The Whitsunday Islands are home to stunning coral reefs, diverse marine life, and at certain times of year Humpback Whales and Reef Manta Ray’s can be seen. The Nature Reserve is also home to the word-famous Whitehaven Beach.
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Where is the Whitsunday Islands?
The Whitsunday Islands Nature Reserve is located just off the North East coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. The Islands are a collection of protected islands with numerous coral reefs home to turtles, Black Tip sharks, Tropical fish, and Clownfish.
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral
3-5 Meters Average Depth
OK to Good Visibility
Medium Difficulty
No Cafe’s nearby
Tours approx $80-$150 USD
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish can Be Present
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
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The Whitsunday Islands Nature Reserve is located 55km off the North East Queensland coast of Australia. The Nature Reserve has 74 islands and clear waters home to diverse marine life, coral reefs, and white sand beaches.
The island’s waters are home to migrating humpback whales that breed in the nature reserve between March-October and from a distance can be viewed from land or boat. Green Turtles are also common in the Whitsunday among the reefs of the many islands.
Marine Life
Top Tip:
Stinger wet suits are required as jellyfish are found in the Whitsunday Islands. These are usually provided by the tour companies.
During my trip in September 2017, I stayed on a boat for two days and snorkeled at three locations, including Mackerel Bay. The water visibility was ok, a little cloudy, but good enough. What is memorable from my experience was the coral diversity, and the quality of the coral was very good. Whitehaven beach was a highlight, and the INCREDIBLE experience with the Humpback Whales while on the boat.
Safety Tip:
There are larger sharks in the Whitsunday’s, be sure to go with a reputable tour operator that can tell you where and where not to snorkel.
Tour Guide Options
Tours from Airlie Beach and are a popular choice for tourists and backpackers. There is a range of tour options from 1-day trips to overnight 3-night stays.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot was Mackerel Bay, where we swam with Yellowtail Fusiliers and a Giant Maori Wrasse.
Best Time Of Year
Towards the end of Australia’s dry season June-October, this is when the Humpback Whales are breeding in the Whitsunday Islands.
What I Saw
(Seen on September, 2017)
| Green Turtle | Humpback Whale (On Boat) |
| Giant Travally | Maori Wrasse |
| Yellowtail Fusiliers | Orbicular Bat Fish |
| Tomato Anemonefish | Blackeye Rabbitfish |
| Six-Banded Angelfish | Banded Sergeant Damselfish |
| Quoy’s Parrotfish | Purple Striped Wrasse |
| Black-Dot Snapper | Sixbar Wrasse |
| Chinese Demoiselle | Blue-Green Chromis |
| Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse | Black Sea Urchin |
| Giant Clam | Lobster |
| Staghorn Branch Coral | Leather Coral |
| Stoney Acroporidae Coral | Boulder Star Coral |
| Lettuce Coral | Honeycomb coral |
| Mushroom Coral | Encrusted Coral |
Popular Marine Life
Green Turtle
Giant Clam
Parrotfish
Tomato Anemonefish
Damselfish
Rare Marine Life
Humpback Whale
Manta ray
Hawksbill Turtle
Maori Wrasse
Sea Urchin
Bat Fish
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Boulder Star Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Mushroom Coral
Encrusted Coral
Brain Coral
Folded Coral
Frequently Asked Questions
Cairns and Townsville are the closest cities in the north of Queensland, and Brisbane from the South.
Airlie Beach is the closest town to the Whitsundays, and this is where the majority of the tours operate. You can get to Airlie Beach by road via greyhound bus or drive if you have hired a car.
The majority of the boat tours operate from Airlie Beach but will normally require booking in advance.
In the town of Airlie Beach, there are both hostel and hotel options.
Luke
FOUNDER
Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.
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