Discover the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef from all angles on this action-packed tour. Cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef on board a high-speed catamaran and enjoy up to three introductory or certified scuba dives at two different dive sites. After marveling over the colorful corals and marine life from underwater, hop aboard for a 10-minute helicopter flight and see the islands and reefs from above.

Magnificent views from a boat, helicopter, and underwater
Spend up to five hours at the reef and visit two different sites
Luxury super-yacht with a BBQ buffet lunch served onboard
Swim, snorkel, or scuba dives with options for all levels

What's Included

Cruise onboard the fastest, most luxurious catamaran visiting two exclusive outer reef locations
5 hours reef time
Lunch
Use of Snorkelling equipment
10-minute Scenic Flight in a 6-seater luxury helicopter
Up to 3 Introductory or Certified Scuba Dives (if selected)
Lycra/sun suit hire
Glass of wine on return journey
Use of Scuba equipment
All Fees and Taxes

Private transportation

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

1 Spence St
1 Spence St, Cairns City QLD 4870, Australia
Check-in is from 7.15am to 7.45am at Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns. Evolution departs 8.00am sharp. Return transfers are available for an additional cost. You must contact Down Under Dive to book.

Start time

08:00 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Check-in is from 7.15am at Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns. Please make your way to the Down Under Cruise and Dive counter to check-in. Boat departs at 8.00am sharp.
Due to comfort, weight and balance of the aircraft, the weight limit for helicopters is 130kg. Please contact the supplier directly for further information.
All divers are required to complete a Medical Questionnaire. In our commitment to the safety of our guests, divers over 65 years must have a medical clearance with a physician the confirms they are Fit To Dive. This can be provided by your own GP before you leave for your holiday. Please be aware that certain medical conditions (e.g. asthma, heart disease, diabetes) and/or prescription medication may prevent some people from diving.

For Certified Diving, evidence of dive certification is required from all divers wishing to participate in a certified dive.
Children aged and under 12 years (introductory) and 10 years (certified divers) are not permitted to participate in onboard diving activities as per Queensland Australian Law.
Children under the age of 18 must be in the immediate company of a parent or legal guardian.
Diving within 24 hours before your flight is not permitted.
Special dietary requirements must be confirmed at least 24 hours prior to travel directly with the tour operator. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options are available.
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

5.0

118 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 118 reviews

Had a great time

Teck_K, Mar 2023

Staff was very attentive and entertaining. Unfortunately the heli tour was cancelled because of high winds. We did feel that there was perhaps too many people for the snorkeling- well over 100- during choppy conditions with the waves pushing swimmers towards the ship, many were getting squashed when they were disembarking or trying to get back on. Perhaps grouping swimmers and having them get off in batches could have minimized this. Also, having towels onboard would have been nice.

Awesome snorkelling

Dianne_B, Mar 2023

I gave 5 stars in reality the weather did not allow the helicopter ride which was so disappointing but no one can fix the weather. Got a refund for the cancelled helicopter ride immediately. The snorkelling was awesome, turtles, fish and Wally! Lunch was really good. Crew were friendly and so helpful.

Great tour

JIE_J, Jan 2023

The service is great, and they helped non-swimmers like me for snorkeling out to watch the fishes and reefs!

Fantastic tour!

Iuliana_S, Dec 2022

Great tour. The staff is very attentive, makes you comfortable, the food great, the pics fabulous. We loved it!!!!!

Beautiful day! Value for money

Stephanie_L, Nov 2022

What an amazing experience this was! Staff were super friendly and organised. We had a great time snorkelling and the highlight was the helicopter ride! We had the best weather! I highly recommend this tour!

Fantastic Trip onto the reef

Alexander_S, Nov 2022

The weather was fantastic, we did a couple great snorkeling trip. One of them was guided. We also did the helicopter trip it was well worth it to see one of the reefs from the air. One thing of interest is my wife and I are both advanced PADI divers but if you are over 65 you need a doctors note. We were 66 & 67.

Woooooow

Caty_S, Aug 2022

What an incredible day, a day I will never forget. I can't recommend this tour highly enough. After having read a few of the reviews I was a bit worried that I had made the wrong choice but alas I couldn't have been more wrong. From start to finish everything was so professionally executed and well structured. Everyone got assigned a number and it was checked multiple times during the day that everyone had returned safely to the boat. The whole day I felt very safe and well taken care of. The staff was so friendly and always made sure everyone had a great time. I had booked two dives with them and the helicopter ride. Our dive guide was knowledgeable and made us all feel comfortable. We spotted Wally, a friendly turtle and a reef shark all within 5 minutes after descenting. After the dive we still had plenty of time to eat lunch and go back in the water for some snorkeling. Then it was time to move to another reef and that's where we did the helicopter ride. We were so lucky as the sun had just come out and we had a stunning view over the reef. Loved seeing the reef from up high. Next up was another amazing dive with incredible visibility and plenty of sealife to spot. On the way back to Cairns the captain spotted some whales so he slowed the boat down so we could all watch them. What an epic end to the day. Thanks so much for a trip of a lifetime.

