Welcome to our Summer issue of Quickies

Here's an overview of the current operating schedule for our range Great Barrier Reef experiences. During the Christmas and school holiday period, additional services will run subject to demand. Vessel capacities are limited in line with current COVID Safe guidelines and some services and optional activities are subject to demand.

NOTE: 25/12/20 and 01/01/2021 No services operational, with the exception of Great Adventures Green Island Cruises and Pro Dive Cairns.

We continue to follow the latest health advice and extra precautionary hygiene practices onboard our vessels for the utmost safety and well being of our customers, staff and wider community. You can view our COVID safe guidelines here and also on the respective websites.

For more information and the latest daily updates, please contact our Reservations teams at:

• Quicksilver, Wavedancer, Silversonic, Poseidon: [email protected]
• Great Adventures, Ocean Spirit, Silverswift: [email protected]
• Pro Dive Cairns: [email protected]
• Quicksilver Dive: [email protected]
• Green Island Resort: [email protected]

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Just in time for Christmas, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced one of the best coral spawning events of the decade! The fabulous Dr Glen Burns, senior marine biologist and master reef guide, was on location at our Agincourt Reef 3 platform and talks us through this year's event.

An innovative scientific research project involving an unlikely combination of star-shaped metal frames, clips and biodegradable cable ties has been installed at Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Installed in November at the company’s “New York” dive and snorkel site offshore from Green Island, the Quicksilver Group is excited to be participating in this collaborative reef resilience project, providing the platform for leading-edge techniques and tools for protecting coral reef ecosystems. 

The overall project involves attaching more than 2600 coral fragments to a web of 165 hexagonal frame “Stars”, additional coral fragments attached with 200 coral clips, as well as a trial of biodegradable cable ties. At the aptly named New York site, it now forms a new underwater structure on the seafloor where snorkellers and divers will be able to see as the project comes to life.

Quicksilver Group Environment Compliance Manager, Doug Baird, said the project undertakes both technical and field-based training on reef restoration and resilience tools and techniques which help scientific understanding and pressures that these natural environments face, including impacts of climate change.

“This is a long term project over several years involving ongoing site management and monitoring with initial results to be collected in six months.“

The multi-stakeholder project is a collaboration with MARS Sustainable Solutions and James Cook University, both the State and Commonwealth Marine Park management agencies (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service), Gunggandji Land and Sea Rangers as well as reef operators and research organisations. 

Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker said Quicksilver manages a significant reef stewardship program across the company’s operations and has a long history of investing in collaborative research, vital to the long term management and future of the Great Barrier Reef.

“Across the company, we are currently undertaking three collaborative coral reef research projects, each using different techniques, at three of our key reef sites – Great Adventures Moore Reef, Quicksilver Cruises Agincourt Reef 3 and now Great Adventures Green Island. We also provide the opportunity for our guests to learn more about these research projects during their reef experiences.”.

More information about Quicksilver’s environmental stewardship initiatives can be viewed at https://www.quicksilvergroup.com.au/environmental-stewardship/

If you haven’t visited Green Island for a while, we’re delighted to share news that we have completed a $2 million rejuvenation project. As well as two wonderful new outdoor dining areas for the Emeralds Restaurant and Green’s lunch and function area, we’ve invested in newer and greener technology for energy production (over one-quarter of island needs are now powered by solar!) and also introduced some of the most innovative waste management practices in Australia including a food digester that turns food waste into organic fertiliser, and a glass crusher turning glass into sand! 

When staying with Green Island Resort, you can be assured we are passionate custodians for the long term protection of this beautiful island and Reef environment. The rejuvenation projects were undertaken as part of the State Government’s Great Barrier Reef Island Resorts Rejuvenation Program's matched funding.

After a year like 2020, here's something to make you smile! 

Thanks to the fabulous Nick, Great Adventures' boat crew for his take on Fleetwood Mac and .. cranberry juice "Dreams" -  because when you work on the Great Barrier Reef, everyday is a Dream!

Filmed at beautiful Green Island 

If you're in need of a little Down Under fix until you can get here, enjoy some underwater Dreams filmed at Agincourt Reef.

With thanks to Jesse @ Indepth Video & Photography for the beautiful vision.

Great Adventures was delighted to assist the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre with the release of a young flatback turtle named Cronulla back into the wilds of the Great Barrier Reef at Green Island.

Cronulla was named after the Sydney beach in New South Wales where he was found - a very long way from home. And what an epic adventure Cronulla has had! “He literally did a Nemo” according to Jennie Gilbert from the CTRC. Flatback turtles are not normally found past the Southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland so it is thought he was probably unwell, got caught on the eastern current and floated down from Queensland where he was finally found washed up on Cronulla beach.

After recuperating at Taronga Zoo for several months, receiving permits and a microchip, a first-class flight with Qantas and completing quarantine, Cronulla was ready for release back home. After a textbook release, Cronulla was on his way to explore Green Island and its surrounds.

A huge thank you to Jennie and the team at Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre for their hard work and dedication caring for these beautiful creatures.

Footage of Cronulla's release courtesy of Christan Miller.

It was wonderful to welcome Tim and the Channel Nine Today Show crew to Green Island, broadcasting the weather live around Australia. It was also the perfect opportunity to take a guided snorkel trip with marine biologist and Master Reef Guide Sam to check out this beautiful little patch of the Great Barrier Reef.

So maybe singing is not our strong point, but we are the Great Barrier Reef experts! Merry Christmas!