Hamilton Island Snorkeling

Hamilton Island is a large, inhabited island in Queensland, Australia. It is the largest of the Whitsunday Islands and a highly-trafficked tourist destination. People enjoy visiting the island for the annual Hamilton Island Race Week yachting festival, to play golf at the Hamilton Island Golf Club, or to explore its spectacular reefs and marine life through snorkeling and scuba diving.

Catseye Beach

Catseye Beach is a well-visited spot for launching snorkeling expeditions. A coral reef surrounds Hamilton Island and is just a short paddle away from Catseye Beach. For beginning snorkelers, the beach offers an idyllic escape punctuated by an enlivening underwater adventure. The waters are crystal clear, and the reef teems with brightly colored corals, fish, eels and turtles. You might even catch a glimpse of migrating whales between July and September.

Bait Reef Marine Park

Bait Reef Marine Park is a short boat ride from Hamilton Island. It's situated on the outskirts of the Great Barrier Reef and, thus, offers some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world. It is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which allows vibrant corals and diverse marine life to thrive. Tours take small groups from Hamilton Island to the Bait Reef Marine Park. Snorkeling equipment, food and transportation are included with the tour to Bait Reef Marine Park.

H2O Sportz Tours

H2O Sportz Tours is a company offering snorkeling and scuba diving tours around and on Hamilton Island. The company operates out of Hamilton Island Marina and offers snorkeling tours appropriate for both beginners as well as experienced snorkelers. The "Triple Treat Adventure" tour takes participants to Whitehaven Beach for snorkeling and a hike to hill Inlet. The "Reef Ryder" tour takes guests to Chalkies Beach and Whitehaven Beach for snorkeling at both locations. The "Snorkel Safari" tour takes small groups to several snorkeling spots in the Whitsundays Islands, surrounding Hamilton Island.

About Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island sits in the center of Australia's Whitsundays Islands, a chain of 74 islands between Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. Hamilton Island sits on the same latitude as Honolulu and Mauritius. Hamilton Island enjoys an average temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to snorkeling, Hamilton Island offers fine dining, rain forest hikes and relaxing white sand beaches. Hamilton Island has the distinction of being the only of the Whitsunday islands with an airport large enough to receive commercial aircraft. The island is also reachable by ferry services from nearby islands. Most on-island transportation is accomplished by golf cart. Several resorts offer accommodations on the island.