Guided Snorkel Tours Sydney: Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Reserve

Two and a half hours in shallow reefs where turtles and giant cuttlefish live

A guided snorkel tour in Sydney's Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Reserve takes you to Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower or Fairlight Beach with a PADI guide, full equipment and transport from Dive Centre Manly. You'll explore reefs and sandy patches 2–10 metres deep, spotting resident marine life including turtles, wobbegongs, stingrays and the Eastern Blue Groper. The tour runs year-round on weekends and select weekdays and suits swimmers aged 8 and up with basic water confidence.

The Experience

The tour starts at Dive Centre Manly, where your PADI guide kits you out with mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit and flotation aid before transport to the day's best site. Your guide picks between Shelly Beach and Fairy Bower—both inside Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Reserve, Sydney's oldest protected marine area—or Fairlight Beach depending on conditions. The reserve's age is exactly why the marine life here stays consistent: leatherjackets, stingrays, flatheads, resident turtles, Australian giant cuttlefish, octopus and wobbegongs are regulars, along with NSW's state fish, the Eastern Blue Groper, and schools of smaller fish moving through the shallows.

Once at the beach, you get a full briefing before entering water that ranges from 2–10 metres deep. The reefs and sandy patches here are shallow enough to make spotting fish straightforward, and your guide knows where the "good stuff" sits—the places most people swim past without noticing. You're in the water for the core of the tour, moving at a pace that lets you settle into snorkelling rhythm and actually watch what's moving around you instead of rushing through.

The whole outing runs two and a half hours from start to finish. Transport to and from the snorkel site is included, so you don't arrange your own way to the beach. The tour operates year-round on weekends and select weekdays, and it's open to swimmers aged 8 and up who are comfortable in the ocean.

What’s included

• Transport to and from Dive Centre Manly to the snorkel site.
• mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit and flotation aid.
• guidance from a PADI-certified local guide in English.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Dive Centre Manly

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a pace that lets you settle into snorkelling without rushing, and your guide does the work of finding the marine life instead of you swimming past it—a good fit if you want to actually see what's there rather than just be in the water.

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Top questions

What marine life will I actually see on this snorkel tour in Sydney?

Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Reserve is home to turtles, wobbegongs, stingrays, flatheads, Australian giant cuttlefish, octopus, leatherjackets and the Eastern Blue Groper—NSW's state fish—plus schooling fish that move through the reefs. Your guide knows where these animals tend to be and helps you spot them in the shallow reefs and sandy patches.

How deep is the water where I'll be snorkelling?

The reefs and sandy patches at Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower and Fairlight Beach range from 2–10 metres deep, which is shallow enough to make spotting marine life straightforward without needing diving certification.

What's included in the tour price?

Transport to and from the snorkel site, all snorkelling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit and flotation aid), and a PADI guide leading the tour are included. You don't need to bring or hire gear separately.

When does this tour run and how long does it take?

The tour runs year-round on weekends and select weekdays and takes two and a half hours from meeting your guide at Dive Centre Manly through to the end of the snorkel and return transport.

Do I need snorkelling experience to join this tour?

No prior snorkelling experience is required, though you do need to be a comfortable swimmer. The tour suits ages 8 and up with basic water confidence, and your PADI guide will brief you fully before you enter the water.