Ocean Free: Small Group Great Barrier Reef & Green Island Tour
Description
With only a maximum of 25 passengers this makes our Great Barrier Reef & Green Island tour very guest focussed! .In fact we are the only sail, reef and tropical island experience in Cairns catering for such a low guest number . Swim, snorkel or dive straight off the boat onto an exclusive magnificent GBR site - no crowds. The boat is moored just 1Km off Green Island - a highly protected Marine Park zone. From Cairns, sail to this reef site and Green Island in style on a two-mast schooner and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch on board. After snorkelling off the boat take a tender transfer to explore the beauty of Green Island, see the rainforest or laze on the white sandy beaches.
Tour Options
Itinerary
These are the two most personal Great Barrier Reef tours in Cairns. Sail on Ocean Free - our 16M classical sailing schooner for this extremely personal Great Barrier Reef & Green Island Tour. Sail, snorkel , dive (optional extra) - reef and beach all in one day with only a small group of up to 25 guests - pure bliss!
Admire the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef on this very personal day tour .Ocean Free sails to its exclusive Great Barrier Reef mooring just 1 km off Green Island. Step straight off the boat and see a coral garden teeming with colourful reef-fish and marine life on this highly protected Marine Park zone of the Great Barrier Reef. Only our guests snorkel this site making it a very personal experience! Turtles and large schools of fish a common site amongst the coral "bommies" (outcrops) that rise form about 10-12M up to just under 1M under the surface making it an ideal area for great snorkelling Spend the morning snorkelling & / or SCUBA diving (optional extra) over an incredible reef system and view the most unique and colourful marine life under the guidance of our very attentive crew. Afterwards hop back on board your vessel for a scrumptious large smorgasbord lunch after which you can hop into the tender as the skipper takes you to Green Island beach - your 2nd site to explore!
Guests can visit this island as part of their Ocean Free Green Island & Great Barrier Reef sailing tour with only a maximum of 25 guests . They have a choice of spending the rest of the afternoon on the island until last pick-up or return to main vessel after an hour, if preferring to do more snorkelling . Ocean Free actually moors on an exclusive private reef 1Km off the island where guests can split their time between snorkelling and diving (optional extra) just off the boat on this exclusive Great Barrier Reef site and going to the island in the tender to explore or just relax on the tropical beach . Guests have 4 and 1/2 hrs to experience the reef and island . Typically our guests chose to spend 1-2 hrs on the island . On the island guests can enjoy an interpretative walk across the island , relax on the beach and visit Marineland Melanesia (small fee to enter here)
Marineland Melanesia is an optional experience when visiting Green Island. For a small fee you can enter this attraction to see crocodiles, turtles, artefacts and facts for around the region
Choose to spend an hour on the island and return back to the main vessel for more snorkeling or optional diving on this exclusive Green marine Park zone of the Great Barrier Reef
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A maximum of 25 people ensures a unique and personalized experience
- Please note: All DIVERS will be required to complete a medical questionnaire on board prior to diving. Please only book the diving options if you have no medical conditions nor taking medication as some conditions/medication preclude you from diving
- Tour requires you to be stable and mobile enough to move around a moving vessel and to transfer from main vessel onto tender and back
- Guests come from many countries and many only have a small opportunity to visit the reef. The vessel will operate in all weather conditions (apart from gale force and severe weather warnings) and has extra procedures to make the day the best possible. If you are concerned about the weather, please visit www.bom.gov.au cairns coastal report - it will give you a 4 day forecast. 10-20 knots is a normal good day. Date of travel can be changed subject to availability and also full refund if cancelling with minimum 24hrs notice. Our vessels are open air with good boat movement so less likely to suffer seasickness than some other closed vessels however, if prone to motion sickness we recommend taking travel sickness tablets 20 minutes before boarding the vessel.
- If intending to take part in diving all divers (whether certified or introductory diver) will be required to fill out a diving medical questionnaire on board. If diving is an important option for you, please advise if you have any medical issues (past or present) or taking any medications so we can advise if any QLD diving medical clearance is required. Some medical conditions and medication may preclude you from diving. It is imperative for your safety that you answer the questions on the form truthfully.
Reviews(677)
This was such an experience and the crew were amazing and very patient considering this was our first time snorkelling and we were a little anxious doing this in the open sea. The guide stayed with us the whole while in the water and made sure we saw as much as possible. The lunch and snacks were also great. It was such a wonderful day. Totally recommended.
