Sailing
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 92% of travellers
92% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
AU$254
per adult
Wavedancer Low Isles Cruise
Wavedancer Low Isles Cruise
4.5
Scuba & SnorkellingBoat ToursWater SportsEco Tours
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Wavedancer Low Isles Cruise
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Sailing
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
AU$295
per adult
Sailing
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
AU$295
per adult
Travellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
522 reviews
Excellent
329
Very good
124
Average
46
Poor
16
Terrible
7
Jenny V
Maroubra, Australia48 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
We had the most amazing time! My husband and I were visiting on our honeymoon and the staff were so friendly and everyone congratulated us and even gave us a free bottle of sparkling wine!
Glenn the marine biologist was super knowledgeable. Emily the lifeguard was always watching and making sure everyone was ok which we greatly appreciated as my husband has asthma.
We got to see so much amazing stuff! So many beautiful colours! We also spotted some black tip reef sharks catching fish near the shore. When we went snorkeling, we definitely got 'carried away' as the current swept us over the reef where it was too shallow but we were having such a great time, we didn't notice until it was too late! Luckily, we found a way out and got to shore safely and had lunch. We would recommend this cruise! Hopefully one day we can come back. Lowe Isles was amazing!
Glenn the marine biologist was super knowledgeable. Emily the lifeguard was always watching and making sure everyone was ok which we greatly appreciated as my husband has asthma.
We got to see so much amazing stuff! So many beautiful colours! We also spotted some black tip reef sharks catching fish near the shore. When we went snorkeling, we definitely got 'carried away' as the current swept us over the reef where it was too shallow but we were having such a great time, we didn't notice until it was too late! Luckily, we found a way out and got to shore safely and had lunch. We would recommend this cruise! Hopefully one day we can come back. Lowe Isles was amazing!
Written 23 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy D
Brisbane, Australia80 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
During COVID restrictions - con: buffet meal had to be served (still great food though); pro - smaller numbers meant great service and not too many people at the site.
Skipper Jayson and his crew were great - friendly and A+ for service. Dr Glen was very informative too. Recommend to all.
Skipper Jayson and his crew were great - friendly and A+ for service. Dr Glen was very informative too. Recommend to all.
Written 26 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JayneHoff
Lismore, Australia25 contributions
June 2021
We had a perfect calm, clear and warm day to make the trip out to Low Isles. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day which exceeded our expectations. The staff were friendly , very professional and we felt in good hands.The boat is lovely and spacious to allow for social distancing with high quality facilities on board.
The snorkelling experience with marine biologist, Glen, was a real highlight. Glen is a wealth of knowledge and an hour or so of snorkelling flew by. The coral and marine life we saw was rich, diverse and surprisingly very healthy. A great experience!
We also did the island walk with Glen and found that extremely interesting and worthwhile.
Lunch was plentiful and delicious as were the snacks offered. Highly recommend this tour as a very worthwhile activity while in Port Douglas. We liked the fact that as an older couple, the day was not as long as going to the outer reef and we felt we gained a good insight into a coral reef ecosystem without a touch of seasickness!
The snorkelling experience with marine biologist, Glen, was a real highlight. Glen is a wealth of knowledge and an hour or so of snorkelling flew by. The coral and marine life we saw was rich, diverse and surprisingly very healthy. A great experience!
We also did the island walk with Glen and found that extremely interesting and worthwhile.
Lunch was plentiful and delicious as were the snacks offered. Highly recommend this tour as a very worthwhile activity while in Port Douglas. We liked the fact that as an older couple, the day was not as long as going to the outer reef and we felt we gained a good insight into a coral reef ecosystem without a touch of seasickness!
Written 6 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy P
Queenstown, New Zealand3 contributions
Dec 2020
The crew were fantastic and incredibly accommodating. Due to Covid-19, we were travelling with a small group which was nice. It was a fantastic day out and perfect for non-swimmers. There was lots of activities to participate in. The glass bottom tours were great! lunch was good, all in all an amazing day.
