Cairns Aquarium | Cairns Family Attraction
A brand new all-weather attraction has arrived in Cairns showcasing a huge variety of marine life and corals from the waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The visually stunning Cairns Aquarium is located in the heart of the Tropical North Queensland city. The aquarium is also easy walking distance from most hotels, resorts and holiday apartments within the Cairns city.
This new attraction aims to become a leading educational facility to showcase the diversity of the tropical norths Wet Tropics regions of the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef within its interactive zones.
This new tourist attraction shows how these two World Heritage listed environments are totally reliant on each other for their co-existence & dependency and encourages education for all generations to think about and consider their footprint on our planet and to participate in preserving our wild environment for the survival of future generations.
Or take a trip on a boat to see the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns and swim with the fishes.
Inside the Cairns Aquarium
The aquarium will support more than 3 million litres of salt, fresh and brackish water that will be home to many creatures that are either rarely seen due to their nocturnal habits along with animals that are nowhere else on the planet. You will be able to be up close to rare, endangered, unusual and deadly specimens in the marine displays.
There will be more than 15,000 creatures from all of the eco systems in Tropical North Queensland that are interconnected in the survival of the Great Barrier Reef in themed exhibits such as the Open Ocean, The Great Barrier Reef, River Monsters, Rivers & Streams, Life in the Mangroves, Coral Atoll, Reptiles and Amphibians of the Rainforest, Dangers of the Reef and more.
One of the many highlights of the new aquarium is the 30m long acrylic underwater viewing tunnel into a 360 degree open ocean viewing tank or shark lagoon. Here you will see Australia’s only school of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks in a 2 million litre, 5 metre high deep water exhibit. There will be interactions of sharks, giant stingrays, guitarfish, unicorn fish and dozens of other Great Barrier Reef marine animals.
As the Cairns Aquarium is also an educational facility there is an in-house Research & Development program aimed at assisting to protect vulnerable and protected species with ex-situ reproductive bio-technology studies and re-population programs.
For further education about the Great Barrier Reef there are touch tanks, live diver talks from the deep reef tank and a Turtle Rehabilitation tour and even an opportunity to take a look at the behind the scenes Research Facility.
Meals & Refreshments
Call into Aqualuna contemporary Italian restaurant on the ground floor for a wide selection of menu items, price options and meal types to suit everyone’s tastes and dietary requirements. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
After Hours & Special Occasions
Now this is a wonderful place to hold a wedding don’t you think? The Aqualuna restaurant opens up as an indoor/outdoor 220 seat venue for weddings, conferences and functions with floor to ceiling tank on one side and lush Tropical gardens on the other.
In 2018 the Cairns Aquarium is planning for Dive or Snorkel with Hammerhead Sharks so keep an eye out for that amazing experience.
Shopping
In the Tropical Treasures gift store you will find plush toys, souvenirs, gifts and educational items that are environmentally friendly, made locally and certified as reef and rainforest safe products. Proceeds from the shop will be distributed to charity organisations contributing to the preservation of the Queensland's Wet Tropics region.
Hours of Operation – Location
Open 365 days a year
- Saturday to Thursday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
- Friday: 9:00am to 7:00pm
Last admission at 4.30pm
Please allow at least 2.5 hours to see and enjoy all exhibitions
Disabled Access: via lifts/elevators – Disabled bathrooms
Free Wi-Fi, ATM, lockers (extra cost) and water fountains
5 Florence Street Cairns (between Abbott and Lake Street)
Please send questions to info@cairnsholidayspecialists.com.au
Or ring (07) 4059 5959
Photos from Cairns Aquarium
Great Barrier Reef Tour Cairns | Best 2 In 1 Deal | Island & Outer Reef | GIGBRA
- Departs From: Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street
- Duration:
7 hours (approx)
Great Barrier Reef Tour Cairns, the best Combo Deal in Cairns. An island tour and outer reef tour to a pontoon on the 1 day! Visit Green Island first and take a good look around this little tropical island then re-board the fast boat to ride out to the outer reef pontoon where you can scuba dive, snorkel, ride the semi-submersible submarine, ride the underwater motorbikes called scuba doo, take a scenic helicopter flight and more. This is the best Great Barrier Reef tou deal in Cairns.
Great Barrier Reef Tour | Cairns | 3 Dive & Snorkel Reefs
- Departs From: Reef Fleet Terminal Cairns
- Duration:
5 hours to explore the Great Barrier Reef at 3 different sites
Return cruise approx 1.5 hours each way
Cairns - dive and snorkel day tour. There's everything you'll need to experience an underwater world of colourful marine life in safety and comfort including a submerged dive and snorkel platform for easy access.
Green Island FULL DAY Tour | Snorkel & Dive Great Barrier Reef Australia
- Departs From: Cairns Marina
- Duration:
7 or 5 hours on Green Island - boat ride 45 minutes each way
Times are approximate
Take the ferry across to Green Island from Cairns and explore Marineland Melanesia and see the largest crocodile in captivity, walk thru thru the corridor of gore and sea rescued sea turtles and other marine animals. Snorkel the island lagoon and swim with turtles, try Seawalker, ride the glass bottom boat or take a scuba dive tour. There is so much to do and see on Green Island
Great Barrier Reef Tours | Cairns | Small Group | 2 Reef Sites
- Departs From: Reef Fleet Terminal Cairns
- Duration:
9 hours (approx)
This unique comfortable sailing "maxi-catamaran" travels out from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef daily at 8:00 AM to two incredible dive and snorkel sites that are chosen by the skipper on the day to deliver the best and safest experience for guests.
Port Douglas Reef Tours | Great Barrier Reef Tours | QS
- Departs From: Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina Port Douglas
- Duration:
6.5 hours (approx.)
Join us for a day on the Great Barrier Reef the world's biggest aquarium to see all the brilliant corals and marine life on the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs. Our pontoon is great for non-swimmers, families, folks with a disability and for those who wish to try all the in water toys like semi-submersible submarines, scuba diving, snorkelling and helmet diving. You can even do a scenic helicopter flight from the pontoon and see the reef from above the water too
Green Island HALF DAY Tour Ex Cairns | Snorkel & Dive Great Barrier Reef Australia
- Departs From: Reef Fleet Terminal Cairns
- Duration:
2 or 3 hours
Times are approx
Save $50.00 on our Great Barrier Reef Family Package Tour Deal. 2nd Child Travels Free. Green island is the best value half day reef tour from Cairns. Spend a half day morning or half day afternoon snorkelling or riding glass bottom boat, upgrade to scuba diving or scenic helicopter flight, try Seawalker.
Cairns Reef Tours On a Pontoon | Great Barrier Reef | RM
- Departs From: Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal
- Duration:
8 hours (approx)
Save on our Cairns Family Great Barrier Reef Package Tour Deal. 2nd Child Travels Free, (T&C applies). This is the Great Barrier Reef Tour from Cairns where you can play with Wally, the huge Maori Wrasse!!!
Fitzroy Island FULL DAY Tour Packages | Cairns | Great Barrier Reef
- Departs From: Cairns Marlin Marina
- Duration:
7.5 hours approx.
Fantastic value Great Barrier Reef Island tour from Cairns to Fitzroy Island. Fun for all the family and fun for those who love to hike and explore islands. Snorkel, kayak, in water trampoline and more, book this ferry ride and enjoy fun in the sun on this beautiful island
Cairns Reef Tour | Scenic Flight & Green Island Combo Deal
- Departs From: General Aviation & Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal
- Duration:
9.5 hours approx
Great value $$$ Saving Combo Deal, fly for 40 minutes over the Great Barrier Reef then spend the afternoon snorkelling the lagoons of the coral reef system around Green Island. Such great value and so much fun all in one day