What a wonderful experience this was! The staff were friendly, patient and informative. We were giving lots of great food and the boat ride was enjoyable. We had an amazing day weather wise which made the experience even better. I really enjoyed the snorkelling and having smaller numbers of passengers on the tour. Thank you for making this one of my families favourite days ever.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unforgettable Great Barrier Reef Sailing & Snorkeling Adventure! We joined Ocean Free for a day out on the reef, and it was absolutely brilliant from start to finish! 🛥️ Even with swells hitting over 10 foot, the trip was so much fun and added a real sense of adventure to the day. Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was beyond anything we imagined – the fish were absolutely stunning, in every bright colour you could think of, and we even got to see gentle baby sharks swimming peacefully nearby – such a special highlight! 🐠🦈 The crew were honestly amazing: so friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and looked after us perfectly the whole time. The food served on board was delicious too – fresh, tasty and just what we needed after being in the water. What a fantastic day out! We left with amazing memories we’ll cherish forever. Huge thanks to the whole Ocean Free team – we’d recommend this trip to anyone visiting Cairns! 💙
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are so happy to hear we were able to provide such a memorable experience for you to explore the Great Barrier Reef - it truly is a spectacular place to dive into. We will be sure to let the crew know how much their efforts were noticed by you as I am sure they would also love to hear of your kind words. Thank you again for your recommendation! We hope we can have you join us on board Ocean Free again in the future!
The team were great. Met some lovely people. The fact it’s a smaller group made it more memorable. Snorkelling in your own area, trip to green island and lots learnt. Came back under sail as well. Really glad we chose this trip.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a memorable day with us and that you enjoyed the smaller group experience. It’s lovely to know you met some great people along the way too! We’re delighted that you enjoyed having your own space to snorkel, exploring Green Island, and learning more about the reef and its incredible marine life. And coming back under sail is certainly a special way to finish the day! Thank you for choosing to join us and for taking the time to share your experience. We’re so glad you chose our trip, and we hope to see you again in the future!
Crew was great! And the day was awesome. The ocean wasn’t smooth but they took good care of us and we saw plenty of sea life. Very accommodating of various passengers’ sea sickness— they brought anti-nausea meds enough for everyone.
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an awesome day and that our crew took such good care of you, especially with the ocean conditions being a little rough. Thank you again and we hope you can join us on board Ocean Free again soon!
Had an incredible trip on Ocean Free out to Green Island. Everything about it was excellent, the boat, food and equipment were perfect. The best thing was the crew, Ryan, Reece and Tom were so friendly, knowledgeable and patient. They are a credit to a very well run operation.
Hello Mark! Thanks so much for your great review! We really appreciate your kind words and are so thrilled to hear you had a fabulous day on Ocean Free. We will be sure to pass on your feedback to Ryan, Reece and Tom as they will be happy to hear they were part of making you experience enjoyable. We hope that in the future we can have you travel with us again if you are back in Cairns!
The boat is very beautiful and well-equipped. The price difference compared to Ocean Freedom is certainly justified, and in our case, we would definitely make the same choice again. Brian, the skipper, and his crew were very welcoming, professional, and friendly. Snorkeling was wonderful, and during the summer, it must be even more spectacular. Good and abundant is also the food offered throughout the day. I saw even the least inclined people being carefully attended to. I would do it again 100 times!
Grazie mille per la splendida recensione! Siamo davvero felici di sapere che avete trascorso una giornata così piacevole con noi e che avete apprezzato la nostra barca, l'equipaggio e l'esperienza di snorkeling. Le vostre gentili parole saranno condivise con Brian e con tutto il team, che saranno felicissimi di leggerle. Ci fa particolarmente piacere sapere che avete notato l'attenzione e la cura che il nostro equipaggio dedica a tutti gli ospiti. Speriamo di darvi nuovamente il benvenuto a bordo per un'altra indimenticabile giornata sulla Grande Barriera Corallina! A presto!
This trip couldn’t have been more delightful. The crew were adept at sailing and snorkeling/diving. Very knowledgeable about the Reef. Truly seemed to enjoy getting to know each of us. Generally fabulous hosts for a day that felt like a private tour on a sailboat on the Great Barrier Reef! Fabulous!
Hi Jane, Thank you for your fabulous review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your day aboard Ocean Free and that the experience felt so personal and special. One of the things we love most about our small-group tours is the opportunity to get to know our guests while sharing the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, so it's wonderful to know that this stood out to you. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to the crew. They are passionate about snorkelling, diving, and sharing their knowledge of the reef, and they'll be delighted to hear they helped make your day so memorable. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back on board for another reef adventure in the future!
Friendly, knowledgeable, and caring tour guides who gave the best experience to our small group. Thank you Ocean Free/Freedom!
Thank you for your kind words Winnie! We are so glad to hear you had the best experience travelling with our amazing crew! We hope to have you on board again soon! Thank you again!
We used the company when visiting Cairns in 2019 and had a great experience with an assisted scuba dive on that trip so I knew we wanted to use them again. This time we opted to snorkel only but it was another amazing experience from start to finish! The crew members are all so friendly and knowledgeable and the food served throughout the day exceeded our expectations. So many fresh fruits, veggies and breads as well as a variety of proteins. Having the opportunity to sail while also visiting the reef and green island was just what I was looking for. The day was perfect!!
Thank you for the great review, Marc! We are so honoured to hear that you decided to travel with us again all these years later. We are happy to hear that you had an excellent day for the second time round and enjoyed the food throughout the day. We hope that we can have you travel with us again and have you onboard for another perfect day!
