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Snorkel Only Tour - Opal & Tongue Reefs

Snorkelling from Port Douglas on the Great Barrier Reef

Enjoy the peace and serenity of the Great Barrier Reef with Calypso Snorkel, a dedicated snorkelling vessel departing Port Douglas daily.

Snorkelling from Port Douglas on the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most incredible experiences a person can enjoy. With much of the reef’s colour and marine life visible within a couple of metres of the water’s surface, snorkelling offers all swimmers, regardless of their skill level, the opportunity to see this diverse eco-system up close.

Float effortlessly over rich, colourful coral gardens teeming with life from the cute and playful clownfish to the graceful beauty of the green turtle. Giant clams, stingrays, maori wrasse, cods and colourful parrotfish, are just some of the hundreds of species you will encounter during your visit to Opal Reef with Calypso.

This 21-metre vessel offers comfortable day bed style seating, spacious decks and professional experienced crew ensuring a unique and personalised Great Barrier Reef experience for every guest.

Seasonal Rates:

Peak season: 1st April – 26th April | 22nd June – 11th October | 21st December – 17th January 2025

Off peak season: 27th April – 21st June | 12th October – 20th December | 18th January – 31st March 2025

Please note: On days with low passenger numbers or unsuitable weather conditions, it may be necessary to move people between Agincourt and Opal Reefs. On the rare occasions that this occurs we will pick the tour and locations that will provide the best possible outer reef experience. It may not be possible to provide notice prior to travelling.

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  • Explore up to 3 outer reef sites
  • Luxury large catamaran
  • Guided snorkel tours
  • All snorkel gear including lycra suits included
  • Morning & afternoon tea included
  • Lunch included
  • Interpretive reef talk
  • Easy access for getting in & out of water
  • No diving option here
Adult Peak Season
Off Peak Season
$310
$299
Child Peak Season
Off Peak Season
4 - 14 Years
$199
$189
Infant
0 - 3 Years
FREE

Itinerary

  •  7:00am to 8:20am
    • Check In – Free parking is available if making your own way to Crystalbrook Marina Port Douglas. Transfers are available for a small fee, although have limited capacity, from Port Douglas accommodation.
      Upon arrival, check-in directly at the Calypso vessel at 8:20am
  • 8:20am to 8:45am
    • Boarding Commences – At 8:20am at the Crystalbrook Marina, Port Douglas. As the Calypso crew welcome you aboard you will be fitted out with your own snorkelling equipment before relaxing with light refreshments.
  • 8.45am to 10:10am
    • Cruise Time – It is time to sit back and relax while we travel to our first site.
  • 10:20am to 11:15am
    • First Snorkelling Site – All guests will enjoy an informative talk on how to use the equipment and to snorkel safely. Crew are in the water to help as everyone explores our first snorkelling site. Morning tea is served.
  • 11:50am to 1:30pm
    • Second Snorkelling Site – We travel to our second breathtaking site where guided snorkelling tours are available before a tropical lunch is served. After all that scrumptious food, a reef interpretive talk will be conducted by one of the crew.
  • 1:45pm to 2:45pm
    • Third Snorkelling Site – A short cruise to our final snorkelling site before enjoying afternoon tea.
  • 2:45pm to 4:15pm
    • Cruise Home – Returning at approximately 4:15pm.
  • 4:30pm to 6:00pm
    • Transfers – Transfers back to your accommodation (if pre booked)

FAQs

How long does it take to get to the reef?

Calypso Snorkel Tour takes approximately 90 minutes to travel to the outer Great Barrier Reef. Our vessel cruises at a very comfortable 18 – 20 knots while travelling to Opal Reef and approximately 22 knots when travelling to Agincourt Reef.

What do I need to bring? Do you supply towels?

Please bring along swimmers, towel, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, sea sickness tablets (if required), a change of clothes (there are fresh water showers on board) and credit card (VISA, MasterCard or EFTPOS, sorry no cash) for any on board purchases. We do not provide towels for guests, however please ask your accommodation provider who will supply beach towels for you

What is the best day to visit the reef?