Written 29 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy E
Warragul, Australia25 contributions
Aug 2022
What a fantastic day out. The weather was a perfect, sunny 28. Lunch was yummy with plenty to choose from the buffet. Staff were amazing and coming back a sing along with a complimentary glass of bubbles.
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SKennedy
19 contributions
June 2022
Such a great trip with little ones. Cruise took about 1 1/2 hrs to get out to the Low Isles. Upon arrival we were all ushered to the front deck where we were told about the rules for the island. Then we all grabbed our snorkeling gear and stinger suits (even though it wasn't the season for stingers we were still recommended to wear them) and headed to the island. Smorgasbord lunch was also provided on board. Was a great place for people who aren't strong swimmers as you could swim around in the shallow waters and it wasn't rough or choppy. Would highly recommend this day trip.
Written 18 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cathy L
Haliburton, Canada55 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
I went with Wavedancer snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and didn't feel it was worth the money as we only took an hour to get out there and the snorkelling was fine and there was a short island tour and other than that we sat on the boat for at least 3 to 4 hours. Lunch was good but all drinks had to be paid for except coffee and tea. Considering how much they charge you I didn't feel it was a good value at all. Also they nickel and dime you and charge you an extra $8.00 for a stinger suit that is very necessary to wear at certain times of the year in the ocean. I refused to pay it due to the high cost of the excursion and they basically hushed me and gave it to me for free. Their answer to that was not everyone goes snorkelling and it is not fair that the rental is included in the their cost. My answer was well then just give it for free to anyone that is snorkelling. They talk about cleaning them and that is why the extra cost. Seriously they are wet suits that simply get dunked into a solution and hung up again as I have been snorkelling many times. It is not like to send them for dry cleaning. I promise you you I am not a complainer I am just telling you that for the expensive cost of this excursion I did not feel it was a good value at all. Do your research before heading out as for so much wasted time and the cost it would have been nice to have snorkelled in more than just one location rather than sitting around for hours wasting my vacation time.
Written 24 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moniquelm
Wollongong, Australia9 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
My husband, 12 month old daughter and I really wanted to see the GBR whilst in Port Douglas but knew it would be difficult with a 12 month old. This cruise was perfect, we went on a Tuesday and there were only 40 or so people on the boat. The trip out was only about an hour and once there hubby could snorkel while my daughter and I sat on the shore, we even saw a turtle swim past! The food was nice enough and the staff were more than helpful. If you're a serious snorkeller/diver this probably isn't the trip for you, but was perfect for us.
Written 1 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TvlBug67
58 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
My husband and I visited the beautiful Port Douglas region last week and were looking for a day touring option to experience the reef but as I do not travel well on boats needed a company that allowed us to have our snorkelling experience but the boat ride wasn't going to be too long. Wavedancer Low Isles day trip was just what we were after. The weather was overcast and raining driving up from Cairns (but we cannot complain as the region really needed some rain).
We got to the Quicksilver counter to check in and although it was busy, staff were very efficient in getting everyone checked in. Boarding the vessel we found seats at the stern (back) outside and sat in the middle (best place for land lubbers like me). The safety demonstration distracted me and I sat in front of the lunch bench which was covered up so I concentrated on just looking at this and in almost an hour we were docked at Low Isles, that's my kind of boat trip.
Staff on board were lovely, helpful and friendly. We listened to the Snorkelling demonstration and then grabbed our gear, got on the first tender over (good tip # 1) and found a shady spot under a lovely thatched cover (good tip # 2). There are about a dozen of these and they provide good shade from the blistering sun. Next thing we did was undertake the guided snorkeling tour with Senior Marine Biologist Russell (good tip # 3). This was excellent and very educational. We probably would have been in the water for 40 minutes enjoying the reef. I have snorkelled alot on the Great Barrier Reef as well as in Fiji and this was the first time I had seen so many varieties of soft corals together. It was really a dream come true, lovely fish life as well.
