Green Island

Green Island, a beautiful 12 hectare, 6000 year old coral cay in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, is a premier destination for those visiting Cairns. Known for its crystal-clear waters, vibrant marine life, and lush green rainforests, Green Island offers visitors so many differnt things to do you will never be bored. It's the perfect destination for families, with activities and sights that cater to all ages. Green Island is great value for young families especially with our famous family package deals where one child travels free.*(see term and conditions) 

Flora and Fauna:

The islands diverse ecosystem is a haven for a vivid array of bird species. The island's skies and trees are frequented by a multitude of birds, ranging from local land and sea birds to migratory species journeying across the Great Barrier Reef to their nesting sites. Observers can spot over 55 bird species on Green Island, with about 15 of these species choosing it as their regular nesting ground.

The waters surrounding Green Island are just as vibrant and life-rich as the island itself. The marine environment here supports various habitats, each teeming with fascinating marine life:

1. Seagrass Beds: These shallow areas are crucial for marine biodiversity. They provide a safe haven for juvenile fish, shielding them from predators, and are a feeding ground for larger marine creatures like sea turtles and dugongs.

2. Coral Reefs: The coral ecosystem around Green Island is a spectacle of biodiversity. It begins in the shallows and stretches into deeper waters, comprising over 190 types of hard corals and more than 100 varieties of soft corals. This underwater landscape is a living, breathing testament to the rich marine life that the Great Barrier Reef is known for.

How to Get To Green Island

Located just 45 minutes (27km) from Cairns by ferry, Green Island is easily accessible. Visitors have the choice of multiple daily ferry departures, allowing for flexible planning. For an unforgettable experience, consider a scenic helicopter ride from Cairns, offering panoramic views of the reef and the island.

Three tour operators ferry visitors to Green Island daily:

Great Adventures, Big Cat Cruises and Ocean Free

How Long Should You Spend on Green Island?:

Guests have the choice of half day tours and full day tours on the ferry boats and if on a helicopter ride they may choose their own time frame. If you book a half day tour on the island and are enjoying it so much you can talk to the island crew and extend to the full day tour for no extra charge if their is capacity left on the return to Cairns ferry boat. Times on the island range from 2.5 hours to 7 hours. 

See Green Island and the Outer Great Barrier Reef:

For the ultimate best Great Barrier Reef tour we recommend you book the two in one tour that provides guests with 2 hours on Green Island and then 3 hours on the outer reef on an interactive platform pontoon where you can snorkel, dive, enjoy helicopter rides, ride around the reef on underwater scooters and more. It's simply the best value Cairns reef trip with so much to see and do all in the one day and it saves you money. 

Things to do on Green Island

Snorkelling and Swimming: Green island’s beaches feature shallow waters ideal for families and young kids. The island boasts a lifeguard beach, ensuring a safe swimming environment. Explore the underwater world with snorkelling gear and follow the fish amongst the coral gardens.

Helicopter Ride Green Island: Guests may travel to or fro from Cairns on a helicopter ride. They may also enjoy a 15 minute scenic helicopter ride with a take off from the beaches on Green Island to explore the outer coral reef and coral cays on the Great Barrier Reef. Helicopter rides over the reef provide visitors with a different perspective of the vastness and beauty of the lace like corals that make up the World Heritage Listd Great Barrier Reef.   

Scenic Flights: Take off from Cairns on a 40 minute scenic flight in a fixed wing airplane for 40 minutes to soar around Green Island in the morning and then jump on the ferry to spend 4 hours in the afternoon exploring Green Island from underwater.  

Sea Walker Helmet Diving: A fun and easy way to witness the huge variety of fish life and corals in their natural habitat around Green Island without even getting your hair wet or having to remove your glasses. No scuba diving experience is required, you just need to fill out a medical questionnaire and be over the age of 12 years old. You can also be a non-swimmer too! Seawalker tours are for everyone to enjoy the underwater world experience in a totally unique way on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Taking no more than 60 minutes to complete your Seawalker experience, you will have plenty of time to snorkel, join a glass bottom boat tour and explore this beautiful and unique tropical island. 

