Poseidon Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Port Douglas
Description
Departing from Port Douglas, Poseidon is a 24 metre catamaran offering an exciting boutique adventure, perfect for small groups of experienced divers and confident snorkellers. With access to exclusive remote reef sites, expert marine interpretation and citizen science, guest numbers are capped at 65. Poseidon visits 3 different sites in one day at the stunning Agincourt ribbon reefs. Certified divers can enjoy up to 3 dives and introductory diving is also available. With marine biologist interpretation at each site, snorkellers have the opportunity to participate in a monitoring survey. Poseidon has a special permit allowing guests to swim with dwarf minke whales if encountered.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Cruising from Port Douglas aboard the modern high speed dive and snorkel catamaran Poseidon, you’ll have more time to spend at three fabulous snorkeling and diving sites on Agincourt Reef’s outer limits. Renowned for its coral and marine life, the reef is known for being the best diving and snorkeling day trip destination from Port Douglas. This cruise suits experienced divers and beginners alike, whether you’re a certified diver or you just want to go snorkeling. If you’re a diver, you can take up to three dives into the Great Barrier Reef’s coral gardens. You have your choice of diving from the mooring site, doing a drift drive back to the vessel or taking an excursion to less easily accessed sites depending on the conditions of the day.
If you’d prefer to stay on top of the water, go snorkeling in sheltered lagoons with breathtaking drop-offs. Learn about the Great Barrier Reef’s fragile ecosystem during a reef interpretation talk, and then take a guided snorkel tour for an informed look at the reef’s tropical fish and coral. Poseidon has been specially designed to enhance your snorkeling and diving adventure with a lowering transom for easier access to the water, an air-conditioned saloon and open deck areas for relaxing on the reef. You’ll also have plenty of chances to hydrate and re-fuel with an included morning tea, afternoon tea and buffet lunch with prawns.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please bring towel, swimmers, sunscreen and hat
- Minimum age for diving is 12 years
- Scuba Diving guidelines for 'flying': If only one dive is undertaken then a minimum of 12 hours is recommended before flying (to an altitude of 300 metres or greater). If doing multiple dives, an interval of 24 hours is recommended
Reviews(106)
This was my first trip on Poisiden but I’ve travelled with Quicksilver Group before so expectations were high. The vessel had approx 50 guests and heaps of crew. As an experienced snorkeler (and former diver) I was keen to see how our Great Barrier Reef looked in 2026 and especially to revisit the Ribbon Reefs at the edge of the Continental Shelf. All three sites we visited were excellent and the weather held all day. Reef life and corals were so stunning at The Point - our first stop - I thought ‘no-one could possibly be disappointed seeing this as their first ever Outer Reef experience’ … Our biologist - also Master Reef Guide - was terrific and explained the topic of coral bleaching very well (although we didn’t witness any) and our guided snorkelling tours were very enjoyable. As was lunch; hot dishes, tiger prawns and fresh fruit platters and much more. Afternoon tea was also a welcome lift after the third snorkelling site. Well done to the Quickie Crew again - you are the Rockstars of the Reef!
Thanks for the fantastic feedback! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your first experience on Poseidon and that the Ribbon Reefs lived up to expectations. We’ll pass on your kind words to our crew. They’ll love being called the “Rockstars of the Reef”! Thanks for joining us and we hope to welcome you back again soon.
Fabulous day out on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Snorkelling sites had an abundance of sea life. Even saw a reef shark in all its beauty. Different options offered to us. You could choose to float around like I did or challenge yourself to further exploration with a guide or do a drift snorkel. Delicious food options and a kind caring crew. Special thanks to Alicia who went above & beyond cleaning up and offering us her expertise. Lots of help was available with equipment. Thank you for a fabulous day on the outer reef. Friendly check in staff too.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! We’re so glad you had such a great day exploring the Outer Great Barrier Reef with us. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to Alicia. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back onboard again soon.
We really had a good time on this excursion. The scenery is second to none, we enjoyed ourselves swimming in a river spot, we also spotted a couple of crocs on the river. Our driver/ guide Mike was a lovely person who also went out of his way to do a quiz for us on the bus! 5 star experience. I highly recommend it if you are interested to enjoy nature. We also had a good lunch with beef, chicken or fish burgers.
Great snorkeling experience. I am a diver but my friend was not able to dive so I had no buddy so we snorkeled, I was glad because almost everything you see is within 10 feet. They had life jackets and noodles for those that needed but it was a great way for people to float and see under the surface The coral was amazing, all the different types and colors. The staff was very helpful and they had a ocean biologist to give a brief seminar and some guided swims Definitely a must do tour with a great company
Thank you kindly for your recommendation to future travellers Steven. We're so happy to read that you had a memorable time with us on the Great Barrier Reef!
Really great and well supervised. Had the choice between snorking or bottled. The view of the fish and corals is extraordinary.
Merci d’avoir partagé votre expérience ! Nous sommes ravis d’apprendre que vous avez apprécié la possibilité de choisir entre le snorkeling et la plongée sous-marine, et que les coraux et poissons colorés vous ont tant impressionné. C’est formidable de savoir que la sortie vous a paru bien organisée et agréable — nous espérons vous accueillir à nouveau bientôt pour d’autres aventures sur la barrière de corail !
Amazing snorkeling, great crew and even the food was good. Highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to see the Great Barrier Reef!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us on board Poseidon!
The crew is very kind and knowledgeable. The sights are beautiful. We had a perfect weather day during wet season. We all had a great time.
Thank you for sharing Janice - safe travels!
The crew on board the Poseiden were fantastic and there at every step to make sure our day on the reef was spectacular. I can't recommend this highly enough to anyone visiting Port Douglas. The two sites we visited on the reef were rich in coral and different species of fish. We also learned a lot about the area of the reef and were provided with a nice lunch after we were done with snorkelling. It had been a number of years since both my husband and I had snorkelled but the crew had good tips and equipment to help us and others in our group feel safe and confident on the water. Thank you to the Poseiden team!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re thrilled to read your crew made your day on the reef so memorable and helped you feel safe and confident in the water. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to the crew, they’ll be delighted.
Wow! What a superb experience. And Lucy (ocean ecologist) she was absolutely incredible. The crew in general was great: good vibes, high alert, helpful, professional and motivated. Loved all the details, we were safe, informed, catering was really nice (did not expect so much food😆). 100% recommended.
Wow — thank you for such an amazing review! We’re thrilled you had a superb experience and felt safe and well informed throughout the day. So glad you enjoyed the catering too (we never want anyone going hungry! 😄). We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you again on the reef soon!
Booked on to do one certified dive but ended up doing all 3! Felt a bit nervous as hadn’t done a dive in a while but Gordon was super friendly and guided me through! Definitely up there with one of the best experiences I have done! Would recommend!
We’re so glad you decided to jump in for all three dives, what a way to make the most of your day on the reef! It’s completely normal to feel a little nervous after some time out of the water, and thats why we have crew like Gordon to help you feel comfortable and confident throughout. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable dive soon! 🌊🤿
