Low Isles Glass-Bottom Boat and Snorkelling Tour Port Douglas

Port Douglas marina and the crossing

Your Low Isles tour from Port Douglas begins at the marina on Wharf Street, where you board a glass-bottom boat with plenty of deck space to relax. The vessel takes no more than 23 guests to the island, so the atmosphere is friendly and unhurried, and the crew has time to help every snorkeller choose a mask, fit fins and feel confident before entering the water.

The crossing takes about 30 minutes across the sheltered waters off Four Mile Beach, with the rainforest-covered mountains of the coastal range behind you. The morning departure at 7:30 reaches the island while it is still peaceful, and the afternoon departure at 13:15 suits those who prefer a slow start to the day.

The Low Isles coral cay

The Low Isles are two small islands about 15 km north-east of Port Douglas: Low Island, a coral cay of white sand fringed by reef, and Woody Island, covered in mangroves. Low Island is so small that you can stroll around it in a few minutes, yet it sits inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and is protected as an important nesting and roosting site for seabirds.

Scientists have studied the reef here for almost a century; a major scientific expedition was based on the island in 1928 and 1929, and today rangers and researchers still monitor the reef and the birds. Is the Low Isles worth visiting? For a calm, uncrowded first taste of the Great Barrier Reef close to Port Douglas, it is one of the most rewarding half-day trips in the region.

Snorkelling in the lagoon with turtles

The lagoon around Low Island is shallow, clear and protected from the open sea, which makes it ideal for beginners and confident snorkellers alike. The crew leads a guided snorkel tour, pointing out hard and soft corals, giant clams, sea cucumbers and colourful reef fish such as parrotfish, butterflyfish and damselfish.

Green turtles feed on the seagrass beds around the island and are often seen surfacing to breathe or gliding over the sand. Keep a respectful distance, never chase or touch them, and let them continue feeding undisturbed. All gear is supplied, including prescription masks, lycra suits and flotation devices, so even hesitant swimmers can float comfortably at their own pace.

Glass-bottom boat viewing

Not everyone wants to swim, and the glass-bottom boat lets every member of the group enjoy the reef. Through the large viewing panel you see coral heads, sandy channels and fish passing just below the hull, with the crew explaining what appears beneath you. It is a great option for young children, who must be held by an adult on board if under four.

The ride back to Port Douglas is also made over the reef, so you can watch the underwater world one more time as the boat returns to the marina, often spotting fish and coral you missed on the way out. Bring a camera: the glass floor and the shallow, sunlit water make for colourful photos.

Lighthouse, keeper's cottage and weather station

Sandy paths lead through tropical vegetation to the white Low Isles lighthouse, first lit in 1878 and one of the oldest working lighthouses on the Queensland coast. Next to it stand the old keeper's cottage and the weather station, where local weather data is still collected each day.

During your free time on the island, wander the shore, watch seabirds such as terns and herons and enjoy the views across to the mountains of the mainland. Walking, swimming and stepping on and off the boat require an average level of fitness, so wear sandals or reef shoes for the sand and coral rubble, and keep to the marked paths to protect nesting birds.