I am not a very good swimmer, can I snorkel?

As WAVELENGTH only take snorkellers to the Great Barrier Reef, our crew will have plenty of time to assist you in learning to snorkel. We provide flotation devices called noodles and also wetsuits. We do not use life jackets for buoyancy as they are designed to keep an unconscious person afloat in the water and do not allow you to put your face in the water. Snorkeling is a very easy and safe activity for people of ages and swimming ability.

If the weather is rough can we still see the reef?

When we encounter strong winds in Port Douglas, the wind direction is from the south east. Our sites are in behind the Great Barrier Reef and when there is a low tide in the middle of the day the reef acts like a barrier (hence the name Great Barrier Reef) and it can be very calm and protected snorkeling in behind the reef. The stronger trade winds usually occur during our winter period and during this time the visibility on the outer Great Barrier Reef is at its best.

What will the reef be like if it is raining?

There is a large mountain range close to the coast of Port Douglas which draws the rain and makes it possible for us to have world heritage listed rainforest and jungle in our location. The outer Great Barrier Reef is approximately 30 nautical miles away from this coastal range and it is for this reason that usually out on the reef there is little or no rain compared to the coast. If it is overcast on the reef, believe it or not, the corals are actually more fluorescent. Infra red light interferes with UV light and when it is overcast there is less infra red and more ultra violet. (Which is why you can get sun burnt on a cloudy day) The ultra violet light makes the corals much more colorful on cloudy days on the Great Barrier Reef.

Will I miss out on seeing anything by not doing a scuba dive?

Approximately 90% of reef life lives in the top 4 meters of water on the Great Barrier Reef; in addition, red and yellow light are the first colors you lose when you go deeper into the water- therefore the corals and fish in shallow water are much prettier than diving at 10 meters, where everything has a blue/green tinge.

Will I get seasick on a smaller boat?

WAVELENGTH is a Randal West coaster. These boats are designed to work off the continental shelf in Western Australia where 5 meter seas are common. WAVELENGTH is very stable and sits well in the water thus minimizing the possibility of seasickness on the Great Barrier Reef. If you are concerned about the possibility of seasickness, WAVELENGTH recommends that you purchase "KWELLS" (motion sickness medication) from the local pharmacy/chemist.

Are Catamarans more stable than Mono hulls?

Mono hulls are more stable than catamarans in a swell traveling more beam-on than head-on which is precisely the conditions found in winter here when the south-east swell meets a boat traveling north-east. Catamarans are designed by accountants - its economics; more deck width means more potential passengers per deck length. Nothing to do with comfort nor ride it's simple economics of transporting large numbers of people efficiently. A catamaran (otherwise known as an "ankle breaker") leaps from side to side as one pontoon goes into a trough whilst the other goes up the wave. A mono hull sits either between the waves or upon them, rolling to and fro as it rides up or down but not leaping back-forth like a see-saw. Catamarans do travel faster, but they have to be faster to give passengers any reasonable amount of time at a reef that is so far away from Port Douglas such as Agincourt Reef.

I've heard a lot about Agincourt Reef, is it better to snorkel than Opal Reef?

Agincourt Reef is no better than Opal or Tongue. The reason Agincourt is touted as the best reef, is because the industry got too big to be handled by little Opal Reef and the "Sisters" of Tongue - so the big boats were forced up north with their crowds. The story they sell is that the reef is better up there. Nonsense. They are just not allowed at Opal Reef because of their size and there is no more moorings being created - WAVELENGTH's own the pick of the sites at Opal reef and Tongue reef. Agincourt is not any better than Opal Reef. The point is that reef site selection is far, far more important than what actual reef you are visiting. The very best snorkeling sites at Opal Reef are owned exclusively by WAVELENGTH. Being such a small boat, there are fewer people crowing about these sites. Compare this to Agincourt where several hundred people visit every day, it's easy to see how the misconceptions about Agincourt being better has come from. It simply isn't. Its just a different reef. That gets visited more because the big boats cant go to Opal anymore - as they are too big.

Does it make much difference to go with a Great Barrier Reef tour operator that offers scuba diving, or should I go with a snorkel boat?

If you don't dive there is no need to travel to the Great Barrier Reef with a dive boat. A dive boat that takes snorkellers to a dive site (deep water, distant from the coral edge) in which the schedule is entirely determined by dive time limits, cannot possibly compare with a dedicated snorkel only boat, with a maximum of 30 people that goes right into some of the most awesome snorkeling sites in the region. No comparison. There is very little to be gained by diving when one could just snorkel the same site and see much more colorful coral/fish. This is of course because the vast majority of tropical coral reef life on the Great Barrier Reef to be found within the first 4 meters of water which can easily be observed from the surface by snorkellers.

What is " Reef Tax"?

Reef Tax or EMC (Environmental Management Charge) is a government tax that is charged to all visitors to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The funds raised from this tax are used for research and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

I wear glasses, do you have prescription masks?

Yes we do! They are available on board for hire. If you wear contact lenses it is possible to wear contact lenses under your normal mask whilst snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.

Are there any penalties if we cancel our trip?

If you cancel within 18 hours of your scheduled Great Barrier Reef snorkeling trip then a cancellation fee of 100% applies.

If the weather is bad on our date of travel can we change our trip to another day?

Of course, as long as you notify us of the change within 18 hours of your scheduled date of travel on the Great Barrier Reef.

The water on the beach is brown, will I see anything on the reef?

During the wet season, cast amounts of water carrying silt from the Rainforest wash out of the rivers and is deposited on the beaches. When strong winds blow, this coastal sediment is stirred up making the water on the beach brown. The Great Barrier Reef is 30 miles off shore- and not affected by this sediment.

Should I bring reef shoes so I can walk on the reef?

No, WAVELENGTH will not allow you to walk on the Great Barrier Reef, or even touch the corals as this can kill the tiny creatures by removing a protective slime. The only thing WAVELENGTH will allow you to take are PICTURES.

Do you ever cancel the tour due to bad weather?

If WAVELENGTH decide that conditions on the Great Barrier Reef are unsafe due to exceptionally strong winds or gales , we will cancel the tour. In this likelihood, WAVELENGTH will issue a full refund to any passengers.

Should we bring an underwater camera?

If you have your own digital camera with a housing you may bring it along to capture your memories of the Great Barrier Reef. However our crew have an underwater digital camera and will take photos of all passengers and also of the fish, corals and turtles that are seen on the day. Our office crew will burn a disk of the day and also add 100 of the best images of WAVELENGTH to it. The cost of this is $25 for the day. You may like to have a look at our photo gallery to see some great images of the Great Barrier Reef. gallery page

Are there sharks?

Yes there are some sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. The sharks encountered are usually White Tip Reef Sharks, a shy timid species that usually hunt at night and sleep during the day. These sharks are small and eat fish, and are not considered dangerous to snorkellers.

What are marine stingers?

During the warmer months of October to March i- it is considered unsafe to swim off the beaches in North Queensland due to the presence of Box Jellyfish; unless you swim in a netted area or wear a lycra suit. Out on the Great Barrier Reef there may be Irukandji present. These are small jellyfish that can cause painful stings. WAVELENGTH Reef Charters encourage our guests to wear a full body lycra suit that protect you from the likelihood of an irukandji sting and also from sunburn when snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.

Will we see whales?

During the months of July to September migrating Humpback and Dwarf Minke whales are often seen on the Great Barrier Reef. Obviously as wild animals, their movements can not be guaranteed, but on average, WAVELENGTH Reef Charters see whales on the Great Barrier Reef 90% of the time during this period .