Headed back to the vessel for lunch, which was a yummy buffet of cold meats, prawns, salads, bread rolls. Wavedancer also had a huge container of icy cold water and another one with cordial as well which is free all day for everyone to enjoy. After lunch we headed back to the beach for more snorkelling on our own (as now we knew the best spots from our guided tour). I would recommend you bring shoes you can wear in the water, sorry do not know the name but I wear them for aqua classes and really wished I had bought them with me as the sand was sooooo hot (good tip # 4).
Loved Low Isles and having the freedom to walk around the island, sand between my toes instead of the constant bobbing on a boat (getting nauseous just thinking about that). We used the water noodles from the beach for added buoyancy and I hired a stinger suit. For some reason stinging creatures seek me out so always wear one now when I snorkel. The weather was perfect blue skies and hot.
We enjoyed fruit for afternoon tea and a cuppa and sailed back to Port Douglas. At the front of the vessel some of the crew sang and entertained guests which was really lovely. Wavedancer has a bar on board as well and staff are very good with reminding guests about safety in the water in terms of alcohol. We choose not to buy any alcohol and stuck to water as it was a hot day we didn't want to dehydrate. Thank you for a great day out, definately would go back and do the same tour again.
We got to the Quicksilver counter to check in and although it was busy, staff were very efficient in getting everyone checked in. Boarding the vessel we found seats at the stern (back) outside and sat in the middle (best place for land lubbers like me). The safety demonstration distracted me and I sat in front of the lunch bench which was covered up so I concentrated on just looking at this and in almost an hour we were docked at Low Isles, that's my kind of boat trip.
Staff on board were lovely, helpful and friendly. We listened to the Snorkelling demonstration and then grabbed our gear, got on the first tender over (good tip # 1) and found a shady spot under a lovely thatched cover (good tip # 2). There are about a dozen of these and they provide good shade from the blistering sun. Next thing we did was undertake the guided snorkeling tour with Senior Marine Biologist Russell (good tip # 3). This was excellent and very educational. We probably would have been in the water for 40 minutes enjoying the reef. I have snorkelled alot on the Great Barrier Reef as well as in Fiji and this was the first time I had seen so many varieties of soft corals together. It was really a dream come true, lovely fish life as well.
Headed back to the vessel for lunch, which was a yummy buffet of cold meats, prawns, salads, bread rolls. Wavedancer also had a huge container of icy cold water and another one with cordial as well which is free all day for everyone to enjoy. After lunch we headed back to the beach for more snorkelling on our own (as now we knew the best spots from our guided tour). I would recommend you bring shoes you can wear in the water, sorry do not know the name but I wear them for aqua classes and really wished I had bought them with me as the sand was sooooo hot (good tip # 4).
Loved Low Isles and having the freedom to walk around the island, sand between my toes instead of the constant bobbing on a boat (getting nauseous just thinking about that). We used the water noodles from the beach for added buoyancy and I hired a stinger suit. For some reason stinging creatures seek me out so always wear one now when I snorkel. The weather was perfect blue skies and hot.
We enjoyed fruit for afternoon tea and a cuppa and sailed back to Port Douglas. At the front of the vessel some of the crew sang and entertained guests which was really lovely. Wavedancer has a bar on board as well and staff are very good with reminding guests about safety in the water in terms of alcohol. We choose not to buy any alcohol and stuck to water as it was a hot day we didn't want to dehydrate. Thank you for a great day out, definately would go back and do the same tour again.
Written 24 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi TvlBug67
Thanks very much for taking the time to write this review about your experiences traveling with Quicksilver, out to Low Isles on the vessel Wavedancer. We are happy to read that you had such a magical day with your husband and you found all areas of your day so enjoyable. We are pleased you were able to overcome your ‘land lubber’ tendencies and venture out on the ocean, it sounds like it was worth it!
Warm regards and thank you very much!
Rachel
Customer Service Manager
Written 2 December 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jgrant666
Sydney, Australia50 contributions
Jan 2015 • Family
I've been on several barrier reef (and other snorkelling) trips over the years and sadly this one just didn't quite come up to scratch.
There were some positive points: The staff were great, very knowledgeable and helpful. Morning & afternoon tea and lunch provided were all of a high standard. The included guided snorkelling tour with an actual marine biologist was informative and very enjoyable.
