Nelly Bay snorkel trail

The snorkel trail

Walk straight off the beach and follow the numbered yellow surface floats. On the way to the first float you cross reef-building corals including staghorn, with schools of angelfish, spiny chromis and yellowtail demoiselles. Hard corals surround the second float, and brain coral is common between the third and fourth.

Lettuce, cauliflower and boulder corals are also found along the trail.

Giant clams

Eight giant clams live along the trail: five before the second float and three between the third and fourth. They were among thousands of clams reared at James Cook University’s Orpheus Island Research Station in 1986, and were moved onto the island’s two snorkel trails in 2013 with Marine Park approval.

Conditions

Visibility is usually modest, around 5 m, and the water is warm, typically about 27 °C. Visibility drops during and after south-easterly winds, and it’s best to avoid the very low and very high tides around new and full moons. Don’t stand on coral or hold the floats.

Marine stingers are present in tropical Queensland waters all year, with the highest risk from November to May. The Queensland Government suggests a full-body lycra suit for protection.