Diving and Snorkeling

Cruise Whitsundays, Hayman Island. Hayman is the closest of the Whitsundays islands to the Great Barrier Reef—from here, it's a speedy ride on Cruise Whitsundays's wave-piercer craft to Knuckle Reef Lagoon pontoon on the outer Reef. There, you can snorkel and dive over myriad corals alongside rainbow-hued wrasse and clownfish, reef sharks, rays, and green sea turtles. Picking up from Hayman daily, the daylong dive-and-snorkel cruise includes the use of paddleboards, snorkeling gear, a giant waterslide, and a vast underwater viewing chamber. You also get priority access to coral-viewing tours and various optional extras: guided snorkel safaris, scuba diving, scenic helicopter flights over Heart Reef, even massages. Cruise Whitsundays also runs shorter cruises around the Whitsundays and to glorious Whitehaven Beach. Hayman Island Jetty, off Raintree Ave., Hayman Island, Queensland, 4803. 07/4946–9102; 07/4940–1234; www.cruisewhitsundays.com. A$225 cruise, incl. buffet lunch; A$45 guided snorkeling safari, A$99 certified scuba dive, A$119 beginner dive, A$59 second dive.

Hayman Island Diving and Snorkeling. The only Whitsundays resort within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Hayman offers fast access to some of the world's best underwater sites. Hayman's dedicated dive/snorkel center has an array of guided excursions to the inner and outer reef, available on demand. Local hot spots include Hayman's own Bali Hai (a green sea turtle hangout), and beautiful Blue Pearl Bay, where you can swim among 1,500-odd species of fishes and 400 hard and soft corals. A guided shore-dive tour of inner Barrier Reef sites nearby offers certified divers the chance to swim alongside green turtles, manta rays, and more. Hayman has expert dive instructors on-site and offers PADI scuba courses and introductory sessions. You can buy dive and snorkel accessories at Hayman’s Marine Centre. Prices and excursion times vary and are weather dependent; pre-book through Hayman's Marine Centre (daily 8-4:30) at the marina. One&Only Hayman Island Diving and Snorkelling Centre, Raintree Ave., Hayman Island, Queensland, 4801. 07/4940–1234; hayman.oneandonlyresorts.com. From A$80.

Hayman Marine Centre. Handily located at Hayman's marina, a short stroll or buggy ride from the resort complex, this scuba training facility—also the place to inquire about and book local dive, snorkel, and sea kayaking tours and beach drop-offs—sells and rents out equipment, including dive and snorkel gear, accessories, and stinger suits. Nonmotorized water-sports equipment—catamarans, kayaks, windsurfers, and the like—can be found lined up along Hayman Beach in front of the main resort pool. Hayman Marina, off Raintree Ave., Hayman Island, Queensland, 4801. 07/4940–1234; www.hayman.com.au.