Michaelmas Cay is a white sand island in the Great Barrier Reef.
Michaelmas Cay is about 40 kilometres from Cairns and is one of the 43 vegetated sand cays on the Great Barrier Reef. You can get to Michaelmas Cay via a boat where you can then go into the water or enjoy the beach. The water here is calm and very clear, making it great to see underwater. You’ll also notice as you walk across the white sand that it’s some of the softest sand.
Discover what’s surrounding Michaelmas Cay
With the water being clear at Michaelmas Cay, it means it’s the perfect condition to go snorkelling or diving! When you go snorkelling or diving you will be able to explore the coral reefs and spot all kinds of marine life around the cay. Join a Great Barrier Reef tour to see more of the reef!
You could also just take a refreshing dip to cool off on a warm day. But if you prefer to stay dry, there is a glass bottom boat or semi submarine available to see the coral and marine creatures without getting wet.
Snorkel or dive with marine life
Michaelmas Cay has almost all the marine life you can imagine. Whether you snorkel, dive or go on the glass bottom boat, you’ll be spotting some kind of reef species in these waters.
Tropical fish are common to spot and one that is hard to miss is the massive humphead Maori wrasse, with some reaching about seven feet long!
Seabirds love Michaelmas Cay
Seabirds call Michaelmas Cay home for their nesting habitat, making the cay a protected bird sanctuary. There are 23 seabird species here, with breeding season happening throughout the year for the different species, but mainly it’s during the summer months.
Some common birds that are around include the crested tern, black noody, and the sooty tern.