Situated just 15km off the coast of Port Douglas, luscious Low Isles located in Trinity Bay is our stellar spot for an inner reef adventure.
The ‘Low Isles’ are made up of two islands surrounded by 55 acres of reef: the larger and inhabited Woