Low Isles with kids and non-swimmers

Low Isles with kids works because almost everything is small and close. The trip sold on this site crosses from Port Douglas in 30 minutes, which is short enough for restless children and queasy stomachs. Once you are there, little legs can explore the whole cay, which takes about 15 minutes to walk around.⁵ Tourism Port Douglas Daintree calls Low Isles a fantastic place to try snorkeling for the first time, starting from the beach in the shallows.⁶

The operators are used to families. Sailaway says children of all ages are welcome on its trips.¹ On Wavedancer days a safety officer for snorkelers is posted on the beach throughout, and marine biologists on board field children's questions about the reef.^7,8 For a child who has only seen turtles in books, swimming near a real one in a sheltered lagoon is the kind of day that stays with them.

The calm water is the other reason. The reef's hook shape creates a sheltered lagoon, which is why it is also a feeding ground for young turtles.^9,10 The snorkeling area runs from 0 to 5 metres deep, with coral close to the island, so children can paddle in from the beach and turn back to the sand whenever they like.¹¹ Compared with jumping off a boat into open water far offshore, it is a gentle introduction.

You do not need to bring gear. On Wavedancer, snorkels, masks and fins come in child sizes and are handed out after the snorkeling demonstration on the way out.²⁵ The smallest lycra suit is size 2, there are small snorkels and masks for toddlers, and the smallest fins are size 1 - 3.² Calypso's fare covers masks, snorkels, fins and lycra suits for every guest.¹⁷ If your child already owns a comfortable, leak-free mask, pack it.

A tip from Quicksilver's crew is worth trying: most kids are happier in their own swimming goggles than in a face mask.²⁶ If your child refuses the snorkel, let them float face down in goggles over the shallows, lifting their head to breathe. Practise at the hotel pool the day before, so the first time they put their face in the water is not over coral with fish below. A few minutes in a pool, with a parent holding their hands, does more than any briefing on the boat.

Flotation makes the difference for nervous children. Buoyancy vests are suggested and free, with noodles and other flotation aids on hand.¹² Sailaway has vests sized for children and adult life jackets on board.¹⁹ Quicksilver also recommends that the adult accompanying a young child wears a flotation device, because small swimmers tend to cling to the nearest grown-up.²⁴ Two floating people are far less tired than one swimmer towing another.

Low Isles accommodation really means Port Douglas accommodation. Tourism Australia describes Port Douglas as a base for exploring both the rainforest and the reef, with resorts and a long beach stretching down the bay.³⁹ When the tide is out, Four Mile Beach, the town's main beach, can stretch over 100 metres wide, which is perfect for children to run off energy the day before or after the trip.⁴⁰ In stinger season, swim only inside the netted, patrolled areas on the mainland beaches.

Getting to the boat is easy from most of the town. Tourism Australia says most tour operators in Port Douglas will pick you up from your accommodation, and Sailaway offers complimentary bus transfers from hotels in Port Douglas that you book in advance.^41,42 The trip sold here meets at the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, so a stay within walking distance of the marina makes an early start easier with sleepy children.

If you base yourselves in Cairns, plan for the drive. Port Douglas is about a one-hour drive from Cairns on the coastal highway, and Cairns Airport is 65 km away.^43,44 With young children, a night or two in Port Douglas usually beats an early drive up the coast before a boat trip. Look for a place with a pool, so the children can practise with goggles before the day on the reef. A shaded balcony for drying suits and towels helps more than you would expect on a family trip.