A memorable day

Axelle_L, Aug 2022

The view from the helicopter is incredible ! We did diving and snorkelling, we saw a lot of fish and coral species…there is so many colors under the water. The staff was very friendly and careful. The sea was rough, make sure you have some medicine in case of seasickness.

Beautiful

Daniel_E, June 2022

Great experience, especially the snorkeling. Staff is very friendly. Lunch was excellent. Sadly had no time for a second dive.

Amazing experience with...

Paul_R, May 2022

Amazing experience with the helicopter my favourite. Staff are super friendly and boat really clean. I would highly recommend them to any of my friends and family.

Great and happy trip!

ChoonWei_P, May 2022

Staff are very friendly and humorous! Helpful too. Everything was done systematically. Helicopter ride was memorable! We enjoyed ourselves very much.

Great day on the reef.

Michelle_J, Mar 2022

Excellent day. Enjoyed all of it. The chopper ride was great (only 8 minutes though) staff and lunch was awesome.

Superb!

Adam_R, Mar 2022

Wow! Amazing! Brilliant staff, especially the captain! Great assistance! Just magical! Well recommended!

We had booked helicopters...

Sandeep_S, Jan 2022

We had booked helicopters ride with reef Our helicopter ride was canceled. We are chasing money back but no answer.

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Hi Sandee, We are sorry that your helicopter was cancelled. Helicopters are weather permitting and this is listed in the tour descriptions and terms and conditions when booking, unfortunately, this is something that is out of our control. We most certainly would have refunded this for you as soon as we could. We operate every day in the office. If you booked through a third-party agent, this could be the reason it may have taken some time as they have your money and not us so they need to action the refund. This is also in the Terms and Conditions when booking. We hope you enjoyed your time in Cairns otherwise and we hope that you have a better reef experience next time.

I do it again tomorrow!

Bethany_A, Dec 2021

Flight was cancelled on the day due to lack of interest which was disappointing but I got a refund. Contingent plan was doing extra dives which were great. The crew was friendly, knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely recommend and go again!

Response from Host, Dec 2021

Sorry to see that your scenic flight portion of the tour was cancelled! One of the effects we seem to be having lately with a much lower number of customers... Glad you were still able to make the most of your day though by doing some extra diving! That's wonderful! If you do manage to join us again we definitely hope you get to do your scenic flight!

My girlfriend and I swam...

waipong_c, Oct 2021

My girlfriend and I swam with a sea turtle. It is our first time to get this close to a sea turtle. We also love scuba diving.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Yayy how wonderful! We really hope you enjoyed your day out on the reef with us aboard Evolution! Thank you for choosing Down Under Cruise and dive to share your outer GBR adventure!

Ok experience. Helicopter ride was the highlight

Kate_M, June 2021

The helicopter ride was the most amazing experience. I was a little dissatisfied with the lake of information provided about the reef and the changes over time with both the coral and marine life. The fact that you had to pay extra for this information was very disappointing. I have been on much better tours to the reef and had a better experience. I was also great shocked that no information about not touching or standing on the coral whilst out on the reef was given and having other breaking the coral was very unsatisfactory for a reef that is endangered.

Response from Host, Sept 2021

Hi Kate, Oh we are sorry to hear this! We most definitely go through protecting the reef in our safety briefing, especially not to touch or stand on the coral. We also have this displayed on our TV screens all day as a reminder. Although our marine biologist tour is an additional cost it is only $25 per person for a marine biologist presentation and snorkelling guide around the reef. In saying that, any of our crew are more than happy to have a chat about any questions you may have about the reef. We have 1 of 19 Master Reef Guides on board. Master Reef Guides are recognised as the world’s leading reef guides, interpreters and storytellers sharing the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. On your next trip out, please do not hesitate to reach out to our crew if you have any questions whatsoever! They would be more than happy to have a chat with you :) We are happy to hear you enjoyed your helicopter experience, it truly is amazing! Thanks again Kate. - Steph

Great staff, snorkeling and helicopter ride.

Samantha_D, May 2021

Snorkeling excellent in both locations for different reason. The helicopter ride short but added perspective. Staff were excellent, fun and nothing was too much to ask

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Just like visiting two different underwater towns right! We really hope you enjoyed your Great Barrier Reef adventure with us aboard Evolution! Thank you for choosing to share your experience with us!

Wonderful Barrier Reef experience

Lyn_S, May 2021

Snorkeling with the Marine Biologist. Staff were very obliging and informative. Vessel was very comfortable and conditions very well

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you Lyn for joining us at the aboard Evolution!

Fun for the whole family!

Viv_K, Apr 2021

Down Under is a Super friendly and fun team, was very well organised itinerary! The day was rainy and cloudy so the helicopter part was cancelled but alternatives and refunds were discussed and arranged right there and then. My whole family had a great day! Especially my eldest who is 2yo and snorkelled for the first time!

Response from Host, Oct 2021

So sorry to read the helicopter part of your GBR adventure was cancelled due to the weather! How wonderful that your 2 yo had the best time! <3 Thank you for choosing to share your GBR adventure with us aboard Evolution!