The Coral Sea delivers adventure diving by the bucket load with its reef sharks and 1,000m wall drop-offs. We were extremely lucky with the weather, enjoying flat seas, blue water and unbelievable visibility for the entire trip. For those who had booked a 7-day trip, they had also seen (snorkeled and dived) with a Whale Shark the day before we joined them! Given the depths (and currents that sometimes occur in the open ocean) a Coral Sea dive trip is more suited to Advanced Divers, or Open Water Divers with lots of experience. Spirit of Freedom is a luxury liveaboard dive boat with air-conditioned interior and spacious exteriors. Even with its full accompaniment of guests on this trip, there was plenty of room to relax and enjoy your own space. A life changing and memorable dive trip

Cairns Sunset Cruises offer Cairns’ only sunset cruise, combining calm water cruising with glorious views, drinks and nibbles. A glorious way to end the day, you can also choose to combine this 90-minute cruise with a three-course dinner package at Dundee’s restaurant for a fabulous night out. The cruise departs at 5.30pm from Cairns Marlin…

Deep Sea Diver’s Den provides affordable, comfortable overnight dive trips from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef. There are daily departures, thanks to SeaQuest, and OceanQuest is suitable for certified divers and snorkelers. Non-divers will enjoy the spacious, communal spaces and divers can look forward to excellent diving on varied Great Barrier Reef dive sites. If you are diver with non-diving family / friends, looking for a good liveaboard trip from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef, then this is an ideal, well priced option

Great Adventures is the only tour operator to combine Green Island with the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The boat carries hundreds of guests, so you can expect the pontoon and boat to be quite busy. There is ample time to explore Green Island and then enjoy the Outer Great Barrier Reef, with the pontoon activities and options catering to people of all interests, from non-swimmers to snorkelers, introductory and certified divers. The pontoon has lowered, in-water platforms for entry and exit: there is also an elevated sun deck with lounges to just relax and soak up the views

Once a year, the over 400 different types of Great Barrier Reef corals reproduce en masse, in an event known as Coral Spawning. Coral Spawning always occurs at night, with the release of the corals’ eggs and sperm tied to the moon’s presence, light and lunar cycles. In 2011, we witnessed the magic of Coral Spawning for the first time, with Cairns operator Tusa Dive. It was amazing! Diving amongst the thousands of pink eggs which floated through the water, like bubbles rising in a flute of champagne.

Sea Quest offers a great value for money snorkel and scuba diving trip to Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef. The crew was friendly and dedicated to ensuring all guests had a great day, particularly watchful and helpful to the certified and introductory divers, making sure everyone was comfortable in their equipment and with their weights. The boat itself is spacious and well maintained and the day’s itinerary provides plenty of time to enjoy the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, at two excellent snorkel and dive sites. We have no hesitation in recommending this as a great day out.

Wavedancer is a comfortable sail boat which easily accommodates her guests (capacity 156), providing ample space to relax and unwind. The crew is friendly and professional, providing advice and assistance throughout the day. Low Isles is a good destination for those wanting to relax on the beach and enjoy the sunshine, with snorkelling on the fringing coral gardens. The Marine Biologist provides interesting information on the island and marine life. A great day tour for families, couples and people of all ages and abilities.

Passions of Paradise delivers an amazing day tour to Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef, combining Outer Reef with Michaelmas Cay. This diversification in experience allows guests of all swimming, snorkeling and diving abilities to enjoy the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The crew is very friendly, committed to ensuring each and every guest is looked after from the very beginning to the very end of their day. As expected of an award winning product, the boat and equipment is in excellent condition and the trip is comfortable and peaceful. This is an excellent day tour for snorkelers and introductory and certified divers, combining the Great Barrier Reef with Michaelmas Cay

Spirit of Freedom’s liveaboard trips to the Coral Sea and Ribbon Reefs, offer the ultimate in luxury diving. The 4 day / 4 night trip from Cairns departs on Thursday and returns Monday. It includes a scenic aerial flight along Queensland’s north-eastern coastline and allows for up to 15 dives, including night dives. Cabins are…

T6 is Cairns’ newest and best reef day tour boat. The crew is professional and friendly, working tirelessly throughout the day to ensure all guests are comfortable and enjoying their experience on the Great Barrier Reef, whether they are swimming, snorkeling, trying an introductory dive or certified divers. The equipment is brand new, having been brought on board when the boat was launched on 10 August 2011. Service is with a smile and lunch is delicious and healthy. This is an excellent Cairns Great Barrier Reef day tour with an Advanced Ecotourism certified operator.