Cook Island Aquatic Reserve
LOCATION Offshore from Tweed Heads in Northern New South Wales
DEPTH 3-10 Meters
WATER TEMP 20-28 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Medium
Currents and swell can push you towards the rocks.
FEATURE
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Cook Island Aquatic Reserve
LOCATION Offshore from Tweed Heads in Northern New South Wales
DEPTH 3-10 Meters
WATER TEMP 20-28 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Medium
Currents and swell can push you towards the rocks.
FEATURE
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Cook Island Aquatic Reserve
Cook Island Aquatic Reserve (Jungarra Ngarrian) is located approximately 600 metres off shore from Fingal Head in Northern NSW. It is best known for its colony of green sea turtles but you might also see leopard sharks, fish and a passing manta ray!
What will I see?
- Green Sea Turtles
- Stingrays
- Wobbegongs
- Leopard Sharks (Summer)
- The main feature here are the turtles which you will be able to see up close. Our group also spotted a manta ray. You might also see groupers, rock cods and grey nurse sharks in the marine reserve.
Getting There
Cook Island is only 600m off the coast of Fingal Head in New South Wales. But the best way to access it is from a tour leaving from Tweed Heads, 4km away.
Where & How do you get in?
You will get in either from a ladder or platform off the back of a boat.
Best Season
Turtles can be seen at Cook Island year round. The most comfortable time to snorkel here is from November to April when water temperatures are warmer. It was 28 degrees when we dropped into the water in February.
Costs / Permits
Half day tours cost in the area of $AUD110-150
The information for each snorkel spot is provided by people who have snorkelled there. However, snorkelling conditions change daily. Please be aware that wind, swell, tides and cloud cover can all affect visibility and your experience in the water.
Disclosure: Please Note That Some Links In This Post May Be Affiliate Links, And At No Additional Cost To You, We Earn A Small Commission If You Make A Purchase. Commissions Go Toward Maintaining The Snorkel Spots Website.
Tours to Cook Island
Best Conditions
The water around the Island can be rough even if the conditions on the coast can seem calm. Tour operators know when the weather is best to go out to the island.
Windy Map Instructions – Click on the icon in the top right to see other conditions such as swell, temperature, rain etc
Cook Island Gallery
About the Snorkel
We did this snorkel as a bit of a last minute activity, and we had a great time. We had flown over Cook Island on our way to the Gold Coast and conditions were awful, it was surrounded with white water. Conditions had improved a few days later so we found a tour heading out there.
We drove down from the Gold Coast and from Tweed Heads. Our tour had divers and snorkellers on it. To be honest, the organisation of the tour felt a little ‘casual’. We met at the dive shop then had to get our own way to the marina where the boat was, and the directions could have been better. However, we got down there and found the boat.
The short cruise along the Tweed River was lovely and we were soon anchored just off Cook Island. The divers kitted up and went in. The snorkellers were pointed to an area of water near the island where waves were breaking on the rocks and told we’d find turtles in there.
Luckily, I am a strong swimmer and confident snorkeller so happily slid into the water made my way across to within 15 – 30m of the rocks and sure enough there were huge green turtles everywhere. There was a bit of a surge pushing you towards the island, but it was manageable.
The turtles were just in a few of metres of water, so it was great viewing although visibility was only average. Others in the group found the conditions a bit much and didn’t last too long and headed back to the boat to wait for the divers to surface before we changed locations.
With the divers in the boat I was given the option to take the boat to the other side of the island or snorkel around there with the current – which is what I did. It was great fun; the current was very strong but there a lot of colourful fish to see. This drift would depend on the conditions and ability of the swimmer. I caught up with the boat and the rest of the group only to find out they had seen a manta ray as they got in for their second snorkel which was annoying for me but obviously good fun for them!
There were fewer turtles on the south side of Cook Island, I only saw one, but there were lots of colourful reef fish which I wasn’t expecting to see. As a bonus, the conditions meant on the way in, we had an exciting ride getting back into the mouth of the Tweed River over some big swells. All up, I had a great afternoon around Cook Island, but less experienced swimmers found it a bit hard going. Certainly, try and get out in good weather if you get the chance.
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