Frankland Islands: Reef and Wildlife Adventure

Discover rare Sand Stars and endangered species on a full-day Frankland Islands cruise. Explore vibrant coral reefs and relax on secluded Normanby Island.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Frankland Islands - Discover the untouched beauty of Frankland Group National Park, a part of the Great Barrier Reef, which includes five uninhabited islands: Normanby, High, Russell, Round, and Mabel, all encircled by vibrant fringing reefs. Immerse yourself in a diverse marine ecosystem with 200 coral species around Normanby and Mabel islands….
What's Included
  • Spacious and comfortable boat
  • Spectacular 30-minute calm water cruise along the Mulgrave River
  • Guided Island Walk
  • Use of Snorkeling Equipment, Kayaks and Stand up Paddle boards
  • Morning & Afternoon Tea and fresh water throughout the day
  • Lunch
  • Return transfers from select Cairns CBD accommodation, subject to availability.
  • Guided Snorkel Safari Tour
  • Lycra Suits (seasonal)
What's Not Included
  • Introductory Diving
  • Varied drinks including soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (available to purchase)
  • Admission fees
Additional Information

Frankland Islands Reef Cruises is the sole commercial operator permitted to land on the breathtaking Normanby Island, providing plenty of space and time for relaxation and exploration. Personalize your day trip with a range of optional activities on our all-inclusive tour.
The islands are also home to several endangered species, including the green…

Location
169 Ross Rd
Ross Road
If you are making your own way to the boat, please meet us at 8.15am for an 8.30am departure from Deeral Jetty - 169 Ross Rd, Deeral QLD 4871, Australia. Please note the Deeral Jetty is 40 minutes south of Cairns.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(426 Ratings)
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Benfield2015
Apr 11, 2026
Do not hesitate to take this tour! - Fabulous experience. Staff had tons of enthusiasm and took great care of us. The person that lead the snorkel tour (I didn’t catch her name but she is from Missouri) was particularly great. Do not hesitate to take this tour. The snorkeling was awesome and we had plenty of time. Even saw a manta ray!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akanksha_u
Apr 11, 2026
Must-do - Great tour! Superb team. The whole crew is fantastic and they go out of their way to make your day comfortable, enjoyable and memorable. Food is great too! We had the island to ourselves on the day we went. Kids had a great time going around the island on a treasure hunt with Riley! We snorkelled from the beach all day and saw all kinds of fish and coral. Spotted some turtles and a baby black tip shark too! Pretty fab day! Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
619minin
Apr 8, 2026
Beautiful island and reef tour! - Amazing tour from start to finish. All staff really friendly and knowledgeable. Lovely pace to the day. The river and ocean cruise to get the island is beautiful and fun. Normanby Island is an unspoilt piece of heaven. Andy who lead the Snorkel Safari and the island tour knew so much about the reef and the island. We saw so many fish and types of reef, we were also lucky enough to see lots of green sea turtles both from the beach and when snorkelling. Group size was 40 and we had the island to ourselves. I would totally recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshinegray587
Mar 30, 2026
Finding Nemo - Great crew, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We were fortunate that it didn't rain after arriving on the island, and we had a lovely sunny day. The snorkeling from the beach was good - we saw a lot of different fish. One of us did the snorkel safari. It was well organised and good. Unfortunately the water was a bit cloudy after the recent rain, and it was only a week after cyclone Narelle passed just north of here, making it a bit more difficult to see clearly under water. Cold buffet lunch was tasty and filling. We really enjoyed the walk around the island guided by Max. There was good shelter from the sun and plenty of drinking water available, and soft or alcoholic drinks were available for purchase. Highlights: seeing a couple of small 'nemo' fish, a shy octopus, guide Max's enthusiasm about the island and sealife, the small giant clam closing and squirting water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Astepforever
Mar 25, 2026
Everything well organized - Everything is well organized from pick up to drop off. The island is not as commercialized as the other islands in the area, so you got to enjoy the natural beauty more. Special kudos to the marinebiologist (I didnt capture his name unfortuntely). He led the snorkeling safari and the island walk, and I had learnt so much about the corals and the geology on the way. Just be mindful that if you sit at the rear window seats, you would get poured by the splash - they tried to pull some curtains on the side, not too helpful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ianhc8687wj
Mar 16, 2026
Great day out but good weather needed to maximise the experience - Great day out. Pity the weather was poor meaning viewing the reef and fish was almost impossible (cloudy water). Did see a saltie on return up the river though
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H5168tmfionaf
Mar 13, 2026
Must do tour to see the reef in Cairns - Absolutely fabulous experience from start to finish. Super proffessional guides highly knowledgeable. I have some health concerns, they could not have been dealt with more proffessionaly or with more consideration. Both the reef safari and the island walk were exceptional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fearless24624031067
Mar 12, 2026
Wonderful overall experience - Truly awesome! Much better and less crowded/touristy than the Outer Reef/Green/Fitzroy tours for a more secluded feel. All inclusive makes it stress free. Tour guides were fun and informative. River entrance adds the croc dimension. Definitely recommend this tour more than the others or at least do both, but don’t miss this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clair_c
Mar 9, 2026
Wonderful day - Amazing day - fantastic staff who were attentive and knowledgeable and couldn’t help us enough to ensure we enjoyed our day We travelled with a year adult son who has an intellectual disability- from the moment we were collected everyone from the coach driver to the crew made sure he was included and made sure his needs were met. I did the safari snorkelling but my partner and his son stayed at on the island and were helped by Max to kayak and snorkel - Riley kept checking in on us and also made sure our dietary needs were sorted. The afternoon island tour with Max was so informative and again inclusive. All in all a wonderful day with experienced and innately kind staff.
Review provided by Viator
Dennis_m
Apr 16, 2026
Franklin islands - Very rough sea getting to island. Once there snorkeling was good. Plenty of colorful fish. Sharks and turtles. Lunch was good. Overall I would do it again
Review provided by Viator
From $185
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).