When and where can we swim?

A common question we are asked at QYC is what areas or what time of the year is safe from marine stingers. Marine stingers do not restrict their movement to any particular area and while stinger season is generally between October to May they can be found all year round. QYC recommend stinger suits are worn whenever entering the water, particularly during stinger season. The thin suits do not need to be pre-booked and are available for hire from $30.00 per suit through the dive shop at the marina.

Outer Barrier Reef

A bareboat yacht charter is not permitted to visit the Outer Barrier Reef, but there are many tours on offer to take you out there. Find out more about Protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

To visit the outer reef during your charter we can arrange a sea flight on your behalf with Air Whitsunday, for more information and prices call us on (07) 4946 7400  or via email [email protected].

Fishing In The Marine Park:

The Whitsundays form part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Excellent snorkelling and fishing sites are found throughout the islands. Although fishing equipment is not included in your charter rate, fishing is permitted in appropriately zoned areas and we can arrange, with advance notice the hire of a fishing pack. Spear guns are highly discouraged. Quality snorkelling gear is included on board. Certified divers can hire equipment prior to arrival and can visit www.aquadive.com.au for further information and prices. Please check with reservations before you order your gear as to how much storage there is on board your vessel for dive tanks as you will be limited in how many you can take aboard.

For those in the know, fishing around the Whitsundays can be very fruitful. For those not so knowledgeable, it can simply be fun to drop a line & see what happens. Having said that, there are many rules and regulations to abide by and it is advisable to get the latest updates by visiting www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries

The information contained in this webpage is gained from many different sources and is by no means complete and is only to be used as a basic guide. You should do your own research before embarking on your fishing trip as changes to legislation, etc may occur.

Now, we know all good fisher people love to show off their catches, so we are designing a page specifically for our clients to send their best fishing pictures to us for posting. All you need to do is tell us the date, the vessel you were on and a caption to include. Email them to [email protected].

What type of fish can you expect to catch in the Whitsundays?

Bluefin and Mackeral are in abundance all year round. They can usually be located by the sight of seabirds skipping over the surface of the water where the tuna are. Casting or trolling around the headlands and in the passages between the islands should also land you a few good tuna for dinner.

There is excellent estuary fishing to be found in Gulnare Inlet, Hill Inlet, Nara and Macona inlets.

Coral Reef Fishing can provide the likes of Coral Trout, Sweetlip, Emperors, Gropers, Nanygai and many more.

Before visiting the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, it is important you study the zoning map for the area you are visiting to be sure of the activities that you can do and where you can do them. Please visit the website below and click on the zoning map to download a copy.

https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/access/zoning/zoning-maps

Why do we have closed seasons?

Closed seasons prevent people from fishing at certain times of the year to protect species at vulnerable times in their life cycle, such as during spawning seasons.

Barramundi
Throughout the Queensland East Coast, a closed season applies to Barramundi from midday on the 1st November to midday 1st February.

The closures apply to all Queensland East Coast waters between latitude 10°41´S and 24°50´S. The closures are designed to protect spawning aggregations of most Coral Reef Fish Species.