For the Outer Great Barrier Reef is in calm seas (0-15 knots), with low tide in the middle of the day and blue skies. Unfortunately we don’t experience weather like this all the time so we do our best to provide information so you can decide the best day to travel. Selecting the day with the least wind and the right tide are the most important factors to consider when choosing a day to travel. Calypso has over 34 different reef sites to choose from and three are selected each day depending on the weather conditions.

For Low Isles, the best time to see the reef is at a higher tide allowing guests to snorkel above the reef. Calypso vessels will not travel if the weather conditions are unsuitable. Constantly referring to the Bureau of Meteorology for up-to-date weather forecasts, you will be given suggestions on which days to travel. Rain will not affect our tour and does not interfere with the visibility of the reef.

What if it rains? Does the tour get cancelled?

Operating in the Wet Tropics, we expect rain mainly during the summer months. However, it can rain all year round. Rain doesn’t affect our day to day operations to the Great Barrier Reef. We do not cancel tours due to rain as it does not affect the quality of the reef.

What are stingers? When are they around?

Stingers are a generalised term for jellyfish. During the summer months (November through to May), marine stingers, Irukandjis and box jellyfish, are present in the waters off the coast of Tropical North Queensland.

All Calypso vessels are equipped with lycra suits (free of charge) during these summer months. As well as a precaution, lycra suits have other benefits such as sun protection and also reducing the amount of sunscreen in the water.

Will I get seasick? Do you offer medication onboard?

You are not alone if you suffer from sea sickness. All Calypso vessels are wide-bodied catamarans for stability and have the advantage of cutting through the waves instead of riding the swell. Vessels do encounter some form of movement no matter what the conditions so prevention is best.

Two types of medication are offered on board our vessels. Ginger tablets are provided free of charge to passengers who prefer a natural option and are good for pregnant women. The other form of sea sickness medication is called Travacalm and costs $3 for 2 tablets.

Please see the crew on board. If you know you suffer from sea sickness, its best to see a pharmacist prior to your trip to the reef and to take these half hour before boarding.

Can I change my day of travel or cancel?

For Calypso, we are flexible if you want to move your day of travel, subject to availability, as long as you provide us with plenty of notice (24 hours). If you decide to cancel within 24 hours of your tour departing, a cancellation fee will be charged. This could be up to 100%.

Cancelling or rescheduling due to COVID19? Please read more info at our COVID Safe Plan page.

I am pregnant, can I still go to the reef?

Yes, you can travel to the reef. Snorkelling is low impact and a non strenuous activity great for pregnant women. Flotation devices are perfect for extra buoyancy and gentle kicking will provide enough propulsion for you to get around and explore the reef.

The lunch provided on board is a cold buffet which includes a selection of meats, salads, Mediterranean vegetables, breads and condiments. There is plenty of choice for pregnant women even without eating the cold meats.

Medicated sea sickness tablets cannot be taken but Ginger tablets are safe for pregnant women to take and are free onboard. If in doubt, see a pharmacist.

Do you cater for special dietary requirements?

Most dietary requirements can be catered for, such as: coeliac, vegans, lactose intolerance and other allergies. Please call us to advise at least 24 hours before your departure. Vegetarians have a great selection, just avoid the meat platters. All meats are supplied in separate containers. If in doubt please contact us on +61 7 4099 6999.

It was an amazing trip, we went to the outer reef with three different locations to explore. The staff was kind, courteous, and educational! The food was more than we expected and the boat was clean and all the equipment was up to par! We hated to say goodbye!

Jacqueline Svia Tripadvisor

This tour was excellent from start to finish. All the crew were fab, visited 3 snorkelling sites, the last one was definitely the best! The second site one of the crew did a snorkelling tour and this was really informative. Lunch was included as well as morning and afternoon tea. I would highly recommend this tour.

Suzevia Tripadvisor

FANTASTIC DAY! Just book it you won’t regret it.
Plenty of helpful, smiling crew to help make the day great.
The three spots visited for snorkelling were terrific and we were so impressed with the variety of fish and coral seen. A top day. Thank you for the great experience!

Jacquielvia Tripadvisor

Fantastic day snorkelling on Opal Reef. The staff were great- very knowledgeable, helpful and professional. Would definitely recommend this trip!

Tamaravia Tripadvisor

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