Your journey is part of the experience! Travelling to the stunning Agincourt ribbon reefs will take us approximately 72 km offshore from Port Douglas. Along the way, we travel past many landmarks and points of interest. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
Port Douglas – Sugar Wharf
As you leave Port you will see an old wooden building and wharf – the Sugar Wharf, originally built in 1877 when Port Douglas was a thriving port servicing the goldfields and Tablelands inland from here and the sugar industry in the Mossman region.
Daintree
Ten minutes after leaving Port you will be travelling across a large bay on your way to the reef. It is into this bay that the Mossman and Daintree rivers empty. The Mossman River is known for the beautiful Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree River for its diversity of wildlife. Both rivers are fringed by spectacular rainforest.
Snapper Island
This rainforest covered National Park can be seen on the left of the vessel, 25 minutes from Port. The protected waters around this island attract many local fishermen. The peak behind Snapper Island is Thornton’s Peak. At 1,374 metres it is the third highest mountain in this part of Australia and is very often covered by cloud.
Voyage of Discovery
Captain James Cook sailed these waters you are passing through today in the vessel “Endeavour” on 11th June 1770. On that evening “Endeavour” struck a reef just 30 nautical miles north of Snapper Island. He made repairs at the present day site of Cooktown before sailing back to England.
Undine Cay
This sandy cay is seen on the right hand side of our vessel after we pass Snapper Island. It is a good example of a coral cay in its early development and signposts the inner edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef consists of a complex maze of 2,900 separate reef systems stretching over 2,300 kilometres, from Cape York in the north to Bundaberg in southern Queensland. You are travelling through a series of patch reefs on your way to the southern most end of the true ribbon reefs on the very outer edge of Australia’s continental shelf.
Agincourt Reefs
This small group of reefs is situated on the very outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Two kilometres beyond the outer edge of these reefs, identified by the line of breakers, the sea floor drops away to where the water is more than 500 metres deep. The clean, clear water from the deep ocean washing over these outer barriers helps promote the prolific growth of marine life for which they are famous.
Traditional Sea Country
The Agincourt Reef area and associated waterways fall within a complex and overlapping area of traditional sea country. Quicksilver acknowledges the ongoing connection and the cultural significance for Traditional Owners to these areas. These include the Eastern Kuku Yalanji, Dabu Jajikal and Yirrganydji Aboriginal people.
Low Isles
During the return journey, your vessel will wind its way between numerous small and large reefs. The first land you will see will be on your left. These two small islands are the Low Isles. They are separate islands on one common reef. The larger of the two is covered by mangroves and is uninhabited except for a large bird population. The smaller island is a coral cay with a lighthouse that has been operating for over a hundred years. Low Isles can be visited by joining our daily sailing experience from Port Douglas.