Moore Reef

Moore Reef, Great Barrier Reef

Moore Reef is an outer reef on the Great Barrier Reef, located approximately 47 kilometres offshore from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. Surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Coral Sea, it is one of the reef locations visited on day trips from Cairns and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the Great Barrier Reef well beyond the mainland coast.

As an outer reef location, Moore Reef features extensive coral formations and a diverse marine environment. Visitors may see colourful reef fish, hard and soft corals and other marine life associated with the Great Barrier Reef. Marine encounters vary naturally from day to day, making every visit to the reef different.

Visiting Moore Reef from Cairns

Moore Reef can be reached by boat from Cairns, with the journey taking approximately 90 minutes.

The reef is home to the Sunlover Reef Cruises Moore Reef pontoon, a floating activity platform positioned alongside the reef. It provides a base from which visitors can explore both above and below the water.

Activities and facilities available at Moore Reef include:

• • Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Semi-submersible reef tours
  • Glass-bottom boat tours
  • Underwater observatory
  • Enclosed ocean pool
  • 30-metre waterslide
  • Optional scuba diving and other reef experiences

This combination makes Moore Reef accessible to a wide range of visitors. Confident swimmers can snorkel over the reef, while families, non-swimmers and visitors who prefer to stay dry can still see the marine environment through the underwater observatory and reef-viewing vessels.

What makes Moore Reef special?

One of Moore Reef’s strengths is the variety of ways visitors can experience the Great Barrier Reef from a single location. A visit does not depend entirely on being comfortable snorkelling or scuba diving.

You can look beneath the surface from the underwater observatory, join a reef-viewing boat, snorkel directly over the coral or simply enjoy the extraordinary setting of an outer Great Barrier Reef location.

For families, first-time reef visitors and groups with different swimming abilities, this makes Moore Reef an especially versatile way to experience the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.