Red Cat Great Barrier Reef Tour From Airlie Beach
Quick Information For This Tour
Product – 1 day Great Barrier Reef Tour From Airlie Beach
Price – Adults $299, Children $249 (Ages 6 – 14),
Price Includes – Lunch, snacks, snorkel equipment, wetsuit
Location – Coral Sea Marina, Airlie Beach QLD 4802
Type Of Boat – Catamaran Power Boat
Boat Name – Red Cat
Departure Time – 8:00 am
Return Time – 4:00 pm
Maximum Guests – 40
Tour Locations – Outer Great Barrier Reef.

Discover the beauty of the world-famous Great Barrier Reef on this small-group snorkelling eco-adventure from Airlie Beach! Climb aboard a comfortable wave-piercer and journey to the majestic coral wonderland of the outer reefs. Explore various snorkelling locations at your own pace before taking a break for lunch with a delicious locally catered lunch. Relax and take in all the sights and sounds from the top deck while reconnecting with nature. Whether it’s a family bonding day, a romantic escape or an adrenaline-filled adventure, this all-inclusive Great Barrier Reef Tour From Airlie Beach will deliver unforgettable memories that you’ll cherish forever.
For Red Cat Great Barrier Reef Tour From Airlie Beach More Information
Tour Highlights
- All-inclusive package with lycra suit, snorkelling equipment, fins and wet suit (winter months)
- Take a ride through the iconic Whitsunday Islands on your way to the Great Barrier Reef
- Snorkel Multiple sights at the breathtaking outer Great Barrier Reef
- Enjoy a full day tour from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm so you can spend more time exploring iconic locations
- Onboard bar for drinks, tea and coffee throughout the day
- Travel with accredited Climate Action Leaders and leave no trace behind!
- Onboard toilet for passenger comfort
- Local suppliers providing lunch and snacks catered by qualified chefs
- Stable catamaran custom-built specifically for the Whitsundays – perfect for those who suffer from seasickness!
- Australian owned & family operated business for 11 years.
Is This Tour Suitable For You?
This Great Barrier Reef Tour from Airlie Beach is not suitable for those under six years of age.
Recommended for confident swimmers that have previously snorkelled.
Tour Departure Point Map
Tour Video
Snorkelling The Reef
During your day tour, you will get 2 opportunities to snorkel the coral-filled bays on the coastal fringes of the islands. Here you can see turtles, Maori wrasse, batfish, parrot fish, clown fish (Nemo) plus plenty more! in most bays, the coral starts close to shore and is easily accessible by the small tender boats. For the nonconfident swimmers, there are noodles and flotation devices available for safety.
Food on the tour
Morning Tea
Passionfruit and bush lemon cheesecake
Lunch
Bread rolls
Sliced meats – 3 selections
Tomato, cheese and cucumber
Spiced chickpea, balsamic beetroot and persian feta salad
Roasted tandoori pumpkin salad with wild rice, hummus and tomato jam
Sweet corn, basil and goats cheese slice
Charred bell pepper, cashew and parmesan risoni.
Afternoon Tea
Seasonal fruit skewers
Finer Details
What To Bring
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, a towel and a hat
- Practical clothing and footwear (warmer items during winter)
- Underwater camera
- Card for purchases, no cash
- Refillable water bottle
- A sense of fun and adventure!
TRAVEL SICKNESS:
If you are not quite sure whether or not you may suffer from Travel Sickness, please make sure that you are prepared. As
the trained crew will assist as much as possible in making you comfortable but they are not allowed to provide you with any
medication to help with the problem.
SNORKELLING GEAR:
Masks and snorkels are all included in the price of your trip and will be distributed on board.
LYCRA SUITS & WETSUITS:
Wearing a Lycra stinger suit will prevent UV exposure and significantly reduce your risk to marine stingers.
You will be fitted for your Suit onboard the boat.
