Welcome to our Winter issue of Quickies

Here's an overview of the current operating schedules for our range Great Barrier Reef experiences. During school holiday periods, 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.

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]

Pro Dive Cairns is excited to introduce a dedicated 3 Day / 3 Night Ribbon Reef Minke Whale Trip, departing Tuesdays, for a limited time only in June and July. It has proved so popular, all scheduled trips have been sold out in a matter of weeks!

Pro Dive Cairns has one of the few permits from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to swim with dwarf minke whales if encountered – a truly unforgettable experience and right up there on the bucket list! During the months of June and July, the Great Barrier Reef’s renowned Ribbon Reefs north of Cairns provide the most consistent opportunity for this remarkable experience.

The dwarf minke whale is the smallest baleen whale - growing up to 8 metres long with adults weighing in at 5-6 tonnes! With a code of practice in place for a safe encounter, it’s actually the naturally inquisitive minkes that decide how close they interact and swim with us. While encounters are never guaranteed, the selected reef sites provide the greatest opportunities.

Not only is there the chance to swim with these gentle giants, divers will be able to enjoy up to 10 exciting dives at the Agincourt ribbon reefs, Ribbon Reef 10 and Ribbon Reef 3. To maximise dive experiences at the Ribbon Reefs, we recommend divers hold Advanced Open Water however the opportunity to upgrade will be available on board.

Check out here for more details or contact the Pro Dive Cairns team.

When you live and work in one of the most remarkable natural environments on the planet, it’s only natural to protect it!  Our conservation and stewardship activities have been on steroids lately as we engage in a very significant initiative made possible by funding through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as part of the Australian Government’s COVID Recovery and Relief Fund.

Our expert teams of dedicated marine biologists and divers have been visiting a broad cross section of the Quicksilver Group’s major tourism and remote reef sites. In addition to Reef Health Impact and Eye on the Reef monitoring surveys, they’re also ‘hunting’ for any coral predators such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish and Drupella snails, and removing them from the reef where we find any. This important work will support and help improve reef resilience and data collected will in turn help make important management decisions within the marine park. 

In this video, marine biologist Hayley Brian, gives us an update of work conducted at Agincourt Reef 3.

We’re one of 17 tourism operators along the entire Great Barrier Reef contracted to undertake reef site monitoring and maintenance at up to 234 reef sites through until June 2021. 

Tony Baker Quicksilver Group Managing Director said, “This is an exciting and very significant initiative that directly enhances our long term reef stewardship and commitment to conservation of this remarkable World Heritage natural environment.”

“From our operations in Port Douglas and Cairns and out to Green Island, a dedicated team of marine biologists and trained dive staff have commenced reef health assessments and conservation activities. As a result of the impact of COVID on the tourism industry and subsequent reduction in operations, the support of this Australian Government initiative means we can continue important conservation activities at our major tourism and remote reef sites.”

With extensive permits within the marine park, up to 78 of the company’s reef sites will be surveyed, spanning a distance of over 100km from the Agincourt ribbon reefs through to southern sites as far as Flynn and Milln Reef. 

The Quicksilver Group is also currently undertaking three separate collaborative scientific coral research and nurturing programs, each using different techniques, at three key reef sites – Quicksilver Cruises Agincourt Reef 3, Great Adventures Moore Reef and Great Adventures Green Island.

A milestone in Great Barrier Reef interpretation and research...

“We have entered the age of the educated tourist,” said marine biologist Wendy Richards (Morris). That was back in 1986!

35 years ago, before ecotourism and interpretation became buzzwords, Quicksilver’s pioneering environmental division, Reef Biosearch was established by Wendy Morris, recognising the need to provide more educational opportunities for visitors aboard Quicksilver’s reef cruises.

Today, the Reef Biosearch team of university educated marine biologists continue to combine interpretation, education and research into our reef operations, turning the ocean into a fun and engaging classroom.

Impressively, Reef Biosearch data collected from our reef sites now spans three and a half decades and forms the longest ongoing database of marine observations on the Reef. Proudly, this became the precursor to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s “Eye on the Reef” monitoring program.

Education is a powerful conservation tool and we hope that each and every visitor leaves us as ambassadors for reef protection.

You can join the Reef Biosearch marine biologists each trip aboard Quicksilver’s outer reef and Low Isles cruises. See the reef with informed eyes, ask those questions you’ve always wanted to know and become an ambassador for reef protection.

Quicksilver’s Outer Reef Cruise to Agincourt Reef. Join the reef discovery guided snorkel tour for a personalised and interactive excursion and see some of the most fascinating, and sometimes quirky, creatures that call the vibrant Agincourt reefs home.

Wavedancer Low Isles. Learn from the marine biologists extensive knowledge about this beautiful coral isle and join in the all-inclusive reef discovery snorkel tour and back on the beach, the informative island walk and Heritage trail.

If you can't make it over to Green Island at the moment, we've got just the thing to put you in a tropical island mood. So get your tropcial shirt on, sunglasses and pool floaties ready, here's a treat to enjoy from the fabulous Green Island Resort bar team until you can come and see us in person. We'll be waiting for you by the pool bar!

Plum Drop Wolf Lane Cocktail

• 30ml Davidson Plum Gin
• 15ml Chambord
• 15ml Chartreuse
• 30ml sugar syrup
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml egg white

We were delighted to welcome Matty McLean and the Breakfast on TVNZ 1 crew to Great Adventures Green Island  to experience Seawalker and get up close and personal with Nemo during a snorkel trip. The Breakfast on TVNZ 1 broadcast from Queensland was supported by Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland.

Tim Davies, Channel Nine Today Show's intrepid weather reporter, literally dived into his work, broadcasting live from the pool deck at our Quicksilver Dive Training Centre, Port Douglas

It was wonderful to welcome Laura Vella and the Channel Nine Today Show crew to Green Island.