Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet Lookout Snorkeling Cruise
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Thundercat offers an exhilarating ride around the Whitsunday Islands all in one day.
The three-time Australian Gold Award-winning tour visits the world-famous Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet lookout and offers two snorkelling opportunities on the fringing Great Barrier Reef.
Thundercat is designed for stability and speed, so it’s perfect for passengers concerned about seasickness. The all-inclusive package departing from Airlie Beach is suitable for families, couples, and groups wanting to experience once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Unfortunately we are unable to cater to dietary requirements. If our menu is not satisfactory passengers are welcome to bring their own snacks.
Children under two years old MUST be pre-approved by the operator before ticket purchase and supply own lifejacket.
A ticket MUST be purchased for anyone 12 months and over
Recommended for fit & able travellers who are physically capable of boarding via ladders
We reserve the right to adjust or change snorkelling sites at any time due to tidal shifts, location changes, weather conditions, or other safety concerns. The comfort and safety of our guests are always our top priorities, ensuring every guest has an enjoyable experience.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Red Cat Adventures
Set sail for a day of swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing in the Whitsundays on this full-day tour with Red Cat Adventures. Cruise around the islands on Thunder Cat, a high-speed catamaran, and discover the colorful underwater world of the UNESCO-listed Great Barrier Reef as you stop at two snorkeling hotspots. You will cruise at high speeds to Hill Inlet Lookout and take the famous walk to the lookout for stunning views of Whitehaven Beach. After taking some magical photos you can enjoy some beach time and dip your toes in the crystal clear water.
Whitehaven Beach
We stop at the famous Whitehaven Beach where you can dip your toes in the crystal clear water.
What‘s Included
Buffet Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Snacks
National Park fees
Expert Local driver/guide with live commentary on board
Pickup & drop-off from designated Airlie Beach meeting points.
All activities and use of snorkeling equipment (mask & snorkel)
Drinks
Prescription Masks
Snorkel equipment doesn't include fins
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet Lookout Snorkeling Cruise
Pickup included
Reviews
2,929 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun day snorkelling
Kristy B,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Fun day cruising the Whitsundays. Snorkelling hole was beautiful as was Whitehaven. Frankie and Jet were great hosts for the day and really looked after everyone. Definitely recommend.
Whitehaven and snorkel Tour
Escape44682144762,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00This tour had positives and negatives. The standout was the crew: an amazing female team who worked hard to keep everyone safe, comfortable, and informed. The skipper even let some kids try steering, which they loved. Whitehaven Beach was stunning, and the walk to the lookout was manageable, though the stairs were challenging for some and require reasonable fitness. A major concern was snorkelling: no fins were provided, and we entered the water on an outgoing tide with a strong sweep, which felt risky given mixed swimming abilities. Everyone signs a waiver which means they do everything at their own risk, but the provision of fins as standard snorkelling equipment would help comfort and safety of passengers. Forward seating also meant prolonged sun exposure for some passengers. Overall, I wouldn’t do this tour again. I’ve done similar tours with other companies and this company has ‘nearly’ got it right.
Fantastic Day Trip
MrsCazLewis,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a fantastic day we were picked up from our accommodation on time taken to the meeting point given our stinger suits and life jackets! Staff so friendly and helpful! Boat was great fun staff were informative took us to hill inlet and Whitehaven beach then to 2 great snorkelling sights back to Airlie beach and dropped back off at our apartment! Fantastic day thank you
Fantastic day out
Christine C,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great full day tour to see Whitehaven Beach, hike to Hill Inlet and two snorkeling opportunities. As an adult who is a capable swimmer but doesn't swim often, I said on the pre trip waiver that I could swim 50m. This gave me the option of a life jacket. I would thoroughly recommend this as the two snorkeling sessions are about 20-30 minutes each and you can't touch the bottom so it made the sessions easy and relaxing. The food was served to us on board the boat. Our guides Sav and Jade were capable, friendly and helpful. The hike to Hill Inlet isn't too long and has steps to use. Leaving the boat to get to the island requires you to step into ankle deep water, so choose appropriate footwear! This leads straight to the hike and time on Whitehaven Beach. A thoroughly enjoyable day with beautiful views and experiences.
So good, we did it twice in 9 days
LoveTravel380839,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did this Thundercat tour and loved the Hill inlet lookout and the two snorkel spots at Hook Island. Those spots had perfect visibility and zero waves. After doing some snorkeling off Cairns at the outer reef where we saw giant clams at the Hastings reef and Michaelmas reef we came back to Airlie Beach. This time we did the snorkeling first at the Butterfly reef and the Manta Ray reef and then did the Hill inlet. This time the Manta Ray reef was outstanding and we saw a white tipped reef shark chase after fish. Of course the other fish from giant wrasse to bat fish and all the other fish were outstanding. Great team, excellent selection of snorkeling spots and good food. Highly recommended.
Blue water, white & soft sand, scenic swirls of sand from lookout point, one of the prettiest beach in australia
Srishti G,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Whitehaven is soo pretty Due to high tide we didn’t see lot of swirls of sand, they appear when tide is 2 m high but it was still very pretty Blue water, white & soft sand, one of the prettiest beach in australia
Fantastic
610catrinv,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent day out on our tour. Good value for money, was fun, educational and stunning part of the world. The crew were great so a shout out to Randall, Hannah and Trisha. They were very helpful, funny and had a good playlist. There was high tide so Whitehaven beach was a bit disappointing but still was gorgeous and we had a blast snorkelling.
Great.
Yam miam,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The pick-up and arrival on the boat were really great! Our two skippers were very nice (Franky and Jet? Jay? Everything was fine except for lunch... frankly, not great... Plan a good sandwich and plenty of water. There was a water fountain on the boat, but largely not enough for 40 people and for the whole day. In summary, great excursion but plan to eat and drink 😅
Fantastic day out
R P,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An amazing trip around the Whitsundays with fine on the beach, a stunning view from the lookout and absolutely fantastic snorkelling. Randall and Abbie(?) were brilliant ‘hosts’ and made sure our whole experience was perfect.
Knowledgeable friendly crew. Great day out
Laura T,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience. Variety of activities and friendly knowledgeable crew. Perfect amount of time at each activity and great intro to the whitsundays and barrier reef
Related Experiences
Operated by Red Cat Adventures