Geoffrey Bay Snorkel Trail is a marked underwater trail on Magnetic Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, featuring numbered buoys that guide snorkelers through diverse coral bommies, sandy patches, and seagrass beds. The trail starts about 390 m off the beach opposite Hotel Arcadia, offering a self-guided route through vibrant fringing reef habitat home to sea turtles, friendly wrasse, and colourful reef fish. Consistently rated one of Queensland's top 10 snorkelling spots, the calm, shallow waters make it an ideal introduction to reef snorkelling, with the iconic wallaby feeding area nearby on the shoreline.
Geoffrey Bay Snorkel Trail
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Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.3 mSwell Period 3.1 sWind Speed 11 knPrecipitation 1.4 mmTidal Phase flood
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Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
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Moderate risk: Box jellyfish / marine stingers
Stingers (box jellyfish) are present in tropical Queensland waters during the summer monsoon months.
Low risk: Distance from shore (390m swim)
The trail is 390 m from shore; snorkelers must be confident swimmers to reach and navigate the buoyed circuit.
Low risk: Boat traffic
Small boats and ferries use the bay; remain vigilant near the channel.
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Getting in
Shore entry
Entry
The trail starts on Marine Parade, Geoffrey Bay, approximately 390 m off the beach opposite Hotel Arcadia (parallel with the old barge ramp). From Townsville, take a 20-minute ferry to Magnetic Island at Nelly Bay, then a short bus or taxi ride to Geoffrey Bay.
Parking & facilities
Limited street parking along Marine Parade, Geoffrey Bay, near the wallaby feeding area and Hotel Arcadia.
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports