conditions we had - it was a pleasure having you onboard! We're psyched you had a great time and still can't believe we got to see whales too! Perfect day. Thanks so much for your kind words!
George_a, Jun 2024
This was an awesome trip from the start. Lachy an will are great guides
And saw heaps of turtles with the odd whale an dolphin on our tour
Highly recommend this trip
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thanks so much for your awesome review! We loved introducing you to the locals and hope to see you back onboard soon. What an epic day!
Rata_K, Apr 2024
Great time swimming with the turtle. Guides were really friendly and made it easy for our 15year old to be comfortable getting in the water. Would recommend it as a must do.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thanks for the kind words Rata - we're stoked you had such a great time swimming with the turtles! Our number one priority is the comfort of our guests so it's great to hear our guides made everything easy for you :) Hopefully we will see you back onboard soon!
Kim_H, Feb 2024
Such a fantastic tour. We could see many turtles around the snorkel point. If the weather permits, you can see lots of dolphins🐬. We’ll definitely see them again for whale tour. Very kind/professional guides are waiting!!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Kim, thankyou so much for your 5* review! Cook Island is so special and we are stoked you saw so many turtles. We can't wait to have you back onboard to introduce you to the whales!
Jade_S, Jan 2024
Our trip was cancelled due to weather; which was fine. However, we tried to reconfirm a new date and had no reply. After 4 texts and 2 phone calls and 2 very disappointed kids, we have cancelled and requested a full refund.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Hi Jade, so sorry to hear of this experience you have had with us! I have sent you an email privately.
Joshua_B, Jan 2024
Had an awesome time! Started with a great boat ride to the island where we saw a whole pod of dolphins. We saw several species of turtles and the guys were very informative throughout the entire tour.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Hey Josh, thank you for the 5 star review mate! glad you had so much fun as we did :)
Gawain_J, Dec 2023
From the time we booked in to the time we had finished the adventure the service was fantastic. Once out in the water swimming with the turtles is an experience that I'll never forget. Being a small group experience just added to the personal feel of the trip.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you so much for your kind words and review!
Marco_O, Jan 2022
We didn’t get the information correctly, really disappointed.
Worst experience I’ve ever had.
Not recommended
Response from Host, Mar 2022
Hi Marco
Sorry to hear this was the worst experience you ever had!
Unfortunately the confirmation email that was sent to you via TripAdvisor (Viator) explained that you were to meet us 1 hour prior to the departure time.
A full refund was given to you through Viator and we tried to get you back onboard the vessel for another tour Free of charge but we never heard back from you.
Hopefully next time we can give you the amazing experience that we offer here on the beautiful Qld/NSW Boarder region.
Apologies for letting you down Marco.
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per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Snorkel with Turtles Gold Coast
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