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Snorkelling while in Brisbane may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you plan a trip to Queensland. Brisbane sits well south of the Great Barrier Reef, but there are actually good snorkelling spots you can reach on an easy day trip from the city. I’ve explored some of them myself and researched many more, and I’m always surprised by how much marine life you can see so close to Brisbane. It’s one of the reasons why I love living here.
Below, I’ve listed the best snorkelling sites near Brisbane, ordered by how easy they are to reach and organise. The map pins show the general locations only – it’s not precise enough to find the exact snorkelling spot.
Mulgumpin – Tangalooma Wrecks (Moreton Island)
You can board a boat from Brisbane to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) and be dropped right on the beach, just a few metres from the famous Tangalooma Wrecks. It’s one of the most popular snorkelling sites near Brisbane for a reason. The fish are used to snorkellers and often come very close.
Quality/Difficulty: One of the best sites in the region. Best at slack tide because of the strong currents. Confident swimmers who have their own snorkelling gear can snorkel from shore. Beginners or weak swimmers should join a snorkelling tour with a boat and a guide.
How to reach from Brisbane: Drive to the Port of Brisbane and take the ferry (around 1 hr 15 min).
Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island)
Snorkelling at Minjerribah can be a bucket-list moment in summer when manta rays visit the offshore sites.
Quality/Difficulty: You’ll need to join a guided tour to visit this spot. Conditions can be challenging, so you should be a confident swimmer with a reasonable level of fitness. The area is exposed to wind and there’s no outer reef for protection, which means there’s usually some movement in the water even on calmer days. Tours are cancelled when the swell or currents become too strong to keep everyone safe.
How to reach from Brisbane: Drive to Cleveland and take the ferry (about 45 min). The dive shop can usually arrange a shuttle on the island.
Cook Island
Cook Island is the best place to see turtles when snorkelling near Brisbane. There’s a healthy reef with plenty of fish, and the area between the island and the mainland is a known cleaning station for loggerhead and green turtles.
Quality/Difficulty: You must book a tour. It’s suitable for beginners and there’s often a side protected from waves.
How to reach from Brisbane: Most tours leave from Tweed Heads, north of New South Wales. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Brisbane. From there, it’s a short boat ride across to Cook Island. It’s in NSW, so make sure you double-check the tour time as it might be impacted by daylight saving.
Gold Coast Seaway
On a good day, the Gold Coast Seaway can be one of the most interesting shore-accessible marine environments close to Brisbane. But visibility varies a lot, and it’s not always worth it.
Quality/Difficulty: It’s only for confident snorkellers who can handle moderate current. Get in at slack tide.
How to reach from Brisbane: Drive 1 hr to the Spit on the Gold Coast. Shore access from the Seaway wall.
Tours for beginners usually head to Wave Break Island, but I’ve read they include fish feeding, which isn’t really my type of activity. Read the comments before booking to make sure you have the right expectations.
Byron Bay
Nguthungulli (Julian Rocks) is famous for its marine life, including turtles, rays, grey nurse sharks (harmless), and big schools of fish. It’s technically a dive site, but many operators also run snorkel tours. You can also snorkel from the beach to see turtles.
Quality/Difficulty: You”ll need to book a tour to go to Nguthungulli (Julian Rocks) and beginners may feel uncomfortable if there’s swell. Byron Bay is in New South Wales so keep this in mind when you book a time. The visibility isn’t always good when you snorkel from the beach, but we’ve always found it easy.
How to reach from Brisbane: Drive around 2 hrs to Byron Bay.
Snorkel with whales
If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming with humpback whales, you can try it on a snorkelling trip from Brisbane with operators in Mooloolaba and Gold Coast running tours in winter during the migration. It’s important to have the right expectations, though: it’s great for whale watching from the boat, but seeing them underwater is not guaranteed. I’ve written more about my experience in a separate review.
Quality/Difficulty: The crew will tell you when to jump, and you’ll need to swim quickly to position yourself. Beginners generally find it stressful.
How to reach from Brisbane: It takes bout 1.5 hrs to drive to Mooloolaba or the meeting point near the Gold Coast. Tours usually last around 3 hours.
Sunshine Coast rocky shore sites
These shallower rocky spots are great if you want easy shore snorkelling near Brisbane, but they only work in very calm conditions (no swell, minimal wind). I haven’t tried them yet.
- Kings Beach (Caloundra)
- Point Cartwright (Mooloolaba)
- Point Arkwright (Coolum) – shallow coral reef at the base of the cliffs
- Noosa National Park – clear water and sheltered coves
- Raper Shoal (Currimundi) – half a kilometre offshore, tide- and swell-dependent
- Bray Rock – shallow and variable visibility
Quality/Difficulty: Suitable only when the ocean is flat. If there’s any swell, visibility drops quickly and conditions become unsafe.
How to reach from Brisbane: Most sites are 1–1.5 hrs away by car.
Mudjimba Island (Old Woman Island)
This spot offers shallow coral and protected water on the right day. We haven’t been lucky enough to explore it yet.
Quality/Difficulty: It’s accessible by boat only (around 20 min from Mooloolaba). Conditions vary but are generally suitable for confident snorkellers.
How to reach from Brisbane: It takes 1.5 hours to drive from Brisbane to Mooloolaba.
Peel Island
The Platypus Wreck and the rocky areas near the beach make Peel Island an interesting snorkelling option in Moreton Bay. On the day we snorkelled it, I found it easier than the Tangalooma Wrecks, with much less current.
Quality/Difficulty: It’s okay for beginners if the conditions are calm. While not as impressive as Tangalooma Wrecks, it’s quieter and less crowded.
How to reach from Brisbane: There’s no public ferry. You’ll need your own boat or to join a private charter. Peel Island sits just off the Cleveland/Redland Bay coastline.
Flinders Reef
Flinders Reef is one of the best scuba diving sites near Brisbane, but snorkellers can enjoy it too on very calm days. The coral here is vibrant and there’s a chance to see turtles, wobbegongs, rays, and big schools of fish.
Quality/Difficulty: It’s an open-ocean site, so it’s for confident snorkellers comfortable in deep water with potential swell.
How to reach from Brisbane: Join a scuba diving or snorkelling boat tour departing from Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast.
What are your favourite snorkelling spots near Brisbane? Share your experience in the comments below!
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