Lunch Cruises
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
AU$125
per adult
Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours
Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours
Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours
4.5
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Full view
About
The only Indigenous experience in Hervey Bay where you can dive deep into the indigenous and oldest living culture while cruising the bluest shallows and all the unique beauty that surrounds the Great Sandy Straits. We combine marine adventures and captivating dreamtime stories delivered directly by our friends, the Butchulla people. The ocean is very special to us, and we want to protect it. But to do so, we must understand nature, and we believe there's not better teachers to learn from than the Butchulla people. You decide whether to fully immerse yourself in the activities on board. Settle in and listen to the captivating stories from your guide. Or just completely chill to the natural rhythms of nature. I’d suggest a little bit of all three. Snorkel if Mather Nature allows. Join the search for turtles, dolphins, dugongs, seabirds or maybe something more. Sneak off to your own private corners of the pristine beach. Tourism QLD Awarded "Best of Qld Experience"
Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Likely To Sell Out
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
AU$85
per adult
Travellers talk about
(22 reviews)
(2 reviews)
(2 reviews)
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4.5
238 reviews
Excellent
193
Very good
27
Average
7
Poor
8
Terrible
3
Enrico T
1 contribution
Oct. 2023 • Family
We had such a wonderful day on this tour. Our tour guide Jo and the skipper were both excellent. Jo was very friendly and had wonderful stories to tell including the traditional story of how K’gari came to exist and where the traditional name came from. He also gave us a demonstration on how to play the didgeridoo which was fantastic! The boat ride was beautiful and we spent about an hour on Pelican Island snorkelling. We managed to see a few dolphins and a couple of turtles too which was lovely. There was only about 15 of us on the boat which was very comfortable and we had plenty of space to move around. I would definitely recommend this your 😊
Written 26 November 2023
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.
Anna-Maria F
2 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Family
We took the cultural walking tour, and honestly, I am so happy that this tour exists and that we were able to learn about the Butchulla mob, their culture and ingenuity. On the face of it, it is a simple stroll along the coast, passing trees and plants that we previously paid little attention to, but Travis unlocked and shared so many indigenous pearls of wisdom with us, opening our eyes to the surroundings that we take for granted and pointing out flora and fauna that we hadn't noticed. That was the magic of this tour. We learned about plants and trees used for surprising and clever hunting methods, as well as medicinal plants and ways, and even ate some seasonal bush tucker that we foraged along the way. Travis was engaging, funny, and open, happily answering all of our questions while sharing personal stories and anecdotes. He also patiently allowed time so we could translate for some family members, performed a moving welcome to Country, a cultural song and dance and played the dig. It was beautiful. We are a family of 9 (some Aussie and some international), including a senior, an infant, a toddler and two kids (8 & 12) and everyone enjoyed and felt it was a special experience. Thank you!
Written 24 October 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your feedback, we truly appreciate. Very happy you enjoyed the Cultural Walking tour, it really is quite unique and personalised. Travis (aka Dingka Dingka) is wonderful. Hope to see you another day, in the mean time, safe travels.
Written 11 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Danielle M
8 contributions
Despite all odds the Captain and cultural guide Travis made it a memorable experience. The weather was rough so we couldn’t stop on one of the islands and we had rain - ponchos were supplied 😄 but the Captain skippered us safely through the turbulent waters. We saw two dolphins and some reef fish at the island we stopped at. I would suggest that marine life is not guaranteed on this tour. However, Travis absolutely made the experience worth it. His cultural knowledge of the region including cool uses for some local flora and a whistling shell which the family have had so much fun with since. Even the 15 year old said he would love to spend a weekend walkabout with Travis to learn more! I agreed! Great memories made!
Written 10 October 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your review, and I'm so please that despite the weather some great memories were made for you. Yes, you are quite right in saying Marine Life is not guaranteed as we are dealing with nature and whatever it provides us with on the day. Hope to see you again in Hervey Bay another time. Safe travels.
Written 11 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JoeyD101
Rose Bay, Australia80 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
Overall I didn't think this trip represented very good value. I left it thinking I'd be ripped off and that's not what you want from a fun day.
They sell it as Turtle Discovery tour with the chance of seeing Turtles, dolphins, plus other wildlife.
We saw a few dolphins from distance. This wasn't my main gripe tho as nature can elude you.
We got loaded on a boat and travelled for 1 hour to Pelican Sand Bank - didn't really look like the pictures. We got a story about the tides and conditions not suitable for us to dock. Which is fair enough but a good skipper should know the tide times so perhaps we shouldn't of bothered heading out there with the tides predictable.
The lunch was a subway 6 inch and if you didn't like it there was biscuits and a chocolate at the end. I was expecting something a bit Less commercial from an eco tour.
We were then taken to Round Island which wasn't worth the time. It's not suitable for Snorkelling especially at low tide and quality of the swimming beach is barely worth getting your swimmers on for. We had looked forward to the guide talking us through traditions of the land but the skipper dropped us off 700m from where this was held on the island and dragging our two young kids through sinking sand wasn't practical so we missed it.
