Name: Marine Discovery Cruise with Snorkelling
Price: 100.00 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (27 reviews)

Highlights

Fun-filled day for the whole family sailing around the incredible islands of Port Stephens
Go snorkelling in one of the stunning coves where you'll find amazing marine life
Spot some dolphins and meet the resident Bottlenose's

Spend the day sailing around the stunning bay of Port Stephens on 54ft catamaran. Enjoy a snorkelling adventure at one of the beautiful coves with a dive master, spot the resident Bottlenose Dolphins along the way and marvel at the scenic coastline from the water. There's lots of fun for everyone!

What's included?

3.5 hour cruise
Qualified dive-master/snorkel guide
Use of snorkel, fins and mask included
Sailing (when conditions permit)
Bow-net and boom-net
Informative commentary
Complimentary tea/coffee/water
Complimentary Sea Sickness Tablets

Head out on a sailing adventure on the pristine waters of Port Stephens where there's lots of fun adventures and some serious relaxation to be had! The 'Imagine' is a 54ft sailing catamaran, designed as a model for eco-tourism. With a spacious, covered foredeck and a comfortable downstairs cabin, you can enjoy 360 degree viewing and plenty of space for the family to relax and have fun. As you sail through the bay, soak in the rays of the sun in the dry bow-net positioned close to the water, or go for a ride in the boom-net where you'll get wet.

Make sure to keep your eyes out for dolphins - you're guaranteed to see some on this throughout the day! If you're feeling more adventurous, enjoy some snorkelling in a protected cove at the stunning Cabbage Tree or Fingal Island, where a qualified dive master or snorkel guide will introduce you to the rich and ever-changing underwater world. You'll find an incredible array of marine life and vegetation - fish, sea urchins, soft corals and rays, all waiting to be discovered. Don't forget to take the time to relax, unwind and enjoy a drink from the licensed bar on board, whilst you take in some of the most scenic landscape along the NSW Coast.

This experience is part of the Responsible range because they are ECO certified by Ecotourism Australia.

Important information

Session Length

This experience is 3.5 hours in duration
Available from November - April annually
Departs daily at 1:30pm
Boarding commences 15 minutes prior to cruise departure

Restrictions

You must be able to swim to participate in the the swimming or snorkelling part of this trip. Non swimmers are welcome. Guest are required to enter the water from the ladder on the back of the boat. Guest will not be able to touch the bottom of the seafloor while snorkelling or swimming.

Guidelines

‘Sea sickness’ can be different for individuals, making it difficult for us to advise on the matter. If you suffer from other types of motion sickness, such as on a plane or car, you might get seasick. PREVENTION is better than CURE. If you have concerns about seasickness we recommend you seek advice from a local pharmacy about preventatives prior to the cruise. We offer motion-sickness prevention for free onboard before the tour, however pharmacists recommend taking tablets 1 hour before a cruise

Cancellation

Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
Imagine Cruises have the right to cancel a cruise for any reason, including bad weather or insufficient numbers. Should Imagine Cruises cancel a cruise, passengers will be offered to reschedule, to put booking on hold until you have a new date or a full refund.
Should you wish to cancel or reschedule your booking outside of 24 hours of your travel date you must provide this in writing where our staff can provide a full refund or reschedule your cruise
Should you wish to cancel or reschedule your booking inside of 24 hours of your travel date you must provide this in writing. At this time, you will ONLY be allowed to reschedule your cruise, NO Refunds are given.

Numbers on the Day

This cruise runs with a maximum of 47 people.

Weather

In the event of rain or inclement weather your experience will still go ahead unless contacted by the experience provider.

Dress Code

Please bring swimwear and towel. We recommend warm layers including a jacket. You can always take a layer off if you are too warm, but you can’t put on a layer you didn’t bring. Long pants and enclosed shoes are highly recommended. It is also a good idea to bring a water proof layer; not only does it keep you dry, it also protects you from the wind. Hats or sun protection are recommended on all cruises, even on overcast days.

Location

This experience is located at DÁlbora Marina, Nelson Bay, in the Port Stephens region, located 2.5 hours drive north of Sydney.

Reviews

4.7

27 reviews

5 stars 22

4 stars 3

3 stars 0

2 stars 2

1 star 0

Best part of our trip!

