6 Snorkelling Trips in Sydney Worth the Ferry Fare

1.Manly and Shelly Beach Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 204 reviews · 2h 30m · from $77Our pick

Spend 150 minutes exploring Manly’s coast with an English-speaking guide and a group of no more than eight. Start with a headland walk and safety briefing, then snorkel for about an hour in protected Cabbage Tree Bay. Wetsuits and gear are included. You need to swim 150 meters unassisted and be able to float and tread water.

“Great activity. The running is so smooth and everyone of us enjoyed it. It's just unlucky that the weather was a little bit bad.”

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2.Snorkeling Tour: Discover Sydney’s impressive sea life

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 147 reviews · 1h 30m · from $69Best value

Spend 90 minutes snorkeling with a certified guide in Clovelly’s Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve, with about an hour in the water. Your guide fits your mask, snorkel and fins, points out fish and other marine life, and takes complimentary photos. Weather may move the tour to another beach. Wetsuit hire costs extra.

“We had an amazing time and seen so many gorgeous fish Our tour guide Pipa was very friendly and knowledgeable and was able to show us so many different species of fish Would highly recommend”

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3.Marine Discovery + Snorkeling Cruise – Port Stephens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $71Top rated

Sail aboard Imagine from Nelson Bay, pause to see Bottlenose Dolphins, then head to an offshore island for guided snorkelling among fish, sea urchins, soft corals and rays. Snorkel guides join you in the water, and equipment, coffee and tea are included. The 3.5-hour cruise starts at 1:30 pm. Swimming is optional, but you need to be able to swim to enter the water.

“This is a great day. The catamaran was fun, the staff helpful and the snorkeling was great. We all enjoyed it immensely. Thanks Imagine.”

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4.Nelson Bay: Marine Discovery Cruise with Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 8 reviews · 3h 30m · from $77

Cruise Port Stephens aboard Imagine, a 54-foot sailing catamaran, with a snorkel guide, mask, fins, and snorkel provided. Watch for bottlenose dolphins, then swim or snorkel in a protected cove near Cabbage Tree or Fingal Island. You can also relax in the bow-net or get wet in the boom-net. Sailing depends on conditions.

“We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon on the snorkeling tour. We were a family group of six adults (ranging in age 40 to 70) and eight children (ranging in age 3 to 12). Everyone was catered for, the crew was excellent, friendly and professional. The dolphins joined us for quite a bit of the trip, which was awesome. We also saw a sea lion and a sea turtle. I would recommend this experience to everyone. We are Novocastrians (from Newcastle NSW) and we all agreed, we take the Newcastle/Hunter region for granted. So beautiful. We'll certainly do it again.”

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5.Snorkeling Adventure for Kids with Private Guide In Sydney

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $143

At Clovelly Beach, a private certified guide helps your family, including children aged 8 and up, get fitted with masks, snorkels and fins before a 90-minute snorkel in the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve. Look for fish, rays, cuttlefish and, with luck, octopus or wobbegong. Guides Carlos, Dina and Isaac have led families here. If conditions are unsafe, the tour may move to Little Bay.

“The experience was amazing for our family. It was our first time snorkling at sea - We got professional guidance and we felt safe under water. The kids enjoyed having special attention and snorkling with Carlos.”

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6.Guided Snorkeling Experience in Bondi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $77

Meet the team at Bondi’s snorkel center, get fitted with equipment, then travel to a site chosen for the day’s sea conditions. A local guide leads an hour in the water, helping beginners get comfortable and pointing out marine life such as rays, octopus and blue grouper. Groups are limited to eight.

“The crew at the diving shop did a fantastic job explaining what we re going to do and was helpful getting everyone the right equipment. Once we got to the site, they did all that they could do to help everyone so that could have an enjoyable experience. I would recommend them to anyone that has an interest in snorkeling and or scuba diving.”

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