Terms and Conditions Of Travel
Red Cat Adventures Great Barrier Reef Tour From Airlie Beach: All prices are per person in AUD and include GST, National Park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park entry fees, professional skipper and host, live aboard, all meals, fresh linen and use of snorkelling equipment and snorkel suits. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure (Thundercat, Outer Reef Snorkeling Adventure and Tongarra Day Sail) or less than three weeks before departure private charters will result in complete forfeiture of the full price. We reserve the right to substitute vessels without notice at any time for any reason. We recommend you take out travel insurance covering illness, injury, loss of personal goods and the inability to travel due to weather. Clients should note that adventure travel involves risk. Whilst we make every effort to safeguard guests, we cannot be responsible for any damage, personal injury or loss due to the actions of passengers that are beyond our control. All cruises are subject to weather and the vessel operator’s discretion. Please allow extra time to travel during the wet season (Dec-May) as we occasionally have road closures due to flooding. At certain times of the year, ‘dangerous’ jellyfish inhabit these waters, and passengers should take care of their own safety. Passengers entering the water do so at their own risk, and the vessel’s owner will not be liable for any personal injury, illness, death or other consequences of passengers being stung by jellyfish. To minimise this risk, you will have a full-length protective ‘Snorkel Suit’ to wear while swimming and snorkelling during the cruise. Accordingly, Red Cat Adventures shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any injury to a person or property which is suffered or sustained by any passenger as a result of participating in any of its sailing adventures, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.
Red Cat Adventures ABN 56747506028
Red Cat Adventures Reviews On Google
We went out on the Thundercat for a Whitsundays tour ! what a great day! Big thanks to the two blondies, Shannon and Jay.
super friendly, full of energy, and created such a fun vibe on board. They told us we had an “amazing group” – bit of a white lie if you ask me, the group was actually pretty boring! 😄
But thanks to those two legends, it didn’t matter. The food was tasty, fresh and more than enough for everyone. Honestly, for what you pay, the value is spot on.
Would definitely recommend🤙🏽
cheers for the great day, Red Cat! 🐾⛵️
Lots of food for lunch and snacks throughout the day
The crew were super great super informative and full of knowledge!
I’m still in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds us! I didn’t snorkel and was given VIP treatment Birds Eye view of the fish and coral super super grateful !such a great experience!! 10/10 from us!!
Highly recommend with this cheerful knowledgeable caring crew!!!!
Not only did we get to enjoy the most breathtaking views, but we also had a delicious buffet lunch on the boat, along with some tasty snacks throughout the day. A special shout-out to the crew — Ella, Kieran, Dan, and Anthony — who made this experience unforgettable with their humor, knowledge of the islands, attentiveness, and overall helpfulness.
I highly recommend booking with Red Cat Adventures if you’re staying in the Whitsundays and want to make the most of a day out on the water!
I noticed the travel specialist from Red Cat come over with a cup of tea and sat with me. We chatted and I thought we were making a genuine connection until Mafalda tried selling me tours. I brought my friend in after she was done in Ghanda and everything we talked about she forgot. It was like she only had money on her mind. I ended up booking directly with company after she gave me recommendations because this interaction felt disingenuous.
When we asked if we could think about it and book online. She discouraged us from doing that so she could make commission.
Also!!! They had gluten free options!
We chose Red Cat for our tour, and it turned out to be the right decision. We had the best snorkeling experience in the Great Barrier Reef around the Whitsundays. The water was crystal clear, and as soon as we jumped in, schools of fish swarmed around us.
We also visited Whitehaven Beach, which was so breathtakingly beautiful that it felt almost unreal.
Our boat was small, but it wasn’t too rocky. The only downside was that, perhaps because of its size, the lunch provided was very basic, and the toilet was tiny—you had to squeeze yourself in.
Overall, it was a great experience!
The snorkeling was okay, but the biggest reason for the 4star instead of 5 is the vessel itself.
We were informed a few days prior to the tour that we were no longer going on the Thundercat, but that they would be sending us on the Wildcat vessel instead - this ended up being quite disappointing as the sides were not open like the other vessels. The windows are covered in salt spray (as can be expected), making it near impossible to enjoy the views while you are on the boat. The roof 'deck' was open for passengers while the boat was not moving too quickly, but without shade, this too is not really an option.
