This convenience comes courtesy of the large pontoon owned by Quicksilver Cruises which is based here; this large “activity platform” serves as a veritable floating town that can accommodate hundreds of visitors while offering all the benefits of modern facilities such as showers, food, and change rooms.

As a result, Agincourt is one of the most balanced choices in terms of the more frequently-visited reefs; beginners and non-swimmers can stick to the areas immediately around the pontoon, or take part in the likes of semi-submersible rides and an underwater viewing platform to view the marine life while staying dry.

More advanced divers, meanwhile, can head to a number of dive sites at the ends and edges of Agincourt for a mixture of wreck, bommie, and coral garden dives.

The flexibility and facilities on the pontoon makes Agincourt a great choice for first-time visitors to the Great Barrier Reef who aren’t looking to compromise with a shorter trip to the sites closer to the mainland. The inherent trade off, however, comes with increased travel time to and from Agincourt Reef (roughly 90 minutes each way), as well as sharing the reef with plenty of other travellers due to its popularity.

Fitzroy Island is draped in National Park and its hilly, forested terrain provides plenty of opportunities for walking and hiking. With its summit walk in particular offering a great overview of the island and its surrounds on its roughly 4.4km return trip; its historic lighthouse also offers a wonderful panorama. Other tracks such as the Secret Garden Path showcase the island’s greenery or lead to the island’s two beaches which are picturesque in their own right but largely consist of broken-down coral rather than pure sand.

A trip to Fitzroy Island brings with it a bevy of benefits including close proximity to the fringing reef and less day trip visitors when compared to its neighbouring Green Island, making it a more enjoyable secluded getaway. Snorkeling is one of the most popular activities on the island as the coral flanking the island can be accessed right off the beach. Home to a collection of colourful fish and marine life, snorkellers often boast seeing stingrays, clams and even sea turtles.

In comparison to coral clusters in other locations on the reef, this isn’t as impressive, however the abundance of active marine life surely makes up for it. Additionally, the lack of large crowds means visitors will have enough space to comfortably snorkel and relax on the beach.

Flynn Reef is a site that’s consistently brimming with colour, as it’s home to coral gardens that are inhabited by a wide range of marine life – clownfish, trout, cod, Angelfish, Butterflyfish and more can all be spotted here, and combined with the water clarity makes for an underwater photographer’s dream.

The fish at Flynn Reef tend to congregate in large schools and are quite tame due to continued exposure to reef vessels and tours visiting; as a result, the opportunity to hand-feed some wild marine life exists and will likely prove highly memorable for first-timers. Add in a large number of sea cucumbers, and some truly massive giant clams that can measure up to 2 metres, and you’ve got one of the more satisfying overall reef sites for diving exploration.

A number of resident turtles can also be frequently spotted making their way amongst the intermingled staghorn and boulder coral heads, as well as an impressive range of soft coral species – this is a spot where you can truly “Find Nemo” within the anemones. The reef consists of terraces of coral and coral plates, along with overhangs of reef that blocks out light and can make for an eerie diving experience.

In all, Flynn Reef possesses an ever-changing topography, with beautiful white sea sand not-too-deep below, and a sea bed populated with both bommies and outcroppings – this diversity means that it can also suit more experienced scuba divers on group tours while having plenty to keep beginners occupied, too.

It’s also an impressive spot for night diving, and the ability to submerge and see crabs, lobsters and turtles sleeping makes a ghostly beautiful spectacle.

Green Island is a low level coral cay that’s small and easy to navigate in a short amount of time and which is nearly always busy with other day trippers due to its easy accessibility. The island can become crowded, particularly during busy holiday periods or around midday when the majority of day trip vessels arrive. You’ll find yourself sharing sections of beach or water with plenty of other people.

A lot of this is offset by just how family-friendly and facility-rich the island is. There’s enough to offer in the surrounding waters and on the island itself to keep a majority of age groups and personality types entertained and catered for.

For starters, while experienced divers or reef veterans may scoff at Green Island’s offerings, there’s no denying that it’s a great choice for first-timers or those skittish with swimming, as you can snorkel right off the supervised beach for additional peace of mind.

The island’s sheltered snorkelling conditions can be largely reassuring factor compared to being in open water off the back of the boat at the Outer Reef. Green Island serves as a kind of “Reef Training Wheels” of sorts to build confidence in the water before heading onwards to the Outer Reef at a later point in your reef trip.

Whether or not Hardy Reef appeals to you will largely depend on your prior Great Barrier Reef or diving/snorkelling experience; it’s an efficient and slick operation design to showcase some of the best and most accessible spots of the Outer Reef to the masses, with some parts shallow enough to stand with the water at only waist-level during low tides.

