Green Island Cruises

In the sea, visibility is variable, due to the close presence of land and sand. The waters are pretty calm and the sandy beaches are a great place to relax on a towel, or under the shady trees. Green Island is suitable for swimmers and non-swimmers.

Green Island is a 12 hectare coral cay 27km offshore from Cairns, on the inner Great Barrier Reef. Travel time to and from Cairns is anywhere between 40 – 60 minutes and half day and full tours are available. There are a wide range of activities available at the island including scuba diving, snorkelling, parasailing, beach volleyball, kayaking, windsurfing, helmet diving, scenic heli flights, tropical rainforest boardwalks, visit the on-island animal reserve, Marineland Melanesia, or just relax on the beach or by the pool.

Named after astronomer Charles Green, by Captain James Cook in 1770, Green Island is the only Great Barrier Reef island to have complex rainforest. Surrounded by sea grass beds and hard corals, Green Island has long attracted visitors from Cairns; the first pleasure cruises started in 1890. In 1906, the Cairns local government declared Green Island a Recreational Reserve and constructed a public jetty: 31 years later, Green Island was changed to a National Park and the world’s first ever glass bottom boat tours started operations.