Given that the scenery is so stunning and quite a bit of time is spent on the boat, it would be great if you could actually see out.
There energy, music, entire vibe was awesome.
Thanks again guys
Our tour guide Sav and skipper PK made sure we had the best day! Both were super knowledgeable of the area.
Sav did an amazing job helping us out as first time snorkelers.
Best day ever!
Cheers boys!
The team were so funny and so helpful! Biggest thank you to Tony, Abbie and Sam!
Also big thank you to our lovely kiwi driver (45 years in Airlie beach 🙏🏼)
We had very talented pk and Ella on the boat who made the whole thing even better!
Thanks for a great experience!
We first went to the lookout to take the famous photo of the sandbanks, then we spent some time at Whitehaven Beach, had lunch on the boat, and finally did snorkeling at two different spots. Simply amazing.
Fortunately, we had beautiful weather, and sailing on the boat while listening to chill music with those views was a dream.
The crew was very friendly at all times. If you wanted to know the names of corals or fish, they were happy to answer your questions. Thanks, boys!
The telephone and email service was 10/10, highlighting above all the attention and kindness of the employee who advised us and managed to give us a space for the next day, since we did not have many days.
The boat tour is beautiful, seeing the islands and the beautiful sea.
I'm not particularly a fan of the music on board as I think it ruins the essence of the place and doesn't allow you to see the nature, but I can understand how other people might enjoy them.
Unfortunately, upon arriving at the first snorkeling spot, the guides noticed that they had forgotten all their snorkeling equipment. I think this could have been solved by checking what was necessary for the tour before leaving. That meant our snorkel would last less.
Luckily they were able to solve it by borrowing money from another resort.
I agree that time in the Whitsundays is very short, but I also understand the difficulty of accessing the area and I am grateful to have been able to see it.
On the way back to Airlie Beach the guides saw a whale and we were able to see them thanks to her so it was appreciated.
Overall, the tour was good, but if you are one of the people who likes tranquility and spending more time in places, perhaps I would recommend doing another one.
A hug!
The whole experience from booking, to transfers, the meals (catered for my dairy allergy), the snorkel sites, stories and chats from the crew made it a special day and one our family won't forget.
Highly recommend thunder cat!
Would recommend this company to anyone and everyone. Amazing coral, fish and surprise whales. Feel so lucky to have had such a gorgeous day. Shout out to our experienced skipper PK with Jade and Tate. Best guys!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 this is the only whitsundays tour you should consider!!!
Amazing views, and friendly for people who are amateur at snorkeling. The corals and fish were beautiful. You will feel like travelling with friends.
Unbelievable the professionalism and passion we got from Pk @ Jess thanks.
( Ps give them a pay rise and clone them )
Both were fun yet professional which made the whole experience one to remember
Special thanks to Mike for looking after me as I am not very confident in the water, but thanks to Mike I didn’t miss out.
7 year old “loved the snorkelling, was so awesome. Best day of my life”
12 year old “Amazing!”
Thanks to the team (Ian, PK and Ella) for a cracking experience. Mother Nature also came to the party and put on a spectacular day to be on the water.
Red cat are lucky to have such enthusiastic staff that clearly love what they do! 5 out of 5.
The girls were definitely one of the days highlights as well as swimming with the Giant Trevally as they fed around us (the crew threw them food).
One downside is definitely the fact there isn’t any clippers available for hire, had to hire them elsewhere beforehand.
The key to the experience was PK, Shannon and Peyton! They were so authentic in the enjoyment of the experience they created for us. FYI, the brownies and lunch were delicious! The cold BYO beers was deadly!
I can stress enough how amazing this Thundercat team is.
Staff is prepared to anything: give you rich information about every place we have been, how to have a safe and fun day in the ocean, enrich our culture and knowledge about the Great Barrier Reef - as a Marine Biologist I was impressed on everything that Shannon shared with the group, environmentally talking this is so important.
My group was me, my husband (we both have been to Whitsundays before with a different company and can’t compare how much fun Thundercat is!) and my father who is non English speaker and left with the biggest smile ever for feeling so included on the fun, well cared and happy with the tour.
