Kayak Turtle Tour from Palm Cove

Highly recommend!

We did the sunrise turtle tour with Andy, and it was amazing. We saw a turtle, and the sunrise was amazing. Andy was very knowledgeable and funny and made the tour extremely informative. We visited double island, which was awesome, and the kayaking was not hard at all. If you are worried about 3 hours on the water, don't be. There are several stops along the way, so you are not paddling the entire time. Palm cove is beautiful and only about 15-20 mins drive from Carins city. I would highly recommend this tour! Local or tourist, it is a fantastic way to see the coastline from a new perspective.

Sensational kayak safari

From arrival to end Andy was a super guide, helping us W Kayak, loads of local knowledge including marine life, I went W 11yo daughter..many rests to just chill and admire scenery, my fav was on approach to Double Island the chorus of birdsong..saw a turtle pop head up, rays .. very good value for 4 hours... Felt safe all times ..even had a swim off the island

Great fun & experience

We are a family of 4 with two teens and it was so much fun. The instructor was very friendly & knowledgeable. We weren’t so great at kayaking but didn’t have any issues. The kids loved the snorkelling too. Highly recommend. And great value for money.

Palm cove Sea kayak tour

Luke was an amazing tour guide for our sunrise sea kayak turtle tour . He was very knowledgeable and informative about the marine life , tides , and surrounds . He was so patient with all my kids questions , and made us feel safe and relaxed. Our highlite was visiting Double island , and spotting turtles .

Such a wholesome experience!

We've never Kayak before however it was the most beautiful, relaxing morning! We had an incredible experience with a great guide and good people! Would do again and again! Def recommend seeing the morning sunrise and doing the 6am session. 5/5 stars easily! LOVED!

A definite ‘must do’ when in Palm Cove!

My husband and I had an amazing 4 hours Kayaking with Andy from Pacific Watersports. He was very informative and even took photos which we were able to download after our tour for free. Everything we needed(stinger suits, booties, life jackets) was provided and after a short intro to kayaking we were off. It was a leisurely paddle with many stops to see turtles popping their heads out of the water and swimming under our kayaks. After circling the island, we even got to get off on Double Island for a swim and a short tour. It used to be a luxury Island which Keanu Reeves stayed at while filming the Matrix. This tour was one of the highlights of our stay at Palm Cove.

Dawn kayak sea turtle experience

The absolute highlight of our week in FNQ. As a first time kayaker I was initially apprehensive but it was the most beautiful relaxing morning with perfect conditions, an awesome guide and incredible sights. I would do this again and again!

Must Do Kayaking in Palm Cove

Absolutely perfect weather. Very informative leader - learnt so much about local marine life and the area. Great mix of paddling, drifting, walking, swimming/snorkeling. Saw turtles, rays, shark, fish and many birds. Thanks guys for a great experience.

Wholesome

Such a beautiful way to start the day with a sunrise and a paddle! I managed to see a few turtles and really enjoyed the tour!

kayak turtle experience

great fun seeing the turtles pop their heads out of the water. enjoyed the kayaking, swimming and exploring double island.

Relaxing and easy going

The day was too windy so unfortunately no turtle trip, BUT they had another river trip planned and that was great as well. The guys running this are lovely, passionate and great for beginners. A truly relaxing experience.

Had the potential to be great, but was somewhat disappointing.

Overall, I was disappointed with this tour. They did not deliver on what was promised. It clearly states in the information provided for the tour that you would get a morning tea on arrival at the island. No morning tea was provided. The ad also says that snorkelling equipment would be provided. There was no snorkelling equipment offered. The tour guide was knowledgeable and happy to answer questions when asked but spent an excessive amount of time on his phone. We started seeing some turtles, but unfortunately, we didn’t spend much time in this area before we moved on, which was disappointing. We also returned 20 mins before the tour was due to end; it was a beautiful day on the water, so not sure why we came back early. On the positive side, no previous kayaking experience is needed, and the islands and surrounding waters are stunning. I just wish the ad had been more accurate when stating what to expect on this tour.

Turtle & Double Island Kayak Tour

What an absolutely brilliant experience! We saw beautiful coral, turtles, Stingrays, had a walk around Double Island and got a first class learning experience about the wildlife and the reef. Was 4 hours well spent! Thanks to the team!

Don't think about it...do it !!

Well organised, Dad and son were great !! and very nice personal touch. Very informative. It was amazing to spot the turtles and such a beautiful place to explore.

Great alternative available

Our Kayak Turtle tour had to be cancelled because of poor weather but the guys at Pacific. Watersports offered an excellent alternative river kayak. Highly recommended.