The ReefWorld pontoon plays a large role in this overall level of accessibility, and is a modern and well-equipped base from which to launch reef adventures.

The platform offers surprisingly upmarket facilities including sun decks, freshwater showers, change rooms and undercover seating, as well as an air-conditioned area for cooling off, with buffet lunches typically also included as part of the tour itinerary. Non-swimmers can also do their share of marine life viewing, both via semi-submersible and through the largest underwater viewing chamber in the state.

ReefWorld sits alongside a coral wall that’s largely protected from northerly wind conditions and thus offers a calm yet picturesque environment in which to snorkel and dive, while the reef’s southern face offers great diving both shallow and deep. Hard corals can easily be seen here in water down to 5m in depth, and there’s a number of ledges and caves covered with fans and soft corals to explore.

Hastings Reef possesses an excellent mixture of wall dives and shallow corals for snorkellers, as the top of the reef varies in depth from 6 to 15 metres and offers plenty of marine scenery to pass over while snorkelling. Simply float on top and watch the parrotfish, trumpet fish go by below.

Divers, meanwhile can head down to depths of around 20 metres along the reef edge and down to the sand floors where white tip reef sharks and rays can be seen resting on the ocean floor.

This particular reef is brimming with anemones and staghorn coral, while giant clams can be spotted on the reef and its bommies and the likes of sweetlip, cod and trout and enormous Maori Wrasse can all be encountered here.

Divers of all ability levels can find something appealing at Hastings Reef, with a number of outstanding swim-throughs and coral caves on offer.

Much like the other islands on the list, Heron Island provides visitors with great underwater explorations and adventures and water clarity is impeccable.The gap between snorkel and dive quality off Heron Island and the Outer Reef is not nearly as large and many will find it unnecessary to invest in an additional Outer Reef trips at all with the reef at your doorstep.

The island sits on the west side of Heron Reef and serves as a gateway to plenty of great dive spots nearby. There are over twenty spots located in close proximity to the island, many are located just 15 minutes away. If diving isn’t in your repertoire or you aren’t looking to learn, this is one of the best coral reefs to snorkel right off the beach. All you’ll need is snorkelling equipment and a sense of adventure.

The clear water also allows snorkellers and divers to revel in the abundance of marine life that occupy the waters surrounding the island. Around 60% of the Great Barrier Reef’s marine species can be found here. The chance of coming into contact with marine life is relatively high and visitors will get some impressive underwater photos. Wobbegong and reef sharks, manta rays and large cod are often spotted off Heron Island year round while loggerhead and green turtles visit in the warmer months. Turtle nesting season runs from November to March with January being the prime time to watch the turtles hatch and scurry to the ocean.

Lady Elliot is a picturesque coral cay that features impressive and picturesque fringing reefs. The island is famed for being one of the world’s best spots on Earth for a close encounter with manta rays by international dive regulator PADI and when paired with its natural beauty it is easy to see why.

Lady Elliot Island is flanked by a shallow lagoon on the eastern side that is filled with a variety of colourful corals in close proximity to shore. Its calm and predictable waters makes for perfect snorkelling conditions at high tide for swimmers of all ages and abilities even families. In addition to the vibrant coral, starfish, clams and turtles are often spotted a short distance from shore. In addition to vibrant marine life and coral, the premium water clarity means you won’t have a hard time seeing this underwater mecca come to life.

On the other side of the island, the water drops to deeper depths, however at low tide it is a popular spot to see fish and manta rays as well as turtles and, if you’re lucky, dolphins or whales.

Snorkelling and diving is a popular activity off the island mainly due to its flourishing marine life, coral and water clarity. For those looking to dive, the bommies around the region are blanketed in fish species and coral and are reached by a short boat ride from the cay. Dropping to depths up to 30 metres, these dives provide spectacular opportunities to spot manta rays, especially during the peak period of May to July.Lady Elliot’s surrounding dive sites include the Blowhole Cave, Lighthouse Bommie and the wreck of the Severance which has grown an impressive amount of corals since its sinking over 15 years ago.

Lady Musgrave Island is part of the Bunker Island group and sits roughly 59-kilometres off the coast of the town of 1770. While remaining relatively undeveloped, there are no buildings or hotels for accommodation to speak of and as a result both the island’s vegetation and its vast array of birdlife continue to flourish. It’s largely covered with plant life, however this tends to be less dense than many of its sister islands, which makes walking the island to spot its birds an easy and enjoyable prospect.