Well done guys, as I said: you guys are the best and feels like you guys love what you do! Shannon shines bright, there’s no bad day around this girl!
Thank you
Captain P.K ,Shanna and Pay day lol!!
You guys kept the energy up all day long!!!
Totally recommend 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
We had the best operators for the day, the hospitality went above and beyond, and couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you so much for providing that experience for us and Shannon, Mark and Bret you have out done yourselves!
Cheers!
Thankyou for such a memorable day at the whitsundays , 5star for the yummy food & snacks provided too 🙂
We took some awesome drone footage, that we hope you found useful!
We all hope to return for another beautiful day in the future
From all of us who joined, Kindest regards
Beth
Celine
Jazz
Robbie
Shannon and Zack took great care of us. They were fun, helpful and very organized. They gave us a lot of great historical and biological information throughout the tour.
When at Whitehaven, Shannon was kind enough to take photos for everyone at the lookouts as she recognized this was the easiest way to get the traffic to flow and for everyone to get clean photos. This meant a lot to me as it was my birthday gift from my partner to tick this unbelievable bucket list item off.
Snorkeling at the first spot was really cool but Mantaray Bay was a mind blowing experience. We had gorgeous yellow fins surround my partner and I in a little fish tornado and they came right up to our faces. I couldn’t believe it! I felt like a mermaid all the while holding the hand of my favorite person in the world. Incredible 🙂
The Red Cat team provided wet suits, goggles and snorkels although we brought our own face masks. Shannon was kind enough to spray the inside of our masks for us with a little shampoo mixed with water to prevent fogging. Fab customer service.
Red Cat also provided lunch. Sandwich, cold Thai noodles and potato salad. They also had free water and soft drinks for purchase onboard. You can also bring your own drinks and snacks if you prefer.
When snorkeling, the team has a bunch of pool noodles that you can use if you’re not a very strong swimmer or just want to be a bit more leisurely. I used one so I could focus more on observing the wildlife than staying afloat, it was great!
Thank you, Red Cat, for an unbeatable experience. You made this birthday really special! Keep up the amazing work and keep spreading the word about environmental change and action.
During the island visit, we did a walking track to Chance Bay. If you’re going to do that, it takes a while to get there, so get started straight away. It’s about 2.2km.
I’d recommend bringing some water resistant clothing, as we copped a bit of spray with the rough conditions on the way back.
The first island we stopped at had phenomenally white soft sand. Beautiful!
Next stop was snorkelling on the reef to check out some fish, then after that, we stopped off in a different reef area to check out some coral life.
I’m not sure what Fabian’s getting paid, but you should double it! He was a great tour guide!
Donna our shuttle bus driver was also lovely. Lovely to chat to and had some great local advice.
Highly recommended!
Whitehaven beach is beautiful.
Delicious lunch was served on the boat after.
Reese and Shannon took such good care of all .. lots of choices for folks with dietary restrictions.
Amazing snorkeling followed in 2 different spots.
On the return trip Reese spotted 2 humpback whales and slowed the boat and floated so we could watch them. Just incredible to see them in their natural habitat.
Again a fabulous day with Reese and Shannon who are a great asset to Red Cat Adventure and we thank them!
The weather was perfect and the views of Whitehaven Beach were stunning. The first snorkel spot had the most lush looking coral and the second was full of fish. All around it was the perfect day.
We also saw a whale on the trip out.
Conditions were a little rough and we got pretty well soaked on the trips out and back as we were sitting at the front (rain jackets were provided) but it added to the fun and adventure.
Compostable utensils aboard. Food options to accommodate most diets, including fruit skewers, gluten-free vegan brownies, vegan potato salad, and vegan noodle salad on our trip. The vegan options were gone first—they know their audience (quite good, and also at least 4 vegans on our tour). Food is pretty basic and mix-and-match otherwise, so gets the job done. Also appreciated the pool noodles for snorkeling, made it way easier to float and explore.
Lots of fun, would happily go again!