• The Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef tours from Port Douglas can accommodate disabled guests-wheelchairs, non-swimmers and young families with safe, fun and interactive ways to explore the reef in so many ways.
• This is the one and only outer Great Barrier Reef tour from Port Douglas that has a floating activity platform. The multitude of fully inclusive activities and options enable guests to see the reef in such a rich varied variety of ways.  
• If you are prone to seasickness then this Port Douglas reef trip is the best reef tour for you. If you wish to avoid a boat trip to the pontoon, you can take a scenic helicopter flight to take you one way and or return.
• Family Deal - Save $156 based on 2 adults 2 children
• For the ultimate outer Great Barrier Reef tours from Port Douglas book the Fly/Fly in a helicopter to the floating pontoon

Guests departing from Port Douglas on our Great Barrier Reef tours can choose to travel to the reef by helicopter or cruise by catamaran to the activity pontoon platform. Once there, you’ll find a host of in-water activities that you’ll wonder how you are going to fit everything in on just one day!

What to Expect 

These much loved activity platforms on our Great Barrier Reef tours provide guests with a myriad of ways to explore this world famous reef. The Quicksilver pontoon is the one and only Great Barrier Reef tour from Port Douglas that takes visitors to the Outer Barrier Reef to spend the day on a floating pontoon where you can scuba dive, go snorkelling, take scenic helicopter rides, listen to informative fish feeding presentations, observe all the underwater activities in the submerged viewing room, or take a ride around the reef in a semi-submersible submarine and see all the coral and marine life.

Great Barrier Reef Tours - Port Douglas

You will cruise to the Great Barrier Reef pontoon from Port Douglas on a spacious catamaran with full air conditioning and a licensed bar.

On boarding the boat you can choose from tea or coffee with pastries and focaccia.

Kick back and relax and enjoy as you speed over the Coral Sea to the outer section of the Great Barrier Reef on our wave piercer catamaran.

Our boat is fast and the best choice for guests who may suffer from seasickness as it is designed to cut thru waves and provide smooth passage to the Agincourt Reef pontoon. 

Outer Barrier Reef Activity Platform

Once you arrive at the Agincourt Ribbon Reef activity platform, you will have an amazing 3.5 hours of exploration and adventure on the Great Barrier Reef.  

Your tour price includes all of your snorkelling equipment (masks, prescription masks, fins, snorkels and buoyancy aids). 

A marine eco presentation is also included in the reef tour ticket price.

This is a great opportunity for children and adults to learn about the wealth of marine life that will be brought to life, when you see it all close up and personal on your day.

There are even more free in-water activities you can choose from that will have you eye-to-eye and fully immersed in the amazing underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef.  

Snorkel Tours Port Douglas

Snorkeling instructions and guidance will be given, allowing you to be more comfortable in the water and so enable you to enjoy your Great Barrier Reef trip more.  

If you are not a strong swimmer and would like a little more support in the water your reef ticket price does include the use of buoyancy vests and floatation noodles.  

There are easy access steps off of the Barrier Reef pontoon for snorkelers, so everything is made as simple and as less stressful as possible. 

Disabled or mobility challenged guests can make use of the hydraulic wheelchair lift to access the waters of the reef for snorkeling.

Reef Education and Guided Eco Reef Talk

On this reef trip you will have the opportunity to learn more about the amazing marine life you will be viewing.

Eco presentations are given throughout the day and are included in the tour price.

If you would like a special guided snorkel tour with a marine biologist (extra cost) then this a great way for all the family to have fun learning about the fish and the corals on the reef whilst you are witnessing them first hand.

Semi-submersible Submarine - Great Barrier Reef Tours

The semi-submersible submarine tour is a comfortable viewing vessel which sits you about one metre under the surface of the water.

Despite being shallow you will feel like you are sitting in a proper submarine.

Enjoy the ongoing commentary, as you cruise around the coral bommies (coral mountains), learning about the amazing shoals of fish and stunning underwater life that will be passing by your viewing window.

The semi-submersible submarine tour is also included in the reef trip price. 

Underwater Marine Observatory

This is a unique viewing platform that is located at the front of the platform between all the “action”.

You can sit in the auditorium and watch the Helmet Ocean Walkers and the fish feeding and see novice introductory scuba divers experiencing their first time diving underwater. 

You will see in the distance the exotic formations of the coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef, the shoals of reef fish, parrotfish and butterfly fish and realise just how stunning the underwater world is and all from standing by this underwater viewing window.

Ocean Walker Helmet Platform Diving

Helmet Walking is a great extra activity option if you would like to view the amazing underwater world without getting your hair wet and still wear your glasses.  

A briefing will be given before you Helmet ocean walk for your safety and comfort.

Your ocean walk will take you along an underwater viewing platform where you will see the amazing array of fish in underwater presentations.

You will be shown amazing corals, sea cucumbers and fish feeding with groupers, snappers and shoals of reef fish. 

 A certificate will be given on completion that you can frame and put on your wall as a holiday souvenir of the Great Barrier Reef of an amazing experience you will never forget.

This is another perfect activity for the non-swimmers.

