Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Ready for the experience of a lifetime? Come on our Kayak Turtle Tour. Tours operate daily from the south end of Palm Cove and paddle out to Double Island from there. Once we are at Double Island, it's an incredible experience. There are mangroves to explore, coral reefs to paddle over and even a cave to explore if the conditions are right. More often than not, the water is crystal clear. There is an abundance of small rays and turtles swimming through the water, and it's even possible to see dolphins, dugongs or whales on the tour, but you have to be very lucky. Kayaks, life jackets, juice, water and fruit is provided.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
What To Expect
Departing from Palm Cove, we paddle our way over to the coral reefs that fringe Double Island and Haycock Island (Scouts Hat). The first stop is our turtle spot. This is the place where the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle can be seen basking in the ocean. More often than not we have numerous turtle sightings. This is an exciting part of the trip for all of our customers. From here on, we either travel to the north side of the island or we move in to the south side and explore the mangroves, depending on what the tides are doing and the wind direction. Its not uncommon to see many rays and shovel nosed sharks playing and feeding in the shallows along the tidal part of the beach. If we venture to the north side of the island and with a low tide, we will check out the lime stone cave. When the tide is right, we go right inside the cave. Here we find small stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave. Next stop is the beach for a swim and relax. Snorkeling equipment will be provided, so if anyone feels like a snorkel, you are more than welcome to give it a go. After all this, its time to head home. If the northerly wind kicks in, we head back to Palm Cove.
What‘s Included
Local guide
Use of all necessary equipment
Hotel Pick Up Fees - $20 per person (if requested)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Options
Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove
Reviews
302 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A must-do tour.
Nytrydr,May 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Wild Turtles are unpredictable, but we did see some in the distance. Don't let that deter you though, as this is an amazing tour to do, the environment is stunning and the guides were great. We did run into some strong winds on the way back to the beach and if my 18 year old had not been fitter and stronger than his old man, I would have needed a rescue boat, but they do have one, so there's no need to panic (it's just I had a plane to catch real soon because the weather had been bad the last couple of days and the operators had to reschedule for safely reasons).
Life time memories
Soydan K,May 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Above and beyond the expectations. The best kayak tour ever. Do not hesitate to book, go for it and have the life time memory.
Incredible experience kayaking with Luke, and spotting lots of turtles!
689ellea,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an awesome experience with Luke on our tour! The price already felt reasonable, but we definitely got even more than we paid for with our tour lasting about 3.5 hours, including a short walk on the island to spot some turtles and a manta ray, learning about the island history, and walking under some coconut trees. We had a beautiful morning and Luke was excellent at tailoring the tour to our group's preferences and kayaking abilities. All in all, 100% recommend!!
A brilliant tour - well worth doing!!
paulaY5252IZ,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My daughter and I did the 3 hour Sunrise Kayak Turtle Tour with Luke on Friday, March 27 in a double kayak. As it was quite close after Cyclone Narelle hit, we were the only group doing the tour. Even though the water wasn’t fully clear at that point, it was a fantastic tour. All the gear was supplied (reef shoes and stinger suits) and we were off as the sun rose. It was a fairly easy kayak out to the island with Luke stopping every once in a while to tell us about the local fish and birds etc. He was very knowledgeable. We kayaked around the island, saw plenty of birds (including a sea eagle), and we stopped on the island for a quick walk to look at the abandoned tourist complex. We saw some turtles feeding on the sea grass and also some stingrays swimming close to shore. In the end we dawdled quite a bit and didn’t get back until around 10am … so very good value for money. A brilliant way to see some wildlife, get a bit of exercise, keep out of the heat of the day and have a lot of fun. Well worth doing!!
Beautiful & peaceful
H3151NKanitab,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Kayaking was so beautiful & peaceful. Our guide was very knowledgeable & friendly. Great morning exercise without crowds.
Highly recommend this tour
clP173ZF,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A fantasic trip, we did the 6am paddle. Plenty of time to see fish jumping, bird life and sea turtles. Luke was great as our guide. Great conditions on the water. Highly recommend this tour.
Best way to start a day
BeaSta,Nov 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous way to start the day. So lovely to be on the water and we saw lots of turtles. I loved it. Great guide. Not too strenuous. Would highly recommend and hope to do one of their other kayaking tours in the future.
Great experience!!
madelinebO8053KP,Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful kayak adventure with great information! we saw many turtles, sting rays and birdlife. It was nice being guided by someone who clearly loves their job. Highly recommend doing this tour!!
Noah the huis was...
Wilhelmus H,Oct 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Noel the guide was excellent, she told us a lot about the reef, the plants and the animals. We paddled round Double Island, saw a few turtles, and a little octopus while we were exploring the island. It was a great experience
Sunrise Tour
J270OYmaxl,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Luke was friendly & very informative through out the tour. We saw the sunrise & turtles Can't wait to take my daughter there. Magical! Cheers Max
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Operated by Pacific Watersports