ABC Snorkel Charters Port Douglas Reviews

Jess 2025.12.16

     

We had the most amazing time on the reef with ABC yesterday. We picked this company for the small group size which enabled a really personal experience as well as access to bits of the reef some of the larger boats don’t visit. There were only 11 guests to the 5 crew and we were in groups of no more than 4 guests to one crew member in the water which we loved. They have a new boat which is very comfortable even in some pretty choppy waters. Take seasickness tablets if you have any suspicion you might need them!! The crew (captain Gallagher, Pam, Will, Maria and Mabel) were all fantastic - super helpful, kind and knowledgable. We also had the pleasure of 6 year old captain-in-the-making Maggie’s company and expert fish knowledge! We really enjoyed Will’s marine wildlife talk which made us excited to spot reef sharks. Maria was our fantastic reef guide in the water and helped us spot some amazing marine life and was great company on the boat. The team kept us well fed through the day too with a lovely lunch after our snorkelling. We had plenty of time in the water and saw some amazing things, including breathtaking coral, huge clams and a group of massive bumphead parrot fish. On our second snorkel we were very lucky to see a reef shark and a turtle which was an amazing way to finish up. It was a really special experience made all the better by the wonderful crew. Thanks guys!

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Pratik Rathore 2025.12.13

     

Look no further. These guys are the best. Small group with just 12 divers or snorkelers and 4-5 crew means you are assured an absolute personalised service. All the crew are absolutely lovely people. They took care of everything so well from the minute we boarded the boat. Good job guys. Keep it up.👍🏻 @Pam Thank you for helping me build my confidence during the dive. Hit my personal best of 55 minutes on a single tank. @Geoff Thank you so much for personally helping T with snorkelling, would have been a shame if she hadn’t seen the Great Barrier Reef. We both saw some great marine life including “swimming with the sharks in Australian waters”. @Zoe having a marine biologist to discuss all that we saw and learn more about them was a nice touch.

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Anne G 2025.12.12

     

Verified

Great Small Group Snorkel Really enjoyed our small group snorkel on the ABC Reef brand new boat. The crew was very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. We saw the gorgeous reefs, sand rays, sharks, a turtle, giant clams and of course the elusive Nemo anemone fish. The food was very delicious as well. Zoe and Maria were exceptional guides and hosts.

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Eliyahu ZeEv Weisburd 2025.12.11

     

Best experience in town really amazing, the boat was very clean and comfy and the crew are some of the best people I've met, very kind and very considerate, they offer alot of different things to eat and drink on the boat and they took us to some of the most beautiful places to see corals and fishes. Extremely recommended for practically anyone

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Excursion37277650718 2025.12.11

     

Verified

ABC Reef Safaris provide next level experience What an amazing day ! Jay and the team provided an exceptional experience snorkelling on the outer reef . I was anticipating quite a different experience from 25years ago, expecting to see bleached reef and less intact ecosystem after all of the negative media relating to global warming and the impact on the reef. My experience was amazing, no noticeable difference to my trips in the past. The areas we snorkelled were vast, intact , vibrant and colourful, teeming with life. We saw sharks, a ray, turtles, giant clams and clownfish along with rainbows of every other tropical fish and coral you could hope for. The pace of the day made it enjoyable with time to recover between dives. The catering was exceptional. Highlights of the day were the degree of safety and vigilance provided by Gallagher, our skipper, and the attentiveness and high level of knowledge provided by the team of marine biologists and dive masters Pam, Zoe, Maria and Mabel. The preparation for the time in the water made for seamless transitions. The gear provided was comfortable and effective, no leaky masks or loose fins. A particular shout out to Maria and Mabel who guided our group in the water, sharing interesting finds and knowledge about what we were seeing as we went. Despite the rough conditions I felt safe at all times and Gallagher adapted the itinerary to make the best of the conditions. The team were exceptional in their kindness and attentiveness to those who found the conditions a little rough and unsettling, Another highlight was being lucky enough to be on the first tour on the new vessel, Voyager which is well designed with a large comfortable air conditioned cabin for the extended cruise to the outer reef. Congratulations ABC Reef Safaris for taking snorkelling on the amazing Barrier Reef to the next level .

