MARINE REPORT / 72 HOURS

Cairns Snorkel Report Today

Australia · Updated Sun 23:22 (AEST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

No forecast for later today Data updated Sun 23:22 (AEST)

No remaining forecast hours are available for today in Cairns. Check the three-day outlook.

Right now (forecast)

Poor · 0.0/10

Sun 23:00 (AEST)

Later today

No fresh data for this period.

Next three days

Excellent · 7.9/10

Wed 18:00 (AEST)

Model estimates using Open-Meteo; not observations or safety guarantees. Check official advisories and conditions at the beach.

Score: No score

Best time: -

Main risk: Changing Conditions

No useful morning window is showing yet.

No useful afternoon window is showing yet.

Email me when it is good Compare nearby spots Tours & water activities

Plan your visit

These notes help with planning. Rules and closures can change.

Open map

AccessCairns is a gateway. Green Island, Fitzroy Island and the outer reefs have their own wind and swell. Open those reports before you leave the harbour.

ParkingParking and boat-harbour rules vary by operator and town. Use marked spaces and never block ramps or residents.

ReservationsMany of the best reefs here are boat-only. Book a permitted operator and ask about weather cancellations.

ClosuresWind, swell, and park rules can close a site even when the town beach looks calm. Check the official source before entering.

Marine lifeDo not touch, chase, or feed marine life. Stay off coral and follow local park rules.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Sunrise

05:38

Sunset

18:21

Water

28.6°C

Max air

29.2°C

Sky

Cloudy

93% cloud

Good model window in the next 72 hours

Next good model window: Mon 10:00–18:00 (39% of the next 72h meets the model threshold)

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Monday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Tuesday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Darkness

Wednesday

✅ Excellent conditions

Main blocker: Darkness

Best available hours

The next good model window starts at Mon 10:00 and lasts until 18:00.

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

  • Darkness (43 hours)
  • Tide/current (26 hours)
  • Waves (15 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.

Low · 31/100

Low peak drift risk around Mon 15:00.

warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; surface drift/current is noticeable; local shoreline exposure is not mapped yet.

Sightings override the model: if you see small purple jellyfish with long trailing tentacles, treat them as sting-capable and give them space.

Upcoming high tides

Next early morning high tide: Mon 04:00

Mon 04:00, Mon 16:00, Tue 05:00, Tue 17:00, Wed 05:00, Wed 17:00

Bookable snorkel tours near Cairns

Prices and availability from Viator. Check conditions before you book.

We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

MV Evolution - the regions most luxurious Outer Reef day cruise vessel

Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Cairns

4.7/5 3967 reviews 8h 30m
From USD 196.80 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience

Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience

4.8/5 541 reviews 4h
From USD 128.10 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Ocean Freedom: Great Barrier Reef Stylish Snorkel, Dive Reef Tour

Ocean Freedom: Great Barrier Reef Stylish Snorkel, Dive Reef Tour

4.8/5 2054 reviews 9h
From USD 159.77 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Afternoon Fitzroy Island Escape – Return Ferry Included

Afternoon Fitzroy Island Escape – Return Ferry Included

3.9/5 18 reviews 4h 30m
From USD 77.29 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Visit a pristine outer reef site

Premium Half-Day Outer Reef Snokel Tour

4.7/5 547 reviews 6h
From USD 139.55 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Cairns Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tour

Cairns Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tour

4.8/5 427 reviews 9h
From USD 173.26 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Nearby snorkel spot map

Compare nearby spot forecasts for later today before choosing a beach.

Fitzroy Island Unknown No recent score Flynn Reef Unknown No recent score Green Island Unknown No recent score Hastings Reef Unknown No recent score Michaelmas Cay Unknown No recent score Moore Reef Unknown No recent score

Forecast spot map

Use the map to see where the compared spots sit. Open a card for the hourly forecast.

Fitzroy Island Flynn Reef Green Island Hastings Reef Michaelmas Cay Moore Reef
  1. Fitzroy Island
  2. Flynn Reef
  3. Green Island
  4. Hastings Reef
  5. Michaelmas Cay
  6. Moore Reef

This is a location diagram, not a marine chart. Check the shore and local signs in person.

Nearby alternatives in Australia

Fitzroy Island

24 km away

✅ Good

Green Island

28 km away

✅ Good

Arlington Reef

38 km away

✅ Good

Michaelmas Cay

41 km away

✅ Good

Advanced forecast data

Viewing current forecast

Sun 23:00 – Wed 23:00 (AEST)

Previous day Yesterday

Snorkel Score (next 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.71 around Mon 17:00; 9 of 24 hours are good, fair, or excellent.

Score trend, higher is better. Excellent ≥ 0.72, good 0.55–0.72, fair 0.35–0.55.

Conditions (24h trends)

Tap a chart to load just that series.

9/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 0.36m to 0.4m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 24/24 sampled hours (range 0.2 to 3.19m/s).

