Blue Pearl Bay Whitsundays

Blue Pearl Bay lies on the western shores of Hayman Island and has a huge reputation for being the best dive and snorkel location in the Whitsundays.

Funtours took a day trip last Friday, (June 22, 2012) to see for ourselves if that reputation is in fact correct. We also had some new underwater camera gear to test, so what better way to give the gear a try than somewhere touted as spectacular.

We went out with Illusions Whitsundays, a popular 12 meter catamaran that takes small group cruises to Blue Pearl Bay and Langford Island for snorkeling, introductory dives and certified divers. Illusions Whitsundays are certainly a value for money cruise operator and give clients a relaxed and enjoyable day sailing the wonderful Whitsundays. We will say a little more about Illusions and the crew later in this post, first let us tell you about Blue Pearl Bay.

You need only snorkel just meters from the beach to see beautiful coral and tropical fish. We were immediately impressed by the quality and quantity of coral and marine life.

Underwater visibility on the day was quite good, giving us a great opportunity to put the underwater camera gear through it’s paces and bring home some decent images to share. Looking at our photos, I’m sure you will agree that Blue Pearl Bay is a stunning example of a good fringing reef, where even the weakest swimmers can enjoy quality coral and marine life. Click the images for a larger size.

Scuba divers are in heaven with swim through tunnels and huge bommies to explore. For the first time diver, the Illusions crew will take you to the safest and best area for you to experience the thrill of diving. Each crew member is a fully certified dive master with many years experience in the area.

Blue Pearl Bay is also a quite large area. The bonus is that only guests from Hayman Island, smaller cruise operators, private boats and bare boat charters visit the bay, therefore you never have crowded conditions for snorkelers or divers.

Being on the western side of Hayman Island also shelters it from the prevailing south easterlies, giving the bay calm conditions most of the year.

My partner was impressed by the colours on the reef. She remarked that it was even more colourful than the outer Great Barrier Reef itself, where we have previously photographed and snorkeled.

The variety of coral species is outstanding with huge plates, brain, honeycomb, finger and staghorns of all shapes and sizes there to overwhelm. Fish of all shapes and sizes range from tiny Nemo’s, colorful parrotfish, friendly yellowtails to large Maori Wrasse. Keep your eye out for turtles, as they are quite common in the area.

How To Get To Blue Pearl Bay

You can get to Blue Pearl Bay in a variety of ways. Guests on Hayman Island can either bush walk from the resort or have the island staff take you there by boat, picking you up again around 2 hours later.

There are various cruises from the marinas in Airlie Beach. Some are 2 or 3 day cruises which make Blue Pearl Bay a stopover.

For a fun filled day cruise to Blue Pearl Bay our suggestion is Illusions Whitsundays, which departs from Abel Point Marina daily.

Illusions visits Blue Pearl Bay and Langford Island, where turtle sightings are common just off the sandy shore.

You can ring Josef & Liz direct on 0413 648 865 and 07 49480865 or simply email them illusion@whitsunday.net.au. Bookings can also be made from all travel agents and accommodation houses in Airlie Beach.

Illusions Whitsundays has everthing to offer the day tripper to Blue pearl Bay. Reasonably priced, a lovely lunch is included. Free tea & coffee. Free snorkeling equipment. Expert snorkeling tuition. Licensed bar. Boom netting and friendly banter. Introductory dives and Certified diving are extra. Bring your towel and sense of humor. Josef the skipper will keep you laughing all day and say hello to Naomi, who will fuss over you and make sure you have everything you require for a great day in the Whitsundays.

For us Blue Pearl Bay lived up to it’s reputation as a spectacular dive and snorkel location. We will certainly be there often from now on for underwater photography and relaxation.