A good tour. I chose May to visit because there'd be fewer tourists and no stingers, and I'm glad because neither the boat nor island were crowded. The ride was short and not rough by my standards, but the only time I've gotten seasick was on a 35-foot fishing boat in 20-plus-foot swells. The island was beautiful, and I was able to walk around it almost entirely except for the part just right of the pier. The sand wasn't fine and soft, so if you don't have hardy feet, you might want your sandals. I liked exploring the tide pools and saw a lot of crabs and sea cucumbers if you know what to look for, and more varieties of seaweed and new corals than I could count. I enjoyed the snorkeling and was face-down in the water for almost two hours straight--dozens of different kinds of fish, including a few flounder who blended into the sand perfectly, a couple of sea snakes, including one I watched catch and eat a fish, and a couple of rays. The shallows, grasses, and reef around the island is not as densely populated as the outer reef, but if you move slowly and stay still once in awhile, things will go your way. Also, don't just stare down--several times, schools of fish were swimming right by my head, just under the water, and I would've missed them if I hadn't looked forward. Walking the forest trail was nice, and I loved seeing all the butterflies. I didn't eat the boat's buffet because I knew there were restaurants on the island at the resort, and I had yummy green mussels that came in a very garlicky cream broth, then ice cream at the little shop nearby--mango was delicious. My biggest complaints were the company seemed to nickel and dime--I had to rent a float vest, then there was a deposit for snorkel gear that was included in the tour price. The snorkel was basic, too--no purge valve or dry valve, which would've been nice in big waves. You had to pay to use the boat's lockers, so bring a bag to tote your gear if you don't want to haul it around while exploring the island or bring it back to the boat. So the overall buy stuff vibe was distracting and a little off putting compared to other tours I did. And while the beginners beach is nice for new/anxious snorkelers, and the crew member who helped me was good about helping me fit my mask, you're on your own once you leave the boat, so ask all your questions while you're there. Crew interaction is minimal in that respect, though they were friendly enough when you engaged them and good about walking around during the trip to check on people, especially if they seemed seasick.
Review by: Andrea H, April 2018
A decent tour. I saw quite a few fish while snorkeling but should have done the Great Barrier Reef tour instead. Luckily I didn't do the buffet package. My friends that did said the food was not good. Save your money and eat at one of the small shops on the island. I got burger and fries for much less than what the buffet cost and it was very feeling.
Review by: Harinder H, April 2018
The booking staff made assured us of pickup from our location, but it subsequently was changed to a pickup at a hotel nearest to our location while this was not terrible, it was certainly inconvenient. Moreover, if the booking staff had not misinformed me, I would not have opted for and paid for the pickup, as I had my own car and would have driven up. Then, when we arrived at the terminal, they put us in a high speed boat, which was fine, but the beverage service was in the bigger slower boat again that had to be forfeited.
Review by: Jan 2014, April 2018
so, so. too big crowd, not enough seats to sit, less bathrooms to use.
Review by: Dolly, April 2018
Great barrier reef !! one of the worlds wonders ... sea walker is a given ..
Review by: eileenjturner, April 2018
A pleasant enough boat trip over to Green Island but could have done with it leaving Cairns earlier as when we got there_br/_ it was a mad scramble to get lunch and then difficult to find anywhere to sit and eat it. The organisation was not brilliant. It was a rush to get to the glass bottom boat and when we did, saw very little fish. We paid extra to go on the semi-submersible but still saw hardly any fish. A very disappointing trip.
Review by: Marika L, March 2018
I had a great day, even it rained stories to tell are different than on sunny day, but still great. Snorkelling for the first time, and will do it again! Saw plenty of colorful fishes and a big turtle. I expected more tour like things, like actually snorkelling lesson it is easy when you get hang of it, so don't be afraid, but make sure you can swim, or someone from the staff to be on the beach there was a lifeguard tho or more stories about Reef, not just video on a boat. Staff was nice and friendly, and told the basics when I asked, thanks! Lunch opition was good, so you didn't need to worry about that during a day. Note: If you get easily motion sick, please be prepared if it is windy day you will be okey, and when you are on Green Island it is not bad at all.
Review by: Peter S, March 2018
Went to Green Island on a day trip on a big cat, but had to return early due to the cruise line leaving. Would have liked to stay the full day as this was an enjoyable Island with plenty to do. The snorkelling was very good and well worth the trip.
Review by: Judy H, March 2018
We were quite disappointed and not sure why our experience was so different from other reviewers. The boat trip to the Island was VERY crowded. Once we got to the Island we were surprised at the number of people there. We saw very few fish while snorkeling and the number of people splashing around in the water must have contributed to that. The underwater boat ride did provide much greater viewing of sea life but the water was murky which limited visibility. It was also a rather short trip. If I could redo this day I would look for another option that was less crowded and less commercial.
Review by: John S, March 2018
Ok, but wish I'd chosen deep water reef tour.
Review by: lorna.kate, March 2018
A great day which just got better as the day went on, the cruise out to the island, followed by glass bottom boat and mini sub, then the highlight snorkelling over the reef, Highly recommend the buoyancy jackets for first time snorkelers for extra confidence.
Review by: johnandsharonmacd, March 2018
This tour was absolutely wonderful! I would highly recommend the semi submersible tour over the glass bottom boat, especially if you are a non-snorkelling person. We saw giant clams, sea turtles sharks, coral and masses of fish. Take the time to walk around this tiny island as we saw more turtles swimming in the surf along the beaches....enjoy! Wish I was there with you!
Review by: Leslie K, February 2018
The glass bottom boat was ok, expected more commentary about the reef which we did not get. We did not understand the trip was a full day with 5 hours on the island. We had expected a half day tour. Take note when planning. It was hot and humid on the island, bear in mind when coming from the northern hemisphere.
Review by: Carol A, February 2018
Lovely boat trip out to the island and we did the glass bottomed boat option rather than snorkelling, although we might have seen more on the semi-submersible instead. Lunch on the boat was a bit of a free-for-all, and Brits were in the minority so the staff also had to speak several oriental languages to help everyone, which you could see was quite hard work. It was possible to swim in the afternoon and there were good facilities on Green Island for getting any refreshments. A really lovely day out.
Review by: BERNARDO Y, February 2018
Green Island is for family with small kids. As for the the reef, for me there might be a better location. Between the semi sub and glass bottom boat, just take one to save you money. For food and drinks you might want to bring your own.
Review by: Marie F, February 2018
I took the shorter trip and was glad I did. There was a lot of down time. The island we visited had nothing to do. You could swim but there were signs posted everywhere that basically said you were swimming at your own risk. If you chose the snorkeling option you snorkeled where the beaches were and there really was nothing to see. To truly view the reef you needed to scuba dive. The best part of the trip was the glass bottom boat tour you could actually see the coral and the fish. This had nothing to do with the tour itself, but I had higher expectations as to what I would see at the Reef. It was explained that the coral was too deep in the water to see color because light was needed from above, therefore everything was a dull beige color.
Review by: John O, February 2018
Generally good value for your money but a bit of a slight of hand to suggest your snorkelling is at the reef since the snorkelling that was part of the package was only from the beach
Review by: Daniel, February 2018
After a 50 minute ferry ride to Green Island, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was a pleasure. Also did semisubmersible boat ride, well worthwhile for excellent marine life viewing.
Review by: Robert L, February 2018
Amazing island. Snorkeling was decent. Ferry was a little old. Good value.
Review by: Stephen M, February 2018
Awful. Don't go to Green Island if you want to see the reef. You need to go to outer reef.
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