Ocean Spirit Sail to Michaelmas Cay Snorkel or Dive, from Cairns
Overview
Available languages
8 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Sail from Cairns aboard a luxury sailing catamaran to Michaelmas Cay, a picturesque sand cay on Great Barrier Reef. Encircled by fringing reef of beautiful coral gardens with colourful fish, curious Green Sea Turtles and Blue-Spotted rays, it is also an important protected bird sanctuary for migratory seabirds.
Witness the reef's coral and marine life from a semi-submersible submarine, try scuba diving or snorkel from the cay to witness the beauty of the coral gardens.
Morning tea, Hot & Cold Buffet Lunch (including prawns), Afternoon Tea as well as complimentary bubbles and cheese/biscuits are served on board to satisfy your hunger while you explore Michaelmas Cay for 4 hours.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age for all diving activities is 12 years
After a single scuba dive a wait of 12 hours is recommended before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater. If doing multiple dives an interval of 24 hours is suggested.
All participants will be required to complete a health questionnaire prior to diving. Some pre-existing medical conditions (For example: asthma, heart conditions, etc) may prevent you from diving, please consult your doctor
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Ecological presentations by qualified marine biologists
Buffet lunch
Use of snorkel equipment and lyra suit
Roundtrip cruise from Cairns to Michaelmas Cay
Coral viewing in air-conditioned semi-submersible,
Environmental Management Charge
Morning and afternoon tea
Drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop-off
What To Expect
Ocean Spirit Cruises
Arrive to the Reef Fleet Terminal from 07:30am and check-in at the Ocean Spirit counter. Obtain your boarding passes and be directed to the vessel boarding area at the marina. Boarding commences from 08:00am. Enjoy Muffins and Focaccia on your journey to Michaelmas Cay. Complimentary Tea & Coffee served prior to departure. Ocean Spirit departs strictly at 08.30am for a two hour motorized sail to Michaelmas Cay.
Great Barrier Reef
Sail aboard Ocean Spirit to the unique reef environment of Michaelmas Cay, a picturesque sand cay encircled by beautiful fringing reef. Watch our crew perform a safety demonstration, reef brief and snorkeling demonstration. This is followed by an informative Marine Biologist Reef Presentation.
Options
Cruise & 1 Introductory Dive
4 hrs on Michaelmas Cay. Includes 1 Introductory Dive, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear and semi-sub tour.
Cruise Only
4 hours at Michaelmas Cay for snorkeling and swimming. Includes morning and afternoon tea, buffet lunch, snorkel gear, use of lycra suits and coral viewing in semi-submersible
Cruise & 1 Guided Snorkel Tour
4 hrs on Michaelmas Cay. Includes 1 Guided Snorkel Tour, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear and semi-sub tour.
Reviews
162 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Staff were amazing, they...
Glenda R,
Sep 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00Staff were amazing, they couldn’t do enough for you. We had morning and afternoon tea plus a delicious lunch. It was easy to get on and off the boat when we went snorkeling and were looked after while on the sand island. I would suggest to take a jacket with you as it can become cold.
Life time experience!
Frances S,
Aug 12, 2025
- Viator
5.00Amazing experience! Thoroughly enjoyed the private snorkeling tour. Well worth the additional expense. The lunch buffet and tea time treats on the ship were delicious. The crew is exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. Be sure to take advantage of the various talks they give throughout the day so that you can get the most out of your trip. The multiple onboard ship toilets are a decent size and thus serve well as changing rooms. Beach area at Michaelmas Cay is very windy so bring a heavy/solid bag to put your things on the beach when you are in the water. Be sure to dress for the weather as it can be quite windy if you want to go on deck. Recommend taking motion sickness medicine, especially for the trip back.
Great tour!
IvetteTahis R,
Jul 20, 2025
- Viator
5.00It is definitely a fun thing to do while in Cairns. You can enjoy the Great Barrier Reef from many areas not necessarily Cairns. This company is not very helpful if you're new snorkelling while others provide noodles for extra safety, this one doesn't. The location chosen to snorkel was nice but I enjoyed Whitehaven Beach tour a lot better, and other guests agreed as well. It wasn't the best but it was decent. Service was great, food was excellent and the ferry rountrip was fun. Tide dropped so we couldn't snorkel for long.
Great Barrier Reef snorkel trip
Mark T,
Jul 11, 2025
- Viator
5.00Beautiful scenery, knowledgeable and very friendly staff and good food too. Lots of wildlife both in and out of the water.
Go with it.
John K,
Jul 5, 2025
- Viator
5.00Great trip. Well informed and managed. Worth the price. Very nice crew, helpful., accommodating, timely
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Operated by The Quicksilver Group