Tamara 14 March 2024

Best part of our trip! We absolutely loved the Marine Discovery Cruise today. Perfect sized catamaran boat, enough space to have the facilities you need (toilet, seating, table, bar and tea facilities), but small enough to be comfortable and so much more personal than some of the other boat tours in the area. It feels like a friend taking you out on the boat for the day. They are also really passionate about caring for and respecting the wildlife. The staff were all really friendly, informative and super helpful. We loved seeing the dolphins on the way to the snorkelling spot, and really appreciated staff getting in the water too, to point out so many fascinating fish and other underwater creatures when we were snorkelling. Then getting to stand at the front on the boat as we sailed back! Also the catamaran was a much smoother ride than other boats I’ve been on. Great experience all round, and really reasonably priced. It was a perfect way to spend the day! Thanks again to all the awesome staff!!!

Mya

Hi Tamara, we’re delighted to hear about your positive experience! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.

14 March 2024

Wonderful day out!

Jessica 9 March 2024

Our family did our cruise today and we honestly could not have enjoyed it more! Our 14 year old was apprehensive about getting in the water and all staff were very encouraging and patient with her. Special shout out to Megan who helped her progress slowly into the water slowly and gain her confidence. We saw plenty of dolphins with some even coming close to the nets at the front. 5 stars! We will be back again.

Keerat

Hi Jessica, it is always great to hear about the wonderful experiences our customers have, thank you for sharing!

11 March 2024

Interesting experience....

Rach 2 February 2024

I went on the Imagine cruise in January 2024 for a day of snorkelling and dolphin watching. The crew gave a safety briefing on the boat prior to leaving the bay. All of the crew were very friendly, however there was one male crew member who was very clearly intoxicated on the boat and made a spectacle of himself. The male crew member who was drunk kept bumping into patrons on the boat, slurring his words and even passed out on top of some tourists belongings, which meant they couldn't get off the boat for a while when we docked. Although he was not driving the boat etc, it made everyone very uncomfortable and feel rather unsafe.

Cassie

Hey Rach, thanks for your feedback. Great customer experience is incredibly important to us so we're deeply sorry to hear your experience has fallen short of expectation. We'd love to get a better understanding of what went wrong so we can discuss with the Experience Operator - I will reach out by email to discuss with you.

4 February 2024

Fantastic

Darrin 13 January 2024

Excellent experience. Crew were very informative. Great value for money . Would definitely do again .

Enjoyed dolphin watching

Suki 1 January 2024

We enjoyed watching dolphins and snorkelling in the cove. Unfortunately we didn't meet any dolphins when snorkeling. The crew were amazing, very welcoming and hospitable. I would come again.

Great experience

Amy 27 December 2023

The Imagine team were very helpful and friendly. Snorkels and fins provided, great afternoon. We took our two kids 9 and 15, they loved it too!

Awesome Cruise!

Marni 23 January 2022

From the moment you get on board with the friendly team of Imagine, you know you're going to have a great 3.5hrs. Was a little 'hairy' going through the washing machine however added to the experience. The team were not only polite but friendly, funny and very accommodating to all. Snorkelling at Cabbage Tree was great, the team even engaged and encouraged more fish for people to view. Can't predict the weather, however the sun shone upon our return with many dolphins to be seen. Thank you.

Incredible experience! Highly recommend!

Grace 15 February 2021

This was one of the best experiences with very knowledgeable and very lovely crew! The crew was able to provide us with an amazing cruising and snorkelling experience as well as providing us with everything we needed including snorkelling equipment, food and drinks, swimming noodles and rain jackets for the wet weather. Even a little rain couldn't ruin this cruise. I would highly recommend!

Amazing snorkelling

Jenny 13 February 2021

We were lucky enough to get a perfect day. The crew were very friendly and helpful . The snorkelling was amazing. We were lucky and spotted a wobbegong swimming along seen groupers and a large variety of fish. The captain also turned the boat around when he spotted several pods of dolphins. We then sailed back in to Nelson Bay. Perfect Day. Thank you

Great experience

Emma 3 January 2021

Suitable for families, the team set up the net for non swimmers to sit in so not to miss out. Highly recommended.