Over 40,000 birds visit the island annually between August and the following May and their droppings are a frequently encountered obstacle on the island. Take a stroll on Lady Musgrave and you’ll encounter the likes of terns, shearwaters, egrets and gulls, with their various colours and calls adding to the distinctive atmosphere of the island.

Meanwhile in the waters, marine life also flourishes and Lady Musgrave’s lagoon is a veritable hub of colourful reef fish, turtles and coral with a sand bottom and scattered bommies that are delightful to explore. The lagoon manages an easily navigable depth of 6 to 8 metres, and given that Lady Musgrave’s waters offer an average visibility of around 20 metres at a minimum, it’s possible to take in a wonderful underwater panorama even for beginner snorkellers. Couple this with a lack of currents and you’ve got one of the reef’s best “starter” spots for the uninitiated who don’t mind roughing it slightly.

Lizard Island is a relatively rugged, rocky and hilly island where seclusion and isolation play key roles in its appeal; visitor numbers are limited, and there’s no day trip option to speak of so there’s never a mass influx of short-term visitors to deal with.

The island is largely covered in grassland as opposed to the typical tropical environment, with much of its surface a highly-protected National Park; take a stroll through its greenery and you’ll no doubt encounter some of the characteristic lizards from which it derives its name. It’s the beaches, however, that make Lizard Island a true gem. 24 wonderful and isolated stretches of sand can be found here, and the sparse number of fellow travellers at any one time means it’s entirely possible to have one of the world’s best beaches all to yourself.

The snorkelling here is absolutely gorgeous and available straight off the beach with a very large variety of fish species calling the island home. The fringing reef surrounding Lizard Island is typically healthy, vibrant and colourful, however some of it has been damaged by recent cyclones – a continuous factor that has effected the island’s wellbeing in recent years.

Snorkelling highlights include the extensive clam gardens off Watson’s Bay, with massive clams measuring up to 2 metres long able to be found nestled amongst the blend of hard and soft coral. Anchor Bay also offers a walk-in coral environment and beachfront snorkelling. In both locations you’ll seldom have to worry about stingers which are a perpetual concern in most other reef locations.

Surrounded by 55 acres worth of reef, a visit here provides the confidence that a typical beach grants versus that of open water, kids can simply wade in as deep as they feel comfortable, then retreat to the sand once boredom or fatigue creeps in.

All the hallmarks of a regular beach environment are here with shallow-water swimming and sand relaxation with visitors to the Low Isles able to walk out to the surrounding coral from the beach. Coral colours and vibrancy here can’t compare to the likes of the Outer Reef, however there are numerous fish and turtles are often spotted while snorkelling the shallows.

Around 150 species of hard corals and 15 kinds of more dominant soft corals populate the waters surround the Low Isles, leading to some decent visual variety, and while visibility can be lower than the Outer Reef or other more distant islands due to sand and sediment, the shallow depth of snorkelling here helps negate this somewhat. Anemones are also plentiful, and clownfish – a.k.a “Nemo” – are a frequent and colourful sight.

Divers should bear in mind that this is a snorkel-only destination, and tours to the Low Isles are typically focused on the waters surrounding the isles themselves without pressing further on to alternative dive sites. The majority of visitors will thus spend much of their time simply paddleboarding above the reef, or relaxing on the beach under the shade of a tree.

Michaelmas Cay has much in common with the Low Isles in terms of both snorkel conditions and the environment but the main difference is its departure point (Cairns vs. Port Douglas) and a complete lack of shade.

While it’s well-protected from the wind, the cay’s vegetation consists of smaller, low-growing species instead of tropical palm trees, and with an extended stay here you’ll be exposed to several hours’ worth of direct sunlight. As a result, if you’re looking for “time out” from the UV rays, the vessel you’re travelling on provides the only real respite.

On the plus side, Michaelmas Cay’s lower visitor numbers compared to other popular reef cay/island spots due to environmental restrictions ensures it stays in quality condition. The sand here is gorgeous, clean and incredibly white, and serves as an embodiment of the “postcard reef location” many may envisage. The cay is always above water regardless of tide, and its water can be simply waded into while offering coral-spotting at waist height.

The best snorkelling on the cay can be found on its north side with reasonable visibility and the chance to spot sea turtles, sting rays and giant clams plus the occasional manta – as well as a decent colourful mix of both hard and soft corals, as well as Parrotfish and Clownfish – most snorkelers will likely enjoy their time here.

Milln Reef offers a balance of both shallow and deep diving opportunities, with depths averaging around 10 metres but extending well in excess of 20 metres in some sections. Whale Bommie – one of several on the reef’s western side is ideal for deep dives, with a number of small caves and a dense population of tropical fish is waiting to be discovered.

The reef is also home to a series of large bommies dubbed the Three Sisters, with the gaps between each of these brimming with marine life. Descending down each of the bommie walls, different species of fish are revealed as the depth increases. Visibility at Milln Reef is generally good, hovering around 20 metres on average, however on the clearest days it can stretch far enough to see another of the “Sisters” bommies in the distance.

Snorkellers, meanwhile, can simply glide over the surface of these instead, as the largest of these reaches a mere metre from the surface.

The Great Adventures platform has been a fixture of many visits to Norman Reef for decades, and recently underwent refurbishment and modernisation. As a result, it offers some of the best reef diving from any such facility due to its Outer Reef location.

This adds multiple benefits for divers visiting in terms of convenience – food and equipment can both be dispensed here, with buffet lunches typically included on tour itineraries – while providing supplementary reef exploration options such as semi-submersible reef tours and an underwater observatory from which to take in the seascape while staying dry. As a result, this option may be an ideal choice for those travelling with mixed swimming or diving ability levels.

Norman Reef in general provides plenty of variety in terms of exploration, however given the challenging nature of some of its best caves and swim throughs, advanced divers may get the most out of a trip here. Several of the caves are penetrated by light which makes for some wonderful underwater photographic opportunities, especially when the likes of the reef’s moray eels, giant clams and large Maori wrasse – and even the occasional Eagle Ray – are spotted.

One of the key reasons Opal Reef remains in a high quality condition is due to access restrictions. As a listed low-density site, the reef is only visited by smaller tour vessels, and as a result the combination of fewer visitor numbers and less impact from the vessel’s reduced size has helped preserve the area.

The reef is home to a number of long, sloping walls populated by soft and hard coral that attracts plenty of grazing fish, with large clams dotted periodically throughout, as well as a huge number of anemones that can be encountered – most housing their very own “Nemo” (clownfish), including the rarer pink variety.

Opal Reef also strikes a nice balance between the visibility and quality levels of the Outer Reef without being located as far out as some other popular reef locations with a 1.5 hour cruise as opposed to 2 hour journey each way from Cairns.This allows for more time spent exploring the reef itself.

This is definitely a good thing, as Opal Reef offers a number of quality sites conducive to both snorkelling and diving; on a tour here you’ll typically be taken by the operator to visit 3 different sites in a single day.

These include the likes of the Sandbox (a great shallower section with a number of sandy patches leading up into the shallows that averages around 10 metres in depth), the Barracuda Pass (where several species of the long, angular fish can be found as well as several fish-rich bommies), and perhaps most notably of all, the SNO (South North Opal, one of the most vibrant displays of coral and fish life on the reef with excellent coral cover and beautiful gardens).

Thetford Reef features numerous coral bommies and coral outcrops, particularly on its western side, and offers some quality wall diving on drop offs encountered on the reef edge. These sudden drops reach down to 25 metres deep and expose a view of nothing but pure, blue water as far as the eye can see.

Visibility averages around 15 metres, with bright waters that make it a haven for underwater photography.

Many of the reef’s canyons and swim throughs are only partially enclosed on top, with the light filtering through making both for a beautiful dappling effect and additional illumination for grabbing the perfect snapshot.

These amazing coral canyons are populated with both fish and soft fan corals and the sand cays at the bottom are dotted with thickets of staghorns. Thetford Reef is also a major hub for large sea anemones, and numerous big examples of their type serve as homes for colourful clownfish. Other highlights include its abundance of sea cucumbers, as well as a high chance for spotting turtles in the shallower areas and a distinctive concentration of multi-coloured Christmas worms congregated at the top of its coral heads.

Upolu Cay’s small size means that it can sometimes completely disappear and become submerged during high tides, and its utter lack of vegetation leaves it completely exposed to the sunshine, with no shelter to speak of.

However, its protected, shallow waters make it an excellent option for novice snorkellers, as visitors can simply strap on the snorkel equipment, wade in, and won’t even need to swim – the current does much of the work, allowing you to just float and enjoy the underwater spectacle. The shallow waters are quite clear at Upolu, and it provides a better quality of snorkelling than nearby Green Island in general, albeit with a total lack of facilities.

The fringing reefs around Upolu Cay provide snorkellers with the opportunity to spot a range of marine life including colourful reef fish, sea turtles and nudibranchs, and what water clarity is good if not amazing, the shallow depths reduce this to a far less significant factor.

The cay thus has much in common with the likes of the aforementioned Michaelmas Cay, and as a result begs the question for aspiring Great Barrier Reef snorkellers: Upolu Cay or Michaelmas Cay, which is better for me and why?