Introductory Scuba Diving

You will join a small group and after completing some basic skills you will be taken by your dive instructor to explore the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Your dive instructor will take you down slowly on guide ropes to a depth of maximum 12 m where they will then take you on a dive tour and show you the colours of the many fish and the various corals that are home to many marine creatures we may have never seen before whilst snorkelling.  

Your introductory scuba dive will last approximately 30 minutes.

Certified Scuba Diving

You can choose how many certified scuba dives you would like to do (up to 3) all from the activity platform.

All dives are gentle and relaxing with maximum depth 18 m (60ft). 

Despite diving from the one pontoon, there are various dive sites that can be accessed, so you don’t have to worry that you will be seeing the same sights on all dives.

Your dive will be led by an experienced dive instructor or dive master that know the dive sites well.

These professionals can find all the best marine life and show you the best of the Great Barrier Reef.

This trip is ideal if you wish to go for a dive, yet worried about leaving behind your family members who aren’t divers.

Great Barrier Reef Scenic Helicopter Flights

The ultimate way to see the Great Barrier Reef is by booking a helicopter fly and cruise tour.

Leaving Port Douglas enjoy a low level scenic helicopter flight across the coral reefs and out to the Agincourt Ribbon Reef Platform where you may then snorkel and dive the same and see it in every other way possible.

You will simply be stunned at the site of this beautiful place from the air in your helicopter seat. 

Your helicopter will be flying at 500 ft (150 m) above the Agincourt Reef system. 

The natural beauty of the place will take your breath away.  You might even see shadows of sharks, whales, turtles, dolphins and rays as they go about their business below. 

Helicopter flights must be pre-booked beforehand as seats and helicopters are limited.

Note: Infant age 3 must pay for a seat

If you wish to avoid the catamaran journey back to Port Douglas, you can also book a return helicopter flight back to Port Douglas or Cairns! 

Guided snorkel tour with marine biologist

If you wish to make your snorkelling experience more alive and more meaningful, then understanding and learning about the marine life you are seeing on a tour with a guided marine biologist can add to your Great Barrier Reef experience.

Your marine biologist is a qualified university degree scientist and they will share their love of the marine kingdom with you on this snorkel tour.

You will be in a small group so it will be a highly personal learning experience. 

There are two different snorkel tours offered to enable all visitors, regardless of their skill levels to enjoy and learn about the amazing Great Barrier Reef. 

See more Great Barrier Reef tours on activity platforms and pontoons and the poular tours to Low Isles just off Port Douglas.

Tour Languages Offered

• English

Departs From

Port Douglas

Departure Time

• Cruise/Cruise: check in 9:00am - boarding 9:30am - departs Port Douglas Marina 10:00am - return to Port Douglas Marina at 4:30pm
• Cruise/Fly: check in 9:00am - boarding 9:30am - departs Port Douglas Marina 10:00am - departs pontoon/platform 2:45pm
• Fly/Cruise: departs Port Douglas 11:10am - departs pontoon/platform 3pm - returns to Port Douglas Marina 4:30pm
• Fly/Fly: departs Port Douglas 11:10am - departs pontoon/platform 2:45pm

Departure Instructions

Check-in at Quicksilver’s Reservations office, Port Douglas marina for boarding passes.

Pickup Locations

• Cairns
• Cairns Northern Beaches
• Palm Cove
• Port Douglas

• Pick up time & location to be confirmed at time of booking
• Please note pickups may be from centralised locations, please see below:
• 0745hrs Hungry Jacks, Westcourt Plaza.274 Mulgrave Road Westcourt.
• 0755hrs Bay 1, Reef Fleet Terminal. 1 Spence Street City.
• 0805hrs Aquarius Bus Stop. 107 Esplanade City.
• 0810hrs Dunwoodys. 317 Sheridan St. Cairns North.
• 0830hrs Trinity Beach Bus Turn Around Cnr Trinity Beach Road and Moore Street.
• 0840hrs Paradise on the Beach 119-121 Williams Esp. Palm Cove.

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Agincourt Ribbon Reefs

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

This tour operates on Christmas Day, bookings need to be made well in advance.

Duration

6.5 hours (approx.)

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Introductory and Certified Scuba Diving - needs to be pre-booked
• Marine Biologist Guided Snorkel Tours - needs to be pre-booked
• Scenic Helicopter Flights - needs to be pre-booked
• Infants age 3 will be charged the child price for any helicopter component booked, this charge will be added to your booking total
• Return accommodation transfers - needs to be pre-booked
• Souvenirs, photos & underwater camera

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium, Disabled

Restrictions

Scuba Diving – minimum age 12

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Scuba Diving, Scuba Doo and Helmet Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving and helmet diving/scuba doo.
• Participation is subject to medical questionnaires completed on board with the tour operator.
• Minimum age for scuba diving and helmet diving/scuba doo is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

• Scuba Diving - must 12 years old and pass dive medical questionaire
• Certified Scuba Divers must present dive card on day of travel

Eco Certifications

Your camera, swimming costume and beach towel, hat, sunscreen and shirt for sun protection, cash for drinks at the bar, credit cards for souvenirs

Show More

• Family Fare: 2 Adults and 2 Children (not applicable with other discounts)
• Child Fare 4-14 years inclusive
• Infants age 3 will be charged the child price for any helicopter component booked, this charge will be added to your booking total