Does it make much difference to go with a Great Barrier Reef tour operator that offers scuba diving, or should I go with a snorkel boat?
If you don’t dive there is no need to travel to the Great Barrier Reef with a dive boat. A dive boat that takes snorkellers to a dive site (deep water, distant from the coral edge) in which the schedule is entirely determined by dive time limits, and can nott possibly compare with a dedicated snorkel only boat, with a maximum of 30 people that goes right into some of the most awesome snorkeling sites in the region. No comparison. There is very little to be gained by diving when one could just snorkel the same site and see much more colorful coral/fish. This is of course because the vast majority (90%) of tropical coral reef life on the Great Barrier Reef to be found within the top 4 meters of water which can easily be observed from the surface by snorkellers. On a dive/snorkel hybrid boat, you will probably have to wait for the divers to enter the water first..at each site. And the divers pay more money than the snorkelers do…so guess who gets priority!