Overall we spent 3 hours on the boat and 1 on an island which wasn't worth the visit.
The best part was the Yidaki song at and speech at the the end.
Overall I was unsure what made this tour Eco and wouldn't recommend it with Young kids or if it's low tide.
They sell it as Turtle Discovery tour with the chance of seeing Turtles, dolphins, plus other wildlife.
We saw a few dolphins from distance. This wasn't my main gripe tho as nature can elude you.
We got loaded on a boat and travelled for 1 hour to Pelican Sand Bank - didn't really look like the pictures. We got a story about the tides and conditions not suitable for us to dock. Which is fair enough but a good skipper should know the tide times so perhaps we shouldn't of bothered heading out there with the tides predictable.
The lunch was a subway 6 inch and if you didn't like it there was biscuits and a chocolate at the end. I was expecting something a bit Less commercial from an eco tour.
We were then taken to Round Island which wasn't worth the time. It's not suitable for Snorkelling especially at low tide and quality of the swimming beach is barely worth getting your swimmers on for. We had looked forward to the guide talking us through traditions of the land but the skipper dropped us off 700m from where this was held on the island and dragging our two young kids through sinking sand wasn't practical so we missed it.
Overall we spent 3 hours on the boat and 1 on an island which wasn't worth the visit.
The best part was the Yidaki song at and speech at the the end.
Overall I was unsure what made this tour Eco and wouldn't recommend it with Young kids or if it's low tide.
Written 5 October 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your feedback. I have spoken with the Skipper regarding the landing at Pelican and there was a huge swell and that is something that no skipper can predict. Sorry you didn't enjoy the lunch, due to covid and its restrictions we have to outsource the lunches and Subway seems the best option to suit most people. If you have any suggestions for the lunches I would certainly welcome it. Thank you for acknowledging our indigenous guide. Safe travels.
Written 11 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Turva81
Brisbane, Australia65 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
I chose this tour for my family to do together on my birthday as I had heard great things, and we were not disappointed! The weather was spectacular, Aaron was so down to earth and vibrant with sharing his culture and the time spent on the beach was great. As a bonus we saw some great wildlife - including a mother and baby whale swimming past as a special gift. Highly recommend.
Written 1 October 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Wow! now that was certainly a birthday gift! It is not usual that we see whales on our tour so that was very special for you. Very happy you enjoyed the experience, hope to see you again one day.
Written 11 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
April W
2 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We booked this tour as it also included Indigenous component . The First Nations employee was ill so we island hopped, snorkelled and walked around an island. We saw sea turtles and a shovel head shark. Waters were clear , the skipper at Jacky were great hosts, the whole experience was wonderful. Jacky went out of her way to organise an Indigenous walking experience for us the following day free of charge . Aaron was an incredibly knowledgeable First Nations local man who shared his knowledge of culture, plants species and the land. We loved it so much and thank him for coming in just for us. We highly recommend this tour centre for down to earth customer service , knowledge and local adventures . Thanks you from the Victorians.Tony & April.xx
Written 21 September 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
You are so welcome!! I'm very happy you enjoyed the day and also the Walking Tour with Aaron. We have so much great knowledge to learn from our First Nations people. Hope to see you again another time. Safe travels, Jacqui. :)
Written 27 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sandra J
Guisborough, UK2 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
Travis and John were very knowledgeable and great guides. Although we didn't see a lot of marine life, we all loved the experience.
Written 18 September 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your review I will pass this on to John and Travis. I think they're great too!
Written 27 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sam Bromell
1 contribution
Jul. 2023
An amazing day, we had a group of 7 with the oldest being 91 and the youngest being 8 all had a great time
Written 7 July 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your feedback, its great that people of all ages can enjoy themselves creating memories together.
Written 15 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael F
Hervey Bay, Australia4 contributions
Jun. 2023
Outstanding value and family friendly. Boat stays in the calmer waters between the shore, Round and Woody Islands, depending on the tides. When the tides are not friendly, it does not hamper a great time on Round Island with the snorkeling, shells to be found, beautiful views and excellent crew. The indigenous guide (from the local Butchulla Clan) delivers a fine presentation on local Aboriginal history and gave cultural demonstrations on music and shared stories and tales. The food is Subway style sandwiches and plenty of fruit. All the fins and extra snorkel gear is provided. I have taken my visitors to Hervey Bay on this cruise several times and it is a spot on bonza of a trip and well worth the price. Highly recommended for families or anyone of any age or ability.
Written 2 July 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you very much for your feedback from the Turtle Discovery tour. We are thrilled you enjoyed your day out with us. Hope to see you back in Hervey Bay again another time. Safe travels, Jacqui and the crew.
Written 4 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
carlie1981
Toowoomba, Australia5 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Friends
Amazing staff the tour guide had amazing knowledge super friendly such good vibes. Go when the weather is warm and high tides for best experience. Good relaxing day out.
Written 1 July 2023
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.
JacquiBennett2828
Thank you for your review and in particular mentioning the crew. I'm very proud of our Milbi family and very happy you enjoyed the experience.
Written 4 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience