Sail from Cairns on the 32 metre catamaran Ocean Spirit to Michaelmas Cay, a protected sand island crowded with nesting seabirds, and spend four hours snorkelling straight off the beach, touring the reef by semi-submersible and eating a buffet lunch on board.
Days
- Full day, about 8.5 hours
Age
- All ages; intro diving 12 and over
Group size
- Shared day cruise
Start / finish
- Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal / Michaelmas Cay / Cairns
- Cairns, about 5pm
Return
- Cairns, about 5pm
Transport
- 32 metre sailing catamaran Ocean Spirit
Meals
- Morning tea, buffet lunch, afternoon tea, sparkling wine
Route
Included experiences
- Michaelmas Cay — snorkel off the beach in a shallow lagoon
- Seabird sanctuary — at least 23 species nesting on the cay
- Semi-submersible — guided coral viewing tour
- Marine biologist — talk on the reef and its wildlife
- Fish feeding — presentation on arrival at the cay
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 55 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 55 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the crew's knowledge, friendliness and attentiveness, highlighting the expertise of marine biologists on board and the staff's ability to cater to swimmers of varying abilities and backgrounds. What stands out most is the quality of the snorkelling experience at Michaelmas Cay itself, with numerous reports of healthy coral, abundant fish, frequent turtle sightings and the overall lack of overcrowding compared to other reef trips, alongside the excellent organisation, food and inclusive extras such as afternoon tea with bubbly. The most common caveat is that visitors should wear sunscreen due to limited shade on the island, with a few noting that the semi-submersible tour is optional and that rough seas can occur on the journey out, and one traveller mentioned the boat felt crowded on their particular trip.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
An incredible, well-organised day snorkelling at Michaelmas Cay. We especially enjoyed marine biologist Cara's talks on the reef, sea life and conservation, and the afternoon tea after a day in the water.
The highlight of our Cairns trip. The boat is spacious and comfortable, the crew were knowledgeable and clearly loved sharing the reef with us, and the food kept us going between swimming, snorkelling and exploring the cay.
The reef was on my bucket list and Captain Jim and the crew made it one of my most memorable days. Michaelmas Cay lived up to its name as a top snorkel spot, and the food and drinks were the cherry on top.
Our snorkelling trip to Michaelmas Cay was the highlight of our lives, with exceptional guides and a lovely boat.
A super fun day snorkelling on the reef with friendly, helpful staff and incredible food.
I was disappointed at first because we didn't sail: the mainsail wasn't fitted and the headsail was out of action, which nobody told us when we enquired. Still, the enthusiastic crew turned the day around. The reef talk was excellent, the skipper handled the choppy sea well, the snorkelling was some of my best, and the semi-submersible got us very close to the reef. Check the sails are working before you book.
