What is the best time of day to snorkel in Michaelmas Cay?

Snorkel in daylight, if possible in the morning before the wind picks up. Currents are often weaker near high slack tide. SnorkelForecast scores each daylight hour for Michaelmas Cay.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide, within about an hour of the high-tide peak, often has weaker currents. Strong low tides and tidal flow near channels or headlands reduce the score.

Where are the best snorkeling conditions near Michaelmas Cay today?

The nearby spots with the best forecasts later today are Hastings Reef, Green Island, Fitzroy Island. Check each spot page for hourly wind, wave, tide and water temperature detail.

MARINE REPORT / 72 HOURS

Michaelmas Cay Snorkel Report Today

Australia · Updated Wed 09:32 (AEST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Go in the best window Data updated Wed 09:32 (AEST)

Michaelmas Cay has a usable snorkeling window around Wed 11:00. The main thing to watch is tide/current.

Right now (forecast)

Good · 6.1/10

Wed 10:00 (AEST)

Later today

Good · 6.0/10

Wed 13:00 (AEST)

Next three days

Good · 6.8/10

Fri 11:00 (AEST)

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

Score: 6.0/10

Best time: Wed 11:00

Main risk: Tide/Current

Best morning signal: Wed 11:00 (Good).

Best afternoon signal: Wed 13:00 (Good). Peak afternoon wind is about 4.2 m/s.

Email me when it is good Compare nearby spots

Best nearby spots later today

Hastings Reef 6.6/10 Good · Wed 12:00 Green Island 6.0/10 Good · Wed 11:00 Fitzroy Island 6.0/10 Good · Wed 12:00

Sunrise

05:37

Sunset

18:22

Water

27.4°C

Max air

26.6°C

Sky

Clear

12% cloud

Good model window in the next 72 hours

Next good model window: Wed 11:00–13:00 (30% of the next 72h meets the model threshold)

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Wednesday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Tide/current

Thursday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Tide/current

Friday

✅ Good conditions

Main blocker: Tide/current

Best available hours

The next good model window starts at Wed 11:00 and lasts until 13:00.

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Tide/current (70 hours)
Darkness (44 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

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

Low · 34/100

Low drift risk now.

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: Thu 06:00

Wed 17:00, Thu 06:00, Thu 18:00, Fri 07:00, Fri 18:00, Sat 07:00

Nearby snorkel spot map

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

Hastings Reef Good · Wed 12:00 6.6/10 Green Island Good · Wed 11:00 6.0/10 Fitzroy Island Good · Wed 12:00 6.0/10 Moore Reef Good · Wed 12:00 5.6/10 Flynn Reef Fair · Wed 14:00 5.2/10

Forecast spot map

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

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

Nearby alternatives in Australia

Hastings Reef

11 km away

✅ Good

Arlington Reef

13 km away

✅ Good

Green Island

17 km away

✅ Good

Moore Reef

18 km away

✅ Good

Advanced forecast data

Viewing historical data

Wed 10:00 – Sat 10:00 (AEST)

Previous day Yesterday Next day Live

Snorkel Score (selected 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.55 around Wed 12:00; 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.

0/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 0.6m to 0.64m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 24/24 sampled hours (range 3.35 to 5.11m/s).

Tides range from 0.05m to 1.13m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour historical overview

Wed 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 14:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 15:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 16:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 17:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 18:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 07:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 09:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 13:00 Good 🌟 Good