Great experience

Great experience with friendly and experienced guides. Amazing sights and being able to get transfers to and from palm cove was a bonus. Highly recommended

Turtle tour a must do

FANTASTIC! Setting off at sunrise was a beautiful experience. Our guide Luke was made it a great morning. Knowledgeable, friendly and happy to share his time and experience with us. He made our kayaking novices feel at ease. The turtle tour is a must do.

A wonderful morning

This was a wonderful experience. I was a bit worried I might not be able to paddle for 4 hours, but the guides pay attention and there are regular rest stops and breaks to view turtles(if sighted), stop at the sand bar or beach. I was also paired (with my approval) with another solo traveller to share the paddling. The weather was stunning and the experience exactly as advertised. We had several glimpses of turtles.

Wonderful way to spend the morning in Palm Cove

We just came back from our morning kayak. The ocean was calm and the sun was shining. We were able to see turtles and snorkel with many different species of fish. Luke, our guide, was incredible. His knowledge of the ecosystem was impressive and made sure we saw as much marine life as possible. It was a wonderful way to spend the morning, we would highly recommend it.

A tour well worth it

We had a wonderful morning on this tour. It was very informative. Double island was fascinating. The guides were great and we had many opportunities to see turtles. We would highly recommend this tour.

Best activity in Cairns!

The sunrise kayaking experience was one to remember. The sun was so beautiful and the waves were very calm. The best part was seeing the turtle calmly floating on the waves. We also saw eagles and stingrays. My husband and I had a wonderful time.

An experience to remember

This tour was enjoyable from beginning to finish. Andy is very knowledgeable. It was fun exploring Double Island and spotting turtles popping up for a breath of fresh air. If you are staying in Cairns I highly recommend that you give this a go. You will not regret it. 10/10.

Alternate Turtle Tour

Was looking forward to kayaking with the turtles, but alas the weather had other intentions with big waves. The plan changed and instead we "white-watered" down a local creek, which was a lot of fun. Our hosts were very knowledgeable about the river and surrounds with lots of interesting facts garnered over many years doing this tour. I plan to go back to do the Turtle Tour in the near future.

A must do

Beautiful scenery, conscientious tour guide and a wonderful way to experience Palm Cove. Very easy kayaking a day we saw several turtles

If you’re in cairns, this is a must do!

What an amazing experience. It was our first time on kayaks and the guys helped us feel safe and set us up for success. We wore suits to protect us from stingers, and life jackets. We paddled all the way around and island, saw turtles along the way, and stopped twice for walks and a swim. The guys helped us spot Rays and Shovel nose sharks. 4 hour experience, well worth the price. Almost drifting back to the shore with the wind and current was delightful! Would definitely do this again.

Great

A great time! The guide was excellent. We saw turtles and rays. Would recommend it! Double island was great

Fun for all ages

Fabulous four hours on this trip. Well looked after by Andy and Luke. I am 70 and one of my kayaking companions was 10. So clearly suitable for all ages and abilities. A memorable morning.

A new experience.

I guess I enjoyed the challenge of kayaking in the ocean. The crew were very supportive. Something I am very happy I did.

AMAZING!!! MUST DO EXPERIENCE

Great tour guides - very knowledgeable and fun guys to spend a few hours with. Saw the turtles and sting rays and loved exploring Double Island. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Definitely recommend!

We had such a lovely morning out with Andy and Luke, the most down to earth and genuine guides to spend a morning with! Great way to see a different side of palm cove and the great nursery of sea life out at double island!

Magnificent canoeing and turtle watching tour -must-do

The tour was insightfull, safe and was very enjoyable one, Guides were professional and passionate about ecology. It met all our expectations

Great fun, even if you're a novice kayaker

I've never really kayaked before but this was a lot of fun. The instructions and assistance was first class - I had a great time and enjoyed every moment of what was quite a long time in the water for a novice. I saw and learnt a lot, it was great just sitting above the coral watching everything that was going on underneath. We had the opportunity to land and then swim off the island you can see from the beach. That's pretty amazing, as was the short walk around looking at star fish and oysters. I thought it was going to be a fairly tiring trip, but in fact it was very relaxing with a lot of time spent chatting with the other people on the trip and the guides. One thing I learnt was that it's a lot easier getting a kayak into the sea than getting it back on the beach! I'd definitely recommend doing this trip - your in safe hands, will learn and see a lot, and will have fantastic fun.

Great trip

Brilliant trip! Well worth the early start, loved every bit of it. Great tour guides to take you round the various sights

Best experience

We had the best time. It was the highlight of our Cairns trip. We ended up going early as it was due to get windy later in the day and it was well worth it. I saw a turtle and the water was gorgeous. I would highly recommend Andy and Luke's tour.

Awesome experience with fantastic guides!!

An awesome trip- the guides were fantastic and the experience was the highlight of our trip. (We had never kayaked before) - We’ll be back!!!

