Services & Facilities

Heron Island Marine Centre

Five-star rated, PADI Dive Resort that features a fully equipped dive shop and offers an extensive range of PADI Dive courses from Open Water Referral to a select number of specialties.

There is a good range of excellent quality dive and snorkel gear for sale and hire. The current hire and sale range features the latest Aqualungequipment. The Heron Island Dive Shop offers a wide range of wetsuits for hire from 5mm shorties for the warm summer months to 5mm full-length two-piece wetsuits for the colder months.

Three fully equipped dive boats with capacities of up to 24 divers make diving from Heron Island a well-organised and spacious experience. Apart from the massive amounts of space on our dive boats, there is also a full canopy cover for sun protection. Diving of our boats is easy with giant stride entries and exit via wide ladders. Distances to the islands dive sites are relatively short and all dives are conducted as single boat dives so you can do as many or as little dives in a day as you wish. Great for those who who want to take advantage of the island's other facilities such as the Aqua Soul Spa.

^{Subject to weather conditions, three boat trips depart daily at 9am, 11am and 3pm. The 9am trip is for divers only, the other trips for the day take both divers and snorkellers. During the summer months the frequency can be increased to up to 5 boats daily - 3 dive trips for divers and 2 trips exclusively for snorkellers.}

Dive sites of the day are chosen by the skipper for the best possible diving / snorkelling conditions and every dive is accompanied by a qualified dive guide who will navigate the dive and help point out some of the more elusive critters on the reef. If you prefer to "do your own thing," this can be catered for after a check out dive and depending on the level of dive experience. Naturally, safety is of high priority on Heron Island and all dive staff are trained in diving first aid.

Snorkeling

Complimentary snorkel lessons are conducted daily at 2pm in the swimming pool. No booking is required. You will require a mask, snorkel and fins to participate, which are available for hire from the Marine Centre.

Being right on the reef means that you can snorkel off the beach. If you have not snorkelled before or would like to practice, try Shark Bay (named after the harmless Shovel Nose Ray) or from the Gantry just in front of the Pandanus Lounge.

Diving Safety

Our professional and qualified dive team will guide you on an unforgettable trip on one of our renowned dive sites. As there are certain risks associated with participating in these Great Barrier Reef activities, particularly scuba diving, we have implemented various procedures and methods to ensure the safety of all participants.

Other Services

• Digital underwater photo cameras are available for rental at $30 per dive or $50 for a full day. And we will provide you a short brief on how to use them.
• Camera-specific rinse buckets.
• Large library of creature identification books in the Marine Centre and most of the dive staff is very knowledgeable and interested in marine life.

Our Friendly Marine Centre Staff

Three fully equipped dive boats with capacities of up to 24 divers make diving from Heron Island a well-organised and spacious experience. Apart from the massive amounts of space on our dive boats, there is also a full canopy cover for sun protection. Diving off our boats is easy with giant stride entries and exit via wide ladders.

Distances to the islands' dive sites are relatively short and all dives are conducted as single boat dives so you can do as many or as little dives in a day as you wish. Great for those who want to take advantage of the island's other facilities such as the Aqua Soul Spa.

Disclaimer

^{Subject to weather conditions, three boat trips depart daily at 9am, 11am and 3pm. The 9am trip is for divers only, the other trips for the day take both divers and snorkellers. During the summer months the frequency can be increased to up to 5 boats daily - 3 dive trips for divers and 2 trips exclusively for snorkellers.}

^{Dive sites of the day are chosen by the skipper for the best possible diving / snorkelling conditions and every dive is accompanied by a qualified dive guide who will navigate the dive and help point out some of the more elusive critters on the reef. If you prefer to "do your own thing," this can be catered for after a checkout dive and depending on the level of dive experience.}

^{Naturally, safety is of high priority on Heron Island and all dive staff is trained in diving first aid.}