Michaelmas Cay Sailing Tour: Luxury Catamaran Experience with Snorkeling and Diving

Embark on a luxury catamaran sailing tour to Michaelmas Cay, a stunning sand cay on the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel, dive, and explore the vibrant coral gardens and encounter Green Sea Turtles and Blue-Spotted rays. Indulge in delicious meals and enjoy complimentary bubbles while immersing yourself in this unforgettable experience.

Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ocean Spirit Cruises - Arrive to the Reef Fleet Terminal from 07:30am and check-in at the Ocean Spirit counter. Obtain your boarding passes and be directed to the vessel boarding area at the marina.
    Boarding commences from 08:00am. Enjoy Muffins and Focaccia on your journey to Michaelmas Cay. Complimentary Tea & Coffee served prior to departure….
What's Included
  • Ecological presentations by qualified marine biologists
  • Lunch
  • Use of snorkel equipment and lyra suit
  • Roundtrip cruise from Cairns to Michaelmas Cay
  • Coral viewing in air-conditioned semi-submersible
  • Environmental Management Charge
  • Morning and afternoon tea
What's Not Included
  • Drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Depart from Cairns on a high-end sailing catamaran headed for Michaelmas Cay, an idyllic sandy cay in the Great Barrier Reef. The cay is surrounded by a distinct fringing reef featuring stunning coral gardens inhabited by vibrant fish, curious Green Sea Turtles, and Blue-Spotted rays. It also serves as a crucial bird sanctuary for migratory seabirds….

Location
1 Spence St
Spence Street
Important: Please check-in & collect your boarding pass at the Ocean Spirit counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal at 7.30am. Boarding commences 8:00am, vessel departs 8:30am.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(166 Ratings)
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1 star
Excursion66000199711
Oct 7, 2025
The crew was amazing - Great experience, loved the whole day enough time at the reef (went snorkeling twice: 1 long one before lunch and a 20 min after lunch, then went on the included glass boat) and still time to enjoy the evening in cairns. Great spot to snorkel and good equipment. Wasn’t too touristy at all and the atmosphere the crew provided was lovely. Thanks for the great lunch and snacks 🫶🏻
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steve
Sep 24, 2025
Great day out. - Great day out. Friendly staff who looked after everything. Delicious food, not overcrowded. Snorkelling gear was clean and good quality.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Razzmatazz
Sep 22, 2025
Absolutely the highlight of our vacation! A very well run operation with a great crew! - This trip was a highlight of our vacation! What an amazing day with a fantastic crew. The large catamaran easily accommodated everyone comfortably, and had six toilets/changing rooms. The equipment provided (masks, snorkels, fins, lyra suits) were clean and well stocked. During the two hour boat ride to Michaelmas Cay, the crew gave us a safety briefing, and there was a presentation/introduction to the fish and corals that we would be seeing. Such a pity that over half the passengers were too busy sunbathing or taking selfies and missed out on this valuable talk! Later we were able to identify all the corals that we saw through the submersible and during our swim, that we could not have done if we missed the talk. The crew served us coffee/tea and cake when we boarded, lunch was a very nice hot and cold buffet with a variety of food, and after the swim there was afternoon coffee/tea and cookies and finally some bubbly and dessert/fruit/cheese. It was much more than we were expecting and very much appreciated. The semi-submersible ride that is included in the tour accommodates about 20 passengers at a time, so they did several trips at various time slots. Again there was a marine biologist explaining all the different corals we were seeing through the glass. Note: we took the guided tour option (for an additional fee) and would highly recommend it. We are not very strong swimmers and would never have ventured into deep waters on our own. Doing it with a guide (Paul) allowed us to see so much more.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nolan_t
Sep 21, 2025
Ocean Spirit was an... - Ocean Spirit was an excellent way to see the reef! The marine biologist was very informative and the information helped us appreciate what we were seeing. The semi-sub was a great way to explore the deeper part of the reef and also provided details about our surroundings. We were so happy Ocean Spirit allowed us to book an hour before checkin as our other tours (different company) cancelled last minute due to boat technical issues.
Review provided by Viator
Glenda_r
Sep 6, 2025
Staff were amazing, they... - Staff were amazing, they couldn’t do enough for you. We had morning and afternoon tea plus a delicious lunch. It was easy to get on and off the boat when we went snorkeling and were looked after while on the sand island. I would suggest to take a jacket with you as it can become cold.
Review provided by Viator
Juliebrocks
Sep 1, 2025
Worth every cent & saw turtles - This experience was good value for money, not on the cheaper side, but definitely worth the money. The boat was not overly crowded. The food was absolutely fresh and tasty. The submergible boat trip was extremely enjoyable, and the snorkeling location was ideal with staff patrolling in their boats, happy to tow you out to the outer reef to swim back in - very accommodating very friendly. We even saw 5 turtles. A most enjoyable day out. There were 9 people in our party, 8 adults in ages from 21 to 56 and an 8 year-old child - we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nameerfud
Aug 28, 2025
Fun day - It was a good day. Right from the first greeting at the counter; welcome to the boat; safety briefing; and dive site understanding. The team was thorough, polite and safe. The marine scientists were fabulous. Especially Jayde The snorkeling was really good. Lots of every colour fish big and small. The water was crystal clear and smooth. Pity it wasn’t windy enough to flap the sails. The food was excellent All in all a very good day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer659403
Aug 22, 2025
Great Cruise - Me and my brother have been on the cruise on July, 23rd. We strongly recommend it because: - the tour is well organized with knowledgeable personnel on the boat - good food on board - the cay is amazing with all the birds and its beach - the use of snorkel equipment and lyra suit for all the people - the tour on the semi-submersible with views of the coral I am not good at swimming and snorkeling so I cannot really judge it. All the rest is amazing. We also saw some whales that were not expected and this added value to the cruise Paolo and Maurizio Bizzini
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frances_s
Aug 12, 2025
Life time experience! - Amazing experience! Thoroughly enjoyed the private snorkeling tour. Well worth the additional expense. The lunch buffet and tea time treats on the ship were delicious. The crew is exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. Be sure to take advantage of the various talks they give throughout the day so that you can get the most out of your trip. The multiple onboard ship toilets are a decent size and thus serve well as changing rooms. Beach area at Michaelmas Cay is very windy so bring a heavy/solid bag to put your things on the beach when you are in the water. Be sure to dress for the weather as it can be quite windy if you want to go on deck. Recommend taking motion sickness medicine, especially for the trip back.
Review provided by Viator
96matthewm
Aug 10, 2025
Complete disregard for wildlife and safety - 8/8/2025 morning tour - Ocean spirit crew and guest had a complete disregard for the local wildlife and safety on the reef. Ocean Spirit crew members took tender boats at full speed across shallow reefs while other tour operators had divers in the water. Tender boats ignored marked channels and cross full speed across shallow reefs. The Ocean Spirit crew took multiple groups ashore on Michaelmas Cay and allowed guests to cross the restricted wildlife zones on both sides of the cay, occurring for extended periods of time. Guests scared off many of the local nesting birds on the island while taking pictures and sitting on the beach outside of the authorized zone. Ocean Spirit guests who were snorkeling also stood up on multiple spots on the reef. Ocean Spirit crew did nothing to stop guests from crossing the restricted areas on the cay nor stop them from standing on the reef. Obviously clear that this company has no respect for the Great Barrier Reef and only cares about profits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $182
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).