How to see the Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling
Non-swimmers can enjoy the Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling from underwater observatories, semi-submersibles and glass bottom boats. Tours depart from Cairns and Port Douglas, Queensland.
The Great Barrier Reef for non-swimmers is a possibility if you pick the right tour from Cairns.
Most Great Barrier Reef tours are understandably geared towards snorkelling and diving. However, not everyone feels comfortable getting in the water. For non-swimmers, the Great Barrier Reef might seem out of reach.
This is not the case, however, and several reef cruise operators from Cairns and Port Douglas have options aimed at people who want to see the Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling.
Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance
- From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
- At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
- For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
- For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
- For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.
Great Barrier Reef for non-swimmers: Underwater viewing & semi-submersible tour
The Quicksilver tour from Port Douglas, which also offers transfers from Cairns, is a great example of this. It heads out to Moore Reef on the Outer Reef.
At Moore Reef, there is a large pontoon. This pontoon comes with an underwater viewing platform, where you can watch the marine life without getting wet.
This Great Barrier Reef day trip also includes a mini-tour on a semi-submersible boat. This boat glides along the reef, allowing passengers to see the coral, shoals of fish and hopefully bigger creatures such as turtles.
At time of writing, the Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef tour costs from $284 per person and can be booked online.
Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday
- Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
- Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
- Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
- Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
- Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
- Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.
Great Barrier Reef without snorkelling: Glass bottom boat tour
The Sunlover cruise from Cairns is also aimed at families and heads out to a different pontoon. Many choose this option for the big waterslide, but it is also well-suited to non-swimmers.
The Sunlover pontoon has an underwater observatory, but is also has a semi-submersible and a glass bottom boat.
The semi-submersible tour and glass bottom boat tour are included as part of the package.
This Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns costs from $249 and can be booked online.
Again, prices are correct at the time of writing.
You can also take a Cairns glass bottom boat tour on the day trip to Green Island.
Cairns activities
Other things to do in Cairns include visiting the Cairns Aquarium or Cairns Botanic Gardens, a Hastings Reef yacht cruise, taking the ferry to Green Island and bungy jump at Skypark Cairns.
Nearby, you can also visit Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Paronella Park and Josephine Falls.
Find your ideal Great Barrier Reef tours by location
Great Barrier Reef tours run from numerous destinations along the Queensland coast. Different tours cater to different tastes – some make sure they go to the best snorkelling spots, others build in beach time and some throw in extra such as underwater observatories and glass bottom boat tours.
Use the following links to start picking the best Great Barrier Reef tour options where you’re going on holiday.
- The best Great Barrier Reef tours in… 1770 | Airlie Beach | Bundaberg | Cairns | Cape Tribulation | Mackay | Magnetic Island | Mission Beach | Palm Cove | Port Douglas | Townsville.
More Queensland travel
Learn about the Daintree Rainforest on the Marrdja Boardwalk.
Go for a soak at Talaroo Hot Springs.
Where’s worth stopping at on the Hervey Bay to Mackay drive?
Go inside the breeding laboratory at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda.
What to see on the Biloela to Rockhampton drive.