Snorkel in the Whitsundays

After Fraser Island we continued our way up the east coast of Australia to reach Airlie Beach, a good spot to take a trip to the Whitsundays, this amazing archipelago of over 170 protected islands that stands just at the start of the great reef barrier. All in all, the Whitsundays are a combination of two things: breathtaking white sand beaches and some of the best snorkel spots in the world. In other words, a must do when visiting Australia!

All these little islands are protected and only a handful of hotels were able to settle there which makes the place just even more special but none the less touristic. Many different agencies propose all sorts of tours, for 1 to 3 days with snorkel or diving activities, possibility to sleep on the boat or camp on the beach. It is quite unlikely you will find yourself alone on an island, yet considering the high offer, the highlight places are not overcrowded with tourists. Or at least not in the lower season!

We looked at different options; it is safe to say that prices don’t vary so much from one to another agency, they are all quite aligned and offer pretty much the same. And although we are in Australia, it is worth negotiating a little discount!

We still had a long way to drive to cairns and our days in Australia were counted so we chose a simple day boat tip with a company called Thundercat. It was all very well organised, with very friendly skipper and guide!

The program of excursion was simple: snorkel, sunbathe, swim on one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Not much can go wrong when that’s your plan for the day!

So we started the day with 2 hours of snorkel. In the first spot, we didn’t see so many fishes but the corals were just incredible! We really saw all different colours, blue, yellow, pink, giant anemones, giant clams… It was almost like being in the coloured underwater world of Nemo! In the second spot, we saw more fishes and were lucky to see a huge sea turtle and hang out with her for a bit!

After lunch on the boat, we headed to Whitehaven beach which is the main attraction in the Whitsundays. Pictures can only describe better this amazing white sand and blue water beach: