Snorkelling

Locations

We love the coral filled bays on the outside of the islands like Border, Hook or Whitsunday Island. The remoteness together with clearer waters make them pristine snorkelling locations. As all our boats have 10 passengers or less, we can visit Setting 4 areas. This means we have access to more places and coral reef bays than boats carrying 12 passengers or more with a standard permit.

The Whitsunday Bays we snorkel are protected from wind and waves which enables calm water snorkelling. We snorkel off the inflatable tender vessel boat with a crew member watching out at all times.

Snorkel Equipment

ISail believes that good snorkel equipment contributes to a good snorkel experience. We have good quality silicon masks and snorkels in various sizes. If you have your own gear, we recommend to bring it. Should you require prescription googles, please consult the DiveShop 'Aqua Dive' located in the northern Coral Sea Marina (formerly Abell Point Marina) village (at our meeting point for the tour). For unconfident swimmers we have swim vests aboard, they protect both swimmer and coral reef (standing up will kill the coral). The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authorities have asked us not to give fins, as they often cause coral damage with unexperienced snorkelers. But if you are a seasoned snorkeler you are most welcome to bring your own ones.

For unconfident swimmers we have swim vests aboard, they protect both swimmer and coral reef. Any touching or standing up will kill the corals and is prohibited. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authorities have asked us not to give fins, as they often cause coral damage with unexperienced snorkelers. But if you are a seasoned snorkeler you are most welcome to use some.

*Please note, while there has not been a tour where we didn’t snorkel, that the main part of our product is the boat tour (onboard accommodation and catering, qualified crew, National Park visit). Snorkelling is underlying governmental safety rules. The crew can restrict snorkelling to individuals or entire groups due to weather conditions, medical conditions, personal ability or conduct.

Snorkel Beginners

Snorkelling is an easy and safe way to experience the underwater world. We conduct an extensive brief before we enter the water. Some people take a few minutes to get used to the breathing with the snorkel through the mouth. Just relax, take a few slow relaxed breaths and try again. And take it with humour: a few gulps of salt water are part of the experience, but try not to drink it. ISail Whitsundays snorkelled the Whitsundays with thousands of passengers over the years and introduced the underwater world to many snorkel beginners and non-swimmers. For extremely anxious passengers and non-swimmers we start off with snorkelling leaning over the tubes of the tender vessel, this means you are not even in the water and can retrieve your face whenever you need to. This method still enables you to experience corals and fish.