Highly recommended sea experience

The sunrise kayak tour was fabulous. Great views of the ocean, spotted turtles on Double island, had a nice walk on the Double Island beach, all with a knowledgeable guide. I didn't have any previous kayaking experience, but all went well on the sea in one of the double kayaks.

Fit, fun and fabulous activity

A group of us recently did this tour from PalmCove. As locals we have wanted to do it for sometime and were lucky enough to get an amazing day. The sunrise was spectacular. We only saw a couple of turtles and they didn't come near the kayak. It was interesting to see Double Island and we look forward to more happening there in the future (fingers crossed). We were lucky enough to be able to paddle around the island. I'm not super fit (upper body) and I managed okay as they are double kayaks. Our guide was friendly and extremely patient. Whilst relatively new to the role, we felt safe at all time and he was very knowledgeable. We even gave us a little tow on the way back.

Beautiful sea kayaking tour and snorkeling experience

Beautiful morning kayaking in Palm Cove. We spent 3+ hours in the Coral Sea circumnavigating Double Island Reef. We've spent a good time snorkeling and walking around the island. Thanks Andy and Luke for all that interesting information provided during the excursion.

Peaceful paddle

It was a great tour. The boys were patient and helpful. As an inexperienced kayaker I had no problem with the kayak and found it relaxing and enjoyable. I loved stopping on the island and touring the abandoned resort. Great activity, worth doing. Don't forget sunscreen and a camera!

Sunrise Tour - a great experience

Terrific experience - well organised & very enjoyable tour! We unfortunately didn’t get to see any turtles, but did experience a gorgeous sunrise, lots of coral, a stingray, flying fish… we each paddled with a child (6;5yrs & 8;5yrs) in the front which was hard work - but the guide was terrific at taking breaks & pacing the tour so it wasn’t too much of an effort. Great experience, would highly recommend.

Great kayak trip

Fantastic experience. A 4 hour kayak with a great guide in Todd. Great for beginners and more experienced kayakers. Lots of things to see including coral and the odd turtle sticking it’s head up for breath. We kayaked around Double island with plenty of stops/ rests on the way. Todd was great pointing out things of interest Stopped off at a little beach for a swim and stroll around the unused resort which was an interesting break. All in all terrific! Suggest you take plenty of water, sunscreen and something to eat especially if you are doing the 10 to 2 pm tour.

Double island tour

An easy,informative,fun adventure for a reasonable price. Friendly experienced guides give a very different view of the well known Islands. I have no hesitation in recommending this tour

Double Island Kayak

Highly recommended - perfect weather helps but Andy and Luke are great guides and very knowledgable on the loacl area.

A must thing to do in Palm Cove

We enjoyed a beautiful morning kayaking over to Double Island. The experience was very peaceful and Luke did a great job leading us around the reef and islands.

Great way to see turtles!

Our guides were extremely helpful and knowledgeable and we had a great experience — even saw a few turtles along the way!

Enjoyable 4 hour kayak

We took the tour this morning and it was such a wonderful experience. Todd told us about the various wildlife around the area as we kept a lookout for turtles and stingrays. We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of both. We stopped at Double Island where we enjoyed a swim and looked at the remnants of what was a luxury resort, which in its prime, was frequented by famous actors. This was really fascinating. Todd answered all our questions and explained about the flora around us. I highly recommend this tour with Pacific Watersports, whilst in Palm Cove.

Palm Cove Kayaking

Worth the early start. Great tour guide, knowledgeable and very friendly . A fun morning of sea kayaking in a stunning location . Would highly recommend. Thank you

Worth the early start!

It was a great morning and well worth the early start. Very friendly and knowledgeable team, would definitely recommend if you are in the area to book with Luke and Andy.

Stunning way to start the day

The sunrise kayak turtle tour is a brilliant way to start the day. It's an early start (meeting at about 5:50am) but it was so worth it to be greeted by a stunning sunrise, calm waters and the promise of seeing turtles. Luke is knowledgeable, experienced, super friendly and clearly loves what he does. We saw turtles, dolphins, a snub nosed ray and explored Double Island with our small group. It wasn't particularly strenuous kayaking. There was a period we spent drifting towards the sandbar, watching and waiting for the telltale signs of the resident turtles. I felt lucky to see some, and the dolphins were a fabulous bonus. And I love the perspective of seeing the coastline of this beautiful part of the world from the water.

Great start to the day !

Great experience with an experienced guide. Started early at 6am. Received a message the day before to confirm start time to work with the tides. Just a note : I am an inexperienced Kayaker and am scared of being on the open ocean... However .. I was doubling with my husband so took a deep breath and went for it. Luke was very reassuring. We watched the sun rise over the horizon. Just beautiful. We ended up kayaking 9.5 Kms in between the two islands, around Double Island, checked out the abandoned resort on the island, saw lots of turtles and slowly kayaked back to shore. All in all a great experience. Thanks Luke.