Big Cat was our carrier to Great Barrier Reef this March. Cairns was rainy, although spots of drizzle only. The vessel was at a berth in Marlin Wharf just opposite the Reef Fleet Terminal, a 10 to 15 min walk from the Esplanade and the Night Market. Previous evening we received an email with detailed instructions on how to reach the vessel. We reserved a full day tour to the Green Island and the vessel was almost full. We took a seat in the upper deck. Tea & coffee were complimentary before departure. The ride to the Green Island took an hour and was a bit rough, although we enjoyed every bit. We opted for the complimentary glass boat ride rather than snorkeling. The glass boat ride was fascinating and we could see the coral reef world, an entirely different ecosystem below the water. This was experience of a lifetime. After the boat ride we waited for some time as it was raining. We opted for lunch on board and had a great lunch with a lovely choice of salads, mains and breads. When rain abated went to the Green Island, a fascinating rain forest we previously didn’t see in Australia. Green Island has nice walking trails, a resort, a crocodile reserve (additional tickets), rest areas and nice sea beaches. While walking to the island from the jetty can see corals just under the water as if one can walk on those. We started our return at 4 pm and returned to Cairns at 5 pm. Special mention about the captain and the crew - very informative, accommodative and helpful.

So glad I booked this! No wait time getting onto the boat. Plenty of equipment. Plenty of seats. Aircon inside was nice. The weather was perfect. Mostly blue skies. The trip wasn’t too long there and back. Partner and I did the glass boat tour and semi submerged tour and it was pretty amazing. Saw turtles, an eel, reef shark and plenty of fish. The snorkel spots were really amazing and we swam along side a turtle. Would book with these guys again!

One day cruise to the green island lots of activities. Under sea coral watch, swimming, scupa diving, submarine drive, fish feeding. Great lunch in the boat . All are amazing

What a great day for the family while visiting cairns, the weather was great and the visibility was fantastic. The whole process from boarding, getting snorkelling equipment, disembarking on to the island, was so polished, all the staff were fantastic. We chose green island for the three kids as we didn’t know how they would go on a boat tour, but they had a ball and we’re snorkelling for 3 hours, best snorkeling was halfway past the jetty lots of fish and coral 🪸 Lunch was delicious and glad we paid the extra for it. Worth the visit!

What a great way to celebrate a birthday! The family loved the experience snorkelling with a black reef tip shark, stingrays, an octopus and cute nemos! The Marine Bio onboard the semi sub was so knowledgeable and had some great information for the children onboard, pointing out all the marine life and making learning about the GBR fun! We enjoyed the healthy lunch and the crew onboard, thank you team Big Cat. See you again very soon :)