Tides range from -0.18m to 1.63m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour forecast overview
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Excellent ✅ Excellent
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Excellent ✅ Excellent
Excellent ✅ Excellent
Excellent ✅ Excellent
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Scoring methodology (for technical users)

We score each hour from 0 to 1 using daylight and these weighted components:

  • Wave height (35%): best below 0.36m, then decreases as it rises.
  • Wind speed (25%): best below 5.4m/s, lower is better.
  • Sea surface temperature (15%): best within 20.6°C to 30.4°C.
  • Tide and currents (15%): best around slack/high-tide windows.
  • Daylight (10%): visibility is better in daylight, so night hours score lower.
Detailed hourly data table
Time Wave (m) Wind (m/s) Sea temp (°C) Status
Mon 00:00 0.40 · high 1.10 · good 28.60 · good Poor
Mon 01:00 0.40 · high 1.25 · good 28.60 · good Poor
Mon 02:00 0.40 · high 1.28 · good 28.60 · good Poor
Mon 03:00 0.38 · high 1.30 · good 28.50 · good Poor
Mon 04:00 0.38 · high 1.63 · good 28.50 · good Poor
Mon 05:00 0.38 · high 1.84 · good 28.50 · good Poor
Mon 06:00 0.38 · high 1.73 · good 28.50 · good Poor
Mon 07:00 0.38 · high 1.44 · good 28.50 · good Poor
Mon 08:00 0.38 · high 0.60 · good 28.60 · good Poor
Mon 09:00 0.36 · good 1.41 · good 28.60 · good Poor
Mon 10:00 0.36 · good 2.33 · good 28.60 · good Good
Mon 11:00 0.36 · good 2.98 · good 28.70 · good Good
Mon 12:00 0.36 · good 3.19 · good 28.80 · good Good
Mon 13:00 0.36 · good 3.19 · good 28.80 · good Good
Mon 14:00 0.36 · good 2.95 · good 28.90 · good Good
Mon 15:00 0.38 · high 2.89 · good 29.00 · good Good
Mon 16:00 0.38 · high 2.42 · good 29.00 · good Good
Mon 17:00 0.38 · high 2.13 · good 29.00 · good Good
Mon 18:00 0.38 · high 1.88 · good 29.00 · good Good
Mon 19:00 0.38 · high 1.42 · good 28.90 · good Poor
Mon 20:00 0.38 · high 0.62 · good 28.90 · good Poor
Mon 21:00 0.36 · good 0.20 · good 28.80 · good Poor
Mon 22:00 0.36 · good 0.35 · good 28.80 · good Poor
Mon 23:00 0.36 · good 0.46 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 00:00 0.34 · good 0.50 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 01:00 0.34 · good 0.40 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 02:00 0.34 · good 0.63 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 03:00 0.34 · good 0.69 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 04:00 0.34 · good 0.75 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 05:00 0.34 · good 0.61 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 06:00 0.32 · good 0.89 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 07:00 0.32 · good 0.89 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 08:00 0.32 · good 0.28 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 09:00 0.30 · good 1.28 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Tue 10:00 0.30 · good 1.81 · good 28.70 · good Good
Tue 11:00 0.30 · good 2.55 · good 28.80 · good Good
Tue 12:00 0.28 · good 3.11 · good 28.80 · good Good
Tue 13:00 0.28 · good 2.94 · good 28.90 · good Good
Tue 14:00 0.28 · good 2.83 · good 28.90 · good Good
Tue 15:00 0.28 · good 2.83 · good 29.00 · good Good
Tue 16:00 0.28 · good 2.97 · good 29.00 · good Good
Tue 17:00 0.28 · good 2.58 · good 29.00 · good Good
Tue 18:00 0.26 · good 2.14 · good 29.00 · good Good
Tue 19:00 0.26 · good 1.35 · good 28.90 · good Poor
Tue 20:00 0.26 · good 0.85 · good 28.90 · good Poor
Tue 21:00 0.26 · good 0.62 · good 28.90 · good Poor
Tue 22:00 0.26 · good 0.40 · good 28.80 · good Poor
Tue 23:00 0.26 · good 0.21 · good 28.80 · good Poor
Wed 00:00 0.26 · good 0.57 · good 28.80 · good Poor
Wed 01:00 0.26 · good 1.12 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 02:00 0.26 · good 1.44 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 03:00 0.26 · good 1.77 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 04:00 0.26 · good 2.22 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 05:00 0.26 · good 1.74 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 06:00 0.26 · good 1.52 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 07:00 0.26 · good 1.03 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 08:00 0.26 · good 0.83 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 09:00 0.26 · good 1.95 · good 28.70 · good Poor
Wed 10:00 0.26 · good 2.11 · good 28.70 · good Good
Wed 11:00 0.26 · good 2.56 · good 28.80 · good Good
Wed 12:00 0.26 · good 3.25 · good 28.90 · good Excellent
Wed 13:00 0.26 · good 3.53 · good 28.90 · good Good
Wed 14:00 0.26 · good 3.05 · good 29.00 · good Good
Wed 15:00 0.24 · good 2.78 · good 29.10 · good Good
Wed 16:00 0.24 · good 2.59 · good 29.10 · good Excellent
Wed 17:00 0.24 · good 2.61 · good 29.10 · good Excellent
Wed 18:00 0.24 · good 2.34 · good 29.10 · good Excellent
Wed 19:00 0.24 · good 1.05 · good 29.10 · good Poor
Wed 20:00 0.24 · good 0.55 · good 29.00 · good Poor
Wed 21:00 0.22 · good 0.21 · good 29.00 · good Poor