Cairns Snorkel Report Today

Australia · Updated Sat 20:41 (AEST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Poor Data updated Sat 20:41 (AEST)

Cairns has no good model window later today. Check the three-day outlook and official beach advisories.

Right now (forecast)

Poor · 0.0/10

Sat 20:00 (AEST)

Later today

No fresh data for this period.

Next three days

Good · 7.0/10

Sun 10:00 (AEST)

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

Score: 0.0/10

Best time: -

Main risk: Darkness

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

05:52

Sunset

18:15

Water

25.5°C

Max air

22.0°C

Sky

Cloudy

93% cloud

Good model window in the next 72 hours

Next good model window: Sun 10:00–18:00 (38% of the next 72h meets the model threshold)

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Saturday

❌ Poor conditions

Main blocker: Darkness

Sunday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Darkness

Monday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

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

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

  • Waves (55 hours)
  • Darkness (44 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

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

Low · 27/100

Low drift risk now.

warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; 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

Sun 09:00, Sun 20:00, Mon 09:00, Mon 21:00, Tue 10:00

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 3947 reviews 8h 30m
From USD 195.30 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 2038 reviews 9h
From USD 158.55 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

4.8/5 528 reviews 4h
From USD 127.12 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Turtle and Snorkeler

Silverswift 3 Great Barrier Reef Sites in 1 Day from Cairns

4.6/5 453 reviews 10h
From USD 218.73 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Half Day Morning Adventure - Fitzroy Island Return Ferry Included

Half Day Morning Adventure - Fitzroy Island Return Ferry Included

4.1/5 15 reviews 5h
From USD 76.70 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Cairns Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tour

Cairns Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tour

4.8/5 425 reviews 9h
From USD 191.04 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

❌ Poor

Green Island

28 km away

❌ Poor

Arlington Reef

38 km away

❌ Poor

Michaelmas Cay

41 km away

❌ Poor

Advanced forecast data

Viewing current forecast

Sat 20:00 – Tue 20:00 (AEST)

Previous day Yesterday

Snorkel Score (next 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.7 around Sun 10:00; 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.

16/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 0.3m to 0.44m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 24/24 sampled hours (range 1.36 to 3.92m/s).

Tides range from -0.39m to 1.4m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour forecast overview
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
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Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
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Good 🌟 Good
Poor ❌ Limited
Poor ❌ Limited
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Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Good 🌟 Good
Poor ❌ Limited
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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
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
Sat 21:00 0.30 · good 1.39 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Sat 22:00 0.30 · good 1.69 · good 25.40 · good Poor
Sat 23:00 0.30 · good 1.59 · good 25.40 · good Poor
Sun 00:00 0.30 · good 1.41 · good 25.40 · good Poor
Sun 01:00 0.30 · good 1.56 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 02:00 0.30 · good 1.56 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 03:00 0.30 · good 1.54 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 04:00 0.30 · good 1.61 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 05:00 0.30 · good 1.62 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 06:00 0.32 · good 1.63 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 07:00 0.32 · good 1.36 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 08:00 0.32 · good 1.54 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 09:00 0.34 · good 3.19 · good 25.30 · good Poor
Sun 10:00 0.34 · good 3.49 · good 25.30 · good Good
Sun 11:00 0.36 · good 3.70 · good 25.40 · good Good
Sun 12:00 0.36 · good 3.72 · good 25.50 · good Good
Sun 13:00 0.38 · high 3.75 · good 25.50 · good Good
Sun 14:00 0.40 · high 3.83 · good 25.60 · good Good
Sun 15:00 0.40 · high 3.92 · good 25.70 · good Good
Sun 16:00 0.42 · high 3.87 · good 25.70 · good Good
Sun 17:00 0.42 · high 3.60 · good 25.70 · good Good
Sun 18:00 0.44 · high 2.77 · good 25.70 · good Good
Sun 19:00 0.44 · high 2.48 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Sun 20:00 0.44 · high 2.24 · good 25.60 · good Poor
Sun 21:00 0.46 · high 2.17 · good 25.60 · good Poor
Sun 22:00 0.46 · high 2.14 · good 25.60 · good Poor
Sun 23:00 0.44 · high 2.06 · good 25.60 · good Poor
Mon 00:00 0.44 · high 2.16 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 01:00 0.42 · high 2.13 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 02:00 0.42 · high 2.09 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 03:00 0.42 · high 1.91 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 04:00 0.42 · high 1.84 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 05:00 0.44 · high 1.87 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 06:00 0.44 · high 1.77 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 07:00 0.46 · high 1.63 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 08:00 0.48 · high 1.80 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 09:00 0.50 · high 3.71 · good 25.50 · good Poor
Mon 10:00 0.52 · high 4.10 · good 25.50 · good Good
Mon 11:00 0.52 · high 4.62 · good 25.60 · good Good
Mon 12:00 0.52 · high 4.75 · good 25.70 · good Good
Mon 13:00 0.52 · high 4.67 · good 25.70 · good Good
Mon 14:00 0.52 · high 4.61 · good 25.80 · good Good
Mon 15:00 0.50 · high 4.50 · good 25.90 · good Good
Mon 16:00 0.50 · high 4.34 · good 25.90 · good Good
Mon 17:00 0.48 · high 3.93 · good 25.90 · good Good
Mon 18:00 0.48 · high 3.24 · good 25.90 · good Good
Mon 19:00 0.46 · high 2.19 · good 25.90 · good Poor
Mon 20:00 0.44 · high 2.06 · good 25.90 · good Poor
Mon 21:00 0.44 · high 1.48 · good 25.80 · good Poor
Mon 22:00 0.42 · high 1.55 · good 25.80 · good Poor
Mon 23:00 0.42 · high 1.33 · good 25.80 · good Poor
Tue 00:00 0.40 · high 1.57 · good 25.80 · good Poor
Tue 01:00 0.40 · high 1.65 · good 25.80 · good Poor
Tue 02:00 0.40 · high 1.82 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 03:00 0.40 · high 1.77 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 04:00 0.40 · high 1.63 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 05:00 0.40 · high 1.14 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 06:00 0.42 · high 1.03 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 07:00 0.42 · high 1.83 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 08:00 0.44 · high 2.36 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 09:00 0.46 · high 3.20 · good 25.70 · good Poor
Tue 10:00 0.48 · high 3.75 · good 25.80 · good Good
Tue 11:00 0.48 · high 4.05 · good 25.80 · good Good
Tue 12:00 0.48 · high 3.94 · good 25.90 · good Good
Tue 13:00 0.48 · high 4.25 · good 26.00 · good Good
Tue 14:00 0.48 · high 4.27 · good 26.10 · good Good
Tue 15:00 0.48 · high 4.01 · good 26.20 · good Good
Tue 16:00 0.48 · high 3.87 · good 26.30 · good Good
Tue 17:00 0.48 · high 3.49 · good 26.30 · good Good
Tue 18:00 0.48 · high 2.75 · good 26.30 · good Good
Tue 19:00 0.48 · high 1.72 · good 26.20 · good Poor