Thu 14:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 15:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 16:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 17:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 18:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 07:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 09:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 10:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 14:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 15:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 16:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 17:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 18:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 07:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 09:00 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
Wed 10:00	0.64 · high	3.35 · good	25.50 · good	Fair
Wed 11:00	0.64 · high	3.43 · good	25.50 · good	Fair
Wed 12:00	0.62 · high	3.59 · good	25.60 · good	Fair
Wed 13:00	0.62 · high	3.79 · good	25.80 · good	Fair
Wed 14:00	0.62 · high	4.10 · good	25.90 · good	Fair
Wed 15:00	0.62 · high	4.40 · good	25.90 · good	Fair
Wed 16:00	0.62 · high	4.20 · good	26.00 · good	Fair
Wed 17:00	0.62 · high	4.45 · good	26.00 · good	Fair
Wed 18:00	0.64 · high	4.58 · good	25.90 · good	Fair
Wed 19:00	0.64 · high	4.62 · good	25.80 · good	Poor
Wed 20:00	0.64 · high	4.61 · good	25.70 · good	Poor
Wed 21:00	0.64 · high	3.53 · good	25.70 · good	Poor
Wed 22:00	0.64 · high	3.68 · good	25.60 · good	Poor
Wed 23:00	0.64 · high	3.61 · good	25.50 · good	Poor
Thu 00:00	0.60 · high	3.89 · good	25.50 · good	Poor
Thu 01:00	0.60 · high	4.16 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 02:00	0.60 · high	4.49 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 03:00	0.62 · high	5.10 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 04:00	0.62 · high	5.11 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 05:00	0.62 · high	4.98 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 06:00	0.62 · high	4.56 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 07:00	0.62 · high	4.42 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 08:00	0.62 · high	4.34 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 09:00	0.60 · high	4.32 · good	25.40 · good	Poor
Thu 10:00	0.60 · high	3.96 · good	25.50 · good	Fair
Thu 11:00	0.60 · high	4.47 · good	25.50 · good	Fair
Thu 12:00	0.60 · high	5.17 · good	25.60 · good	Fair
Thu 13:00	0.60 · high	4.92 · good	25.60 · good	Good
Thu 14:00	0.60 · high	5.01 · good	25.70 · good	Fair
Thu 15:00	0.62 · high	5.23 · good	25.80 · good	Fair
Thu 16:00	0.62 · high	4.76 · good	25.80 · good	Fair
Thu 17:00	0.62 · high	4.87 · good	25.80 · good	Fair
Thu 18:00	0.62 · high	4.55 · good	25.70 · good	Fair
Thu 19:00	0.62 · high	4.55 · good	25.70 · good	Poor
Thu 20:00	0.64 · high	4.37 · good	25.60 · good	Poor
Thu 21:00	0.58 · high	4.96 · good	25.60 · good	Poor
Thu 22:00	0.58 · high	6.05 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Thu 23:00	0.60 · high	5.76 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Fri 00:00	0.62 · high	5.65 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Fri 01:00	0.66 · high	5.44 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 02:00	0.66 · high	5.90 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 03:00	0.66 · high	6.05 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 04:00	0.66 · high	5.81 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 05:00	0.68 · high	6.15 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 06:00	0.70 · high	6.54 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 07:00	0.72 · high	6.73 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 08:00	0.72 · high	6.13 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 09:00	0.72 · high	6.13 · high	25.40 · good	Poor
Fri 10:00	0.72 · high	5.75 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Fri 11:00	0.72 · high	5.64 · high	25.50 · good	Fair
Fri 12:00	0.72 · high	5.41 · high	25.60 · good	Fair
Fri 13:00	0.72 · high	5.35 · good	25.60 · good	Fair
Fri 14:00	0.72 · high	5.19 · good	25.70 · good	Fair
Fri 15:00	0.70 · high	5.10 · good	25.70 · good	Fair
Fri 16:00	0.70 · high	5.21 · good	25.80 · good	Fair
Fri 17:00	0.70 · high	5.68 · high	25.80 · good	Fair
Fri 18:00	0.70 · high	5.49 · high	25.80 · good	Fair
Fri 19:00	0.70 · high	5.54 · high	25.70 · good	Poor
Fri 20:00	0.70 · high	5.63 · high	25.70 · good	Poor
Fri 21:00	0.68 · high	6.36 · high	25.70 · good	Poor
Fri 22:00	0.70 · high	6.64 · high	25.60 · good	Poor
Fri 23:00	0.70 · high	6.49 · high	25.60 · good	Poor
Sat 00:00	0.70 · high	6.46 · high	25.60 · good	Poor
Sat 01:00	0.70 · high	6.60 · high	25.60 · good	Poor
Sat 02:00	0.70 · high	6.84 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 03:00	0.70 · high	6.06 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 04:00	0.70 · high	6.06 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 05:00	0.70 · high	6.02 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 06:00	0.70 · high	5.79 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 07:00	0.72 · high	5.72 · high	25.50 · good	Poor
Sat 08:00	0.72 · high	5.61 · high	25.60 · good	Poor
Sat 09:00	0.70 · high	5.19 · good	25.60 · good	Poor