Unfortunately though the negatives really outweighed the positives for my family and turned what could have been a fantastic day into a slightly sub par one.....
Probably the biggest problem with this cruise was the amount of wasted time involved. The boat itself is ridiculously slow, taking almost 90mins to cover just 7 nautical miles (you could kayak faster.....). I get they're trying to make it relaxing but in reality it was just slow resulting in bored kids and frustrated parents.
When we finally arrived at the island they then proceeded to waste another 20~30 minutes with a stupidly long winded safety and equipment briefing (that repeated itself several times) in the baking hot sun on the front desk with no shade at all - given how slow the boat was and the number of staff on board there is absolutely no reason this couldn't have been done on the cruise out - they could have easily ran a briefing in the main cabin, upper and front desks either simultaneously or concurrently during the voyage out there
There was no pontoon facility at the island so all passengers had to be ferried across in small boats, and also relied on the same boats to return to the main vessel (eg for lunch, or anytime you needed to grab something). these trips didn't take long but meant many passengers had to lose even more reef time waiting for one at peak times of getting to or from the island (ie on arrival, lunch and departure) and again no shade at all on the beach when waiting for one of the boats.
All of the above meant we ended up with less than 2 hours snorkelling time total out of a 'day' trip (and our lunch was eaten as quickly as possible so as to maximise our time in the water)
Lastly, whilst the reef and marine life around the island was beautiful, the snorkelling area itself was quite small so ended up pretty crowded, and to make matters worse after lunch the tide had fallen so much that it was impossible to use almost half of the available area to snorkel without risking serious damage to the coral. Also for some reason this company refuses to provide the little plastic things that link your snorkel onto your mask strap, so you had to wedge it in under the strap. We found this made it difficult for our kids to properly snorkel without frequent water leaks into the masks (which otherwise to be fair were of excellent quality)
To be honest I would only recommend this trip if you have *really* small kids or have very low swimming abilities, it was ok if you just want a taste of snorkelling in these circumstances but given how little time snorkelling you'll likely end up getting I can't recommend it for value for money
There were some positive points: The staff were great, very knowledgeable and helpful. Morning & afternoon tea and lunch provided were all of a high standard. The included guided snorkelling tour with an actual marine biologist was informative and very enjoyable.
Unfortunately though the negatives really outweighed the positives for my family and turned what could have been a fantastic day into a slightly sub par one.....
Probably the biggest problem with this cruise was the amount of wasted time involved. The boat itself is ridiculously slow, taking almost 90mins to cover just 7 nautical miles (you could kayak faster.....). I get they're trying to make it relaxing but in reality it was just slow resulting in bored kids and frustrated parents.
When we finally arrived at the island they then proceeded to waste another 20~30 minutes with a stupidly long winded safety and equipment briefing (that repeated itself several times) in the baking hot sun on the front desk with no shade at all - given how slow the boat was and the number of staff on board there is absolutely no reason this couldn't have been done on the cruise out - they could have easily ran a briefing in the main cabin, upper and front desks either simultaneously or concurrently during the voyage out there
There was no pontoon facility at the island so all passengers had to be ferried across in small boats, and also relied on the same boats to return to the main vessel (eg for lunch, or anytime you needed to grab something). these trips didn't take long but meant many passengers had to lose even more reef time waiting for one at peak times of getting to or from the island (ie on arrival, lunch and departure) and again no shade at all on the beach when waiting for one of the boats.
All of the above meant we ended up with less than 2 hours snorkelling time total out of a 'day' trip (and our lunch was eaten as quickly as possible so as to maximise our time in the water)
Lastly, whilst the reef and marine life around the island was beautiful, the snorkelling area itself was quite small so ended up pretty crowded, and to make matters worse after lunch the tide had fallen so much that it was impossible to use almost half of the available area to snorkel without risking serious damage to the coral. Also for some reason this company refuses to provide the little plastic things that link your snorkel onto your mask strap, so you had to wedge it in under the strap. We found this made it difficult for our kids to properly snorkel without frequent water leaks into the masks (which otherwise to be fair were of excellent quality)
To be honest I would only recommend this trip if you have *really* small kids or have very low swimming abilities, it was ok if you just want a taste of snorkelling in these circumstances but given how little time snorkelling you'll likely end up getting I can't recommend it for value for money
Written 2 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Has anyone done this with young children 9months and 2.5 yrs?
