Dive the Great Barrier Reef 

Australia Scuba Diving - Day Trips

Day Trips are, as the name suggests, trips that last 1 day. They are convenient for those who are short on time or money, or those who aren't too keen on sleeping on a boat. All vessels that don't operate to the Fitzroy and Green Islands head to the Outer Reefs to give you diving and snorkelling on premier locations. 

Day boats either tie up to moorings on reef locations, dock at Fitzroy or Green Island, or rendezvous with a reef platform known by locals and operators as pontoons. Pontoons are multi-purpose structures permanently built onto the seabed. These trips cater for both swimmers and land-lubbers with designated snorkel areas, snorkel safaris and step-into-the-water dive decks for people who like the water, and semi-submersible tours, glass bottom boat rides, aquariums, and underwater observatories for those who aren't to keen on swimming.

Vessels that just "park" onto their reef locations may have glass bottom boat tours but might not have much else to cater for non-swimmers. However, for divers and snorkellers this may mean that there has been less disturbance to the underwater environment and in turn better amounts of marine life may be present to greet you. Some Day Trips may charge extra for additional services such as guided dives, equipment hire or marine-viewing vessel rides. Some operators may  already include these concessions in their prices to avoid additional paperwork (We're sure you know what that's like). Trips operating to Fitzroy or Green Island give you the options of just being transferred to the island and back or having other options included in their day trip package.

It is approximately a 1 hour drive from Cairns to Port Douglas and Port Douglas is the closest place to Cairns that also conducts tours to the Great Barrier Reef. Some trips offer transfers to and from Cairns and Port Douglas, but the costs are much higher. So if you don't like long drives, choose the trips that are closest to your area. Scroll down to find the live aboard trips operated from Cairns. Click here for trips conducted in Port Douglas

Trips in Cairns

Silver Series Silverswift Outer Reef Trip
Reef Encounter/Compass Cruises Compass Outer Reef Trip
Deep Sea Divers Den SeaQuest Outer Reef Trip
Deep Sea Divers Den ReefQuest Outer Reef Trip
Passions of Paradise "Day of Passion"
Raging Thunder Thunderbolt Outer Reef Trip
Raging Thunder Fitzroy Island Half & Full Day Trips
Tusa Dive Tusa Outer Reef Trip
Seastar Cruises Seastar Outer Reef Trip
Cairns Dive Centre Sunkist Outer Reef Trip
Down Under Dive Osprey Outer Reef Trip
Down Under Dive Supercat Outer Reef Trip
Ocean Spirit Michaelmas Cay Trip
Ocean Spirit Upolu Cay Trip
Big Cat Cruises Green Island Half & Full Day Trips
Reef Magic Cruises Marineworld Outer Reef Pontoon

Trips in Port Douglas

Calypso Charters Calypso Outer Reef Trip
Aristocat Cruises Aristocat Outer Reef Trip
Haba Dive Haba Outer Reef Trip
Wavelength Charters Outer Reef Snorkel Trip

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