Scuba Diving: Green Island is a PADI dive centre and they provide fully supervised introductory dive trips for guests who may have never experienced scuba diving before. You will begin your lesson in the safe environment of the island pool and then from a tender boat just off Green Island at one of the four licenced dive sites about 7 minutes off shore. Cerified scuba divers will be accompanied by a dive guide to show you the best underwater sites and reef just off Green Island. Please note minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years and a medical questionnaire is provided for all participants safety.

Glass Bottom Boat: Glass bottom boat tours provide a window in to the rich underwater eco system without getting wet and are perfect for the non-swimmers who would still like to explore the coral reefs and the marine life around the island.  

Boat Snorkel Tours: These snorkel tours take guests off the island for a 5-7 minute trip offshore about 1.5km to explore the beautiful hard corals and marine life that thrive in the deeper waters. (for those that wish to see good underwater activity we highly recommend you upgrade to this activity)

Parasailing Green Island: When on the island you can upgrade to even more activities such as a parasail ride around the island.

Green Island Beach Hire Activities:

For those folks that like to have a bit of activity on their Great Barrier Reef tour you can also book single or double kayaks to explore the reef, play a set of beach volleyball with friends for 2 hours, or hire a beach umbrella and sun chairs to just sit back, relax and watch all the activity that is going on around you in this tropical paradise. 

Does Green Island Cater For Wheelchair Passengers?:

Wheelchair facilities are available, however there are some restrictions and some mobility may be required. For travel to Green Island there may be a few steps at the end of the gangway onto the jetty depending on tide levels and the narrow gangways used when disembarking. To board the glass bottom boat, there are also some steps into this vessel and the same applies with the semi-submersible submarine. Green Island does have disabled toilet facilities and boardwalk pathways in the day visitor facilities that are easy for wheelchair users to access. There is a boardwalk that takes you through the rainforest and in to the centre of the island to see the birdlife, flora and fauna. Read all about information for disabled travellers visiting Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

Marineland Melanesia:

Marineland Melanesia is also home to a few giant native sea turtles that have been rescued and being rehabilitated to be set free on the Great Barrier Reef and reef fish such as lionfish and Barramundi which share a huge aquarium.This Cairns tourist attraction houses in excess of 20 ferocious Saltwater Crocodiles and also the world’s biggest captive saltwater crocodile, Cassius who turned 120 years old in May 2020. He is 5.48 metres long or 17ft 11.75 inches long. The crocodiles are fed at 10.30 and 1.30pm each day so check on the notice board outside Marineland Melanesia for the timetable to ensure you do not miss out seeing Cassius out of his murky green billabong, you will be awestruck at his size with a girth big enough to swallow the family car! 

A walk around Marineland Melanesia will broaden your knowledge and appreciation for these beautiful creatures and it’s a must-do activity to include in your Green Island, Great Barrier Reef Tour. Located on the eastern side of Green Island Marineland Melanesia is a great attraction for all the family take a full day tour or a half day tour and spend a day on an island on the Great Barrier Reef. Book and pay at the door for Marineland Melanesia and buy some souvenirs in the gift shop.

Food and Beverage: 

Lunch and refreshments can be purchased from the Island's restaurant and food outlets including the Canopy Grill for burgers, fish & chips, wraps, the Pool Bar for cocktails and pizza, Ice Creams, and Emeralds Restaurant for a la carte dining or set course menus.   

Green Island or Fitzroy Island?:

We get asked this question a lot and there is no simple answer as each island offers there own unique attributes and things to do. Read our blog and get to know both islands so you can then make the right choice for yourself.  

Cruise Ship Arrival Cairns:

Cruise ship arrivals normally coincide with the opportunity for passengers to disembark and pop over to Green Island for a few hours to enjoy the reef. Read our informative cruise ship shore tour blog for passengers visiting Cairns, Port Douglas and Yorkeys Knob.  

Best Time To Visit:

Anytime of year is a great time to be on Green Island as it is beautiful one day and perfect the next. No matter the time of year the island is simply a pleasure to visit as you are in a tropical environment and the scenery changes hourly. During the year the island may experience extreme low tides which will affect the snorkelling around the closest corals to the beach so we recommend you book the guided snorkelling tour that takes you away from the island into deeper water.   

Read our blog pages to answer all your questions about the tours and attractions in Cairns, Tropical Far North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef?