Family Education Day

Explore the Great Barrier Reef. Learn about its conservation. Experience it together.

Our Family Marine Conservation Education Day is a practical Great Barrier Reef experience designed for families who want to do more than simply visit the reef.

Join the O2E team for a day of reef education, snorkelling and citizen science near Cairns, giving adults and children aged 10+ the opportunity to learn about the reef together and gain a deeper understanding of the pressures facing one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems.

Rather than learning about conservation from a classroom or screen, your family will experience the reef environment first-hand and discover how scientists and conservationists observe and understand reef health.

Families meet at the Reef Terminal in Cairns at 8:00am, with the day usually returning around 5:00pm.

The Great Barrier Reef can be somewhere your children visit.

Or it can become somewhere they begin to understand.

This experience gives families the time and guidance to look more closely at the reef — to notice the relationships between species, understand some of the pressures marine ecosystems face, and see how observation and citizen science contribute to our knowledge of these environments.

You’ll leave with more than photographs from a day on the water.

You’ll leave with a shared understanding of the reef you experienced together.

Suitable for families with children aged 10+.

Take part as a family in a snorkelling-based citizen science activity that helps observe and report on reef health.

Along the way, you’ll learn about the Great Barrier Reef, some of the species that call it home, and the conservation challenges affecting coral reef ecosystems.

The experience is designed to encourage curiosity, observation and conversation — giving young people and adults the opportunity to learn alongside one another while participating respectfully in a real reef environment.

This is a one-day family conservation experience from Cairns, designed for families with children aged 10 years and over.

The day may include reef education, snorkelling, citizen science survey activities, island time and lunch.

Some dates may operate on Fitzroy Island, while others may operate on Green Island, depending on the date selected.

No previous conservation experience is required. What matters is a willingness to learn, participate and spend the day exploring the reef environment together.

Children must be 10 years or older and participate with an accompanying parent or responsible adult.

All participants taking part in the in-water activities must be competent swimmers and comfortable swimming, floating and snorkelling.

Parents and guardians remain responsible for their children throughout the experience and should consider each child’s swimming ability, confidence in open water and comfort participating in a full-day outdoor marine activity before booking.

The Great Barrier Reef is a living environment, not a controlled classroom.

Weather, ocean conditions, visibility, ferry schedules and safety requirements can affect what happens on the day, and activities may change accordingly.

Families should be comfortable spending time outdoors, swimming and snorkelling, being in the sun and participating respectfully as part of a group.

These changing conditions are also part of experiencing marine conservation in the real world: observing, adapting and learning from the environment in front of you.

Start dates vary by island and availability. Please check current dates before booking.

The Family Marine Conservation Education Day is designed as a single-day experience.

Families may also choose to participate on more than one available day, giving you the opportunity to experience different reef or island environments where dates and locations allow.

Your day includes one scheduled reef conservation experience.

Activities may include reef education, snorkelling, citizen science survey work, lunch and time exploring the island or reef environment.

The emphasis is on learning through participation: understanding what you are seeing, asking questions and experiencing the reef through a conservation lens.

Lunch is included.

Please bring your own reusable water bottles, snacks and any extra money you may need for additional food, drinks or souvenirs.

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.

Depending on the selected date, your family experience may take place around Fitzroy Island or Green Island.

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What’s Included:

Pre-departure support for your family
Reef and marine conservation education
Snorkelling-based citizen science activity
Snorkelling and required activity equipment

Lunch
O2E team support throughout the experience
Island / reef experience, depending on your selected date
Return reef or island transport, where included in your selected package

*Please note that some items are not included in the project fees, such as flights, accommodation unless specifically stated, travel insurance, snacks, spending money, local transport and airport transfers. Prices are subject to change. Please ensure you have read the O2E Volunteers Terms and Conditions.

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