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jx q 2025.12.10

     

Verified

Unforgettable First Snorkeling Trip Amazing experience at the Great Barrier Reef! It was my first time snorkeling and everything went so smoothly. The crew were super friendly and helpful, and the coral reef was absolutely beautiful. Truly unforgettable!

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Matthew Towers 2025.12.06

     

Booked ABC for 2 days of scuba diving during our stay in Port Douglas and they looked after us fabulously. We were slightly nervous as we had not dived for a few years, but Jason and his team were brilliant at setting us at ease and the small group really helped. Only 3 divers in total and one instructor. Hats off to Will and Zoe who looked after us so well on each of the two days. Highly recommend!! Thanks guys!

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Matthew T 2025.12.06

     

Verified

Nervous divers looked after brilliantly. Went scuba diving for 2 days on the reef and could have had a better experience. Jason and the team were fabulous. We had not dived for some time and were a bit nervous on the first dive. But Will on day 1 and Zoe on day 2 were brilliant at putting us at ease and looking after us both in and out of the water. Cannot recommend ABC highly enough. Thanks guys for giving us such a great couple of days!!!

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David W 2025.12.02

     

Verified

A first rate experience I have dived in various parts of the world and would strongly recommend ABC Reef Safaris. The boat is excellent and the team including William, Canu and Conor were exceptionally friendly, helpful and knowledgable. I dived with William and would definitely dive with him again. My wife, who was slightly nervous beforehand, snorkelled and was particularly grateful for the help from Canu and Conor in the water. The coffee and pastries were also by far the best I have experienced when diving! All in all a great experience - thank you so much!

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Jenn S 2025.12.02

     

Verified

Great experience- highly recommend! We had an absolutely incredible experience on this snorkeling charter! The crew was fantastic from start to finish. Captain Jason kept everything running smoothly. Connor was so friendly, attentive and funny. Zoe, the marine biologist, was unbelievably knowledgeable and passionate—she added so much to the trip with her insights about the reef and marine life.Will handled the scuba group, and although we didn’t scuba ourselves, someone in the group said it was amazing.We loved the small-group atmosphere—personal, relaxed, and so well organized. Highly recommend this charter to anyone wanting an unforgettable day on the water!

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Martin Loat 2025.11.30

     

We had an excellent day snorkelling with ABC Reef Safari. The diving staff Zoë, Pam and Conor along with skipper Jason were helpful and friendly and took us to two locations where we saw a wonderful variety of fish. It was a small group of six that day so we definitely got the personalised experience. I fully recommend them.

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Charlotte We 2025.11.30

     

I had my very first dive with ABC after getting my certification and could not have been happier. The crew of the Independence 1 ( Jason, Conor, Zoe and Will) were just so welcoming and lovely and made it both fun and educational . Everything was just perfect , the vibe , the weather and I was able to see all the animals I dreamed of! Turtles , sharks , schools of different fish , giant clams - you name it. The food was also delicious :) Would highly recommended!!! 12/10!!! I will for sure come back!

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Mobile56244147740 2025.11.30

     

Verified

Do this dive - A+. Fantastic. Incredibly informative/educational thx to the marine violist knowledge of the entire crew. Very friendly crew with call-outs to Conor (gracious and conscious), Pamela, (clear direction in hospitable,) Zoe (knowledgeable, and interesting about marine life) and Jason (who captained the ship and found perfect diving locations). Love the small group setting in the attention we were all able to get as a guest. White glove treatment from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see the great barrier reef, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity/experience....

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Charlotte W 2025.11.30

     

Verified

More than u could have ever imagined. Perfect day ! I had my very first dive with ABC after getting my certification and could not have been happier. The crew of the Independence 1 ( Jason, Conor, Zoe and Will) were just so welcoming and lovely and made it both fun and educational . Everything was just perfect , the vibe , the weather and I was able to see all the animals I dreamed of! Turtles , sharks , schools of different fish , giant clams - you name it. The food was also delicious :)Would highly recommended!!! 12/10!!! I will for sure come back!

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Stéphanie S 2025.11.30

     

Verified

Unforgetable ! It was an amazing and unforgetable experience with a wonderful crew ! We spent a very good day et have seen a lot of fishes.

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Robert Towers 2025.11.28

     

Great couple of days on the reef with the ABC crew. Can’t fault them on anything, special shout out to Will & Zoey for the taking care of us on the dives! Would strongly recommend.

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Brittany B 2025.11.28

     

We had a fantastic time with Pam, Maria, Neus, Zoe, and Jason! They picked spectacular dive/snorkel sites and their passion for the reef was contagious. I loved having Maria, Pam, and Neus in the water with the snorkelers to point out unique things and explain what we were seeing. My husband loved the small dive group and enjoyed diving with Zoe. Thank you!

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Maria G 2025.11.28

     

Verified

Does what it says on the tin but AAA stars Very small personalised tour with 2 superb snorkeling sites. Only 12 people max. 2 snorkel groups of 4 with an expert guide each. She took us around and we could swim or linger over the abundant coral and massive array of beautiful fish. Bucket list ticked. You are definitely not a production line like some of the other offerings. Very knowledgeable, hardworking crew and lovely Captain. No music - all about the reef. Ideal.

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Reply from ABC Snorkel Charters Port Douglas 2025.12.03

WOW! AAA AND 5 STARS!!!Being such a tiny operator, we get to visit pristine and remote outer reef sites that are absolutely teeming with life 🪸🐠 and with more than 100 locations for our seasoned skipper to choose from, no two days with ABC are ever the same.We are so pleased the day surpassed your expectations and hope to see you again!All the best from TEAM ABC ✨💙💙✨

Frocohen 2025.11.27

     

Verified

Well worth it for the experience of a lifetime! WOW!!! What an amazing bucket list experience from start to finish. I didn’t want to have this adventure with 40 other people: rather I was very pleased that there were only 13 of us. My snorkeling group consisted of 5 people plus our STUPENDOUS guide, Pam. She really looked out for me and ensured we all had the best time! Pam explained a lot about the different types of coral and fish and generously dove down to take close up pics whenever I asked! The rest of the crew was equally as awesome - everyone was very knowledgeable and friendly. Plus we snorkeled in areas without other boats - and got to swim with some white tip sharks! I really appreciated the individual attention. I would not hesitate to go with ABC again!

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Reply from ABC Snorkel Charters Port Douglas 2025.12.03

Thank you for this wonderful review! 🤿💛We are so glad your day on the reef felt like the bucket list experience you were hoping for. Keeping our groups small is exactly what allows for that personal attention and relaxed, uncrowded magic… making ABC one of the most intimate tours in the region.We would love to welcome you back any time for round two!Warm regardsThe ABC Reef Safaris crew 🪸🌊💙

Fearless11559989617 2025.11.26

     

Verified

Perfect for a truly small group experience It ws really important to me to be in a small group and ABC offers trips for max 12 people. We ended up being 13, but still way smaller than any of the other operators where a small group will go up to 30 or even more people.The team was very friendly and engaged in conversations throughout the trip to make sure everyone is having a good experience.3 people took care of the 13 of us during the 2 snorkeling trips pointing out marine life and sharing stories.The captain choose a spot where there were no other boats to be seen, so it was really a quite private affair. We were lucky, visibility was excellent and we saw several reef sharks and turtles and the spectacular corals.I can wholeheartedly recommend ABC to anyone looking for a more private trip.

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