Discover the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Experience
Locally owned and operated Reef Experience is outstanding value for money.
Reef Experience is a Cairns-based tour operator that offers full-day tours to the Great Barrier Reef. The company has been operating since 2000 and is known for its friendly and experienced staff and its focus on sustainability and eco-tourism.
Reef Experience’s full-day tours typically depart from Cairns and take you to two different dive and snorkelling sites on the Great Barrier Reef. The tour includes all equipment, instruction, lunch, and morning and afternoon tea. The company also offers an optional introductory dive for those who want to try scuba diving for the first time.
One of the unique features of Reef Experience’s tours is the use of a specialist dive tender, which takes smaller groups of divers to less-visited parts of the Reef. This allows for a more personalized and intimate diving experience and allows divers to explore parts of the Reef that larger tour operators often overlook.
Reef Experience is committed to sustainability and eco-tourism and works closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to minimize its impact on the reef. The company uses eco-friendly products on board its boats and supports local conservation and research initiatives.
Overall, Reef Experience is a well-regarded tour operator that offers a high-quality and sustainable way to explore the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.
Reef Experience is Cairns only all inclusive reef tour, providing exceptional value for money and a great fun day on the Great Barrier Reef.
Arriving at the Great Barrier Reef
Looking out from your lounger, you can see the crystal clear waters as you pass through it.
The water is so clear you can get glimpses of marine life. You may even see a Manta Ray, a shark or a turtle as you pass near it.
As the Reef Experience nears the reef, it slows, and you can see the Reef.
You are experiencing what may be a lifetime event, a visit to the outer reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.
Many things make the MV Reef Experience so extra unique.
She is a high-speed catamaran designer that will bring her guest to the outer reefs in under 90 minutes.
Your day starts with an included pick-up at your central Cairns hotel.
Boarding starts at 7:20 am, and after selecting a wetsuit for the day, a breakfast of bacon and egg rolls will be waiting for you in the saloon.
At 8 am, there will be a safety briefing and a short class for those who have never been snorkelling. Shortly after the briefings, the boat will depart.
Guests can choose between staying indoors in the air-conditioned saloon or moving to the spacious sun deck.
Once underway, there is a marine biologist presentation. The marine biologist will give an overview of what type of marine life the guest can expect on each reef that the MV Reef Experience will visit that day.
The MV Reef Experience and the two vessels of its sister companies, MV Reef Encounter, maintain several different moorings on each of five outer barrier reef locations.
Like all the Reef day tours, the MV Reef Experience provides snorkeling equipment. Unlike the other tours, the MV Reef Experience price includes a glass-bottom boat tour.
This tour is ideal for those who are not yet ready to get in the water or would like to explore a little.
Non-swimmers can also snorkel if they wish, as the crew can provide extra flotation devices to those who do not swim to ensure a fun and safe outing,
The MV Reef Experience also provides guests with a free scuba dive with all equipment.
This is exclusive to the MV Reef Experience.
Scuba diving
Guest who is not certified divers can complete a resort course as a part of the daily events.
A resort course is a half-day program that allows an individual over 12 and not medically disqualified to experience the thrill of scuba diving without completing a complete certification program.
The program has a short instructional segment that includes some of the theories behind scuba diving.
The second segment is a skills portion, where you will have some tasks demonstrated for you and then practice until you are comfortable accomplishing them.
The third segment is the actual dive with your instructor. This dive has only one significant difference between the resort dive and the dive the certified divers can do.
That difference is that you, as a resort diver, will have an instructor within arms reach while you dive.
The experience itself and the location are the same as the certified divers.
Certified divers
Certified divers, who present their “C” card, will have the opportunity to do one scuba dive.
The scuba diving on the outer reefs is some of the best in the world, and our diving guest gets to include it in their day tour.
After the morning water session, lunch will be served. Lunch is a BBQ with delicious fresh salads prepared onboard by the chef.
While you enjoy your lunch and relax, the MV Reef Experience is heading to your second reef of the day.
You can snorkel on a new Reef when you arrive and experience more marine life.
Divers can book a second dive at an extra fee or join the others and snorkel on the Reef.
Around 3 pm, the MV Reef Experience heads back to Cairns. As she departs the reef, a cheese and fruit platter and a glass of wine are served.
Toast the reef and thank the reef and the crew for an unforgettable day.
The MV Reef Experience operates daily out of Cairns Marlin Marina.
Examine what each operator offers when looking for a tour of the Greater Barrier Reef. Look at what included in the price.
Read the fine print. While MV Reef Experience includes the tax and marine park fees in the price, most other companies collect it at the pier.
When you are done, you will see the MV Reef Experience is the best value.
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