Family trip coming up but worried this will be a very stressful day with two kids.
Any advice or reviews would be great
Written 7 July 2018
We did see turtles which was great they have some shade huts on the island I’m
Wave dancer is smaller so it’s not as hectic and crowded you need to get a smaller shuttle boat from the wave dancer to the Island.
You can take you back and forth
Crew are amazing and go do whatever they can to give you an enjoyable experience.
You can sit in the shallow water and see fish.highly recommended a hat and sunscreen for the little ones when sitting in the water especially if not snorkeling
Hopefully this information is helpful 😉
Written 21 July 2018
Where do you put your wallet and phone for safe keeping while snorkeling? Are there lockers?
Written 8 March 2018
We just left our phones in a bag onboard, we didn't take our wallets as there was no need for money although we did take some cash inside our phone case.
Written 16 March 2018
Hi folks ! Looking for advice. We are hopefully going to be staying in PD for a few days in July - we are from Scotland and are not seasoned snorkellers ! We had a catamaran cruise with snorkelling / turtles in Barbados 2 years ago and it was fab - except for my horrendous sea sickness (vomiting and everything and had to be taken off the boat back to land ) this was on fairly calm water. So my questions ...... how long on the boat is it till you get to the Low Isles ? Can it be rough (although I was sick even in fairly smooth ) Should I forget about doing any trips like this because of the sickness ? Do sea sickness tablets work ? Lol. Any views / advice welcome. Just seems such a shame to miss out on the snorkelling (which I liked !) coming all that way 😞
Written 8 January 2017
Purely from memory, the boat takes about 90 minutes; the water was calm when we went in August 2016.
If you can go, then go; I'm not good in the sea but really enjoyed it. It's a great trip.
Written 26 January 2017
Hello do you supply prescription masks. Regards Marika
Written 18 September 2016
Hi there, we're looking at doing a trip to the reef for two families with kids (2 x 3 yr olds, a 7 month old and a 10 month old) would this day trip be suitable for these ages and what's the transfer of any from the boat to the island? Thank you 😊
Written 3 September 2016
Hi ErinLon. I've been on many trips to the reef and took my kids for the first time last year but they were 14 and 11. I wanted them to feel comfortable snorkeling and be able to appreciate it as it is such a long and expensive day. Having said that there were families with young kids on board this trip but no babies or very young toddlers. I personally would wait until they were a little bit older but if you still wanted to go, out of all the reef trips this would be the most suited to your party due to the fact you could get off the boat and go on the beach. There is not much shelter there so you would probably need to take a beach umbrella. The transfers from the big boat to the beach are done easily and often on a smaller boat. Hope this helps!
Written 11 September 2016
Hi there Saylorfamily,
we certainly do offer bus transfers from a large number of hotels from Cairns to Port Douglas.
Written 21 June 2016
My girlfriend doesn't swim or snorkel. Cab she stay on the Low Island while we are snorkeling?
Written 24 January 2016
Are buoyancy vests provided for non swimmers?
Written 17 June 2015
Hi there, yes they are provided along with flotation noodles. If you're a non-swimmer or have never snorkelled before we recommend that you chat with one of the Lifeguards onboard and listen in to their instruction briefings so that you have a fun and safe snorkelling experience!
Written 7 July 2015
Hi there Angela.
Yes we do have prescription masks on the vessel. When onboard simply chat to our friendly snorkelling safety officer and they will arrange for a mask of suitable strength. You can also advise our Reservations staff at the point of booking and they'll include this in the booking comments. Hope this was of some help!
Regards
Travis
Written 29 April 2015
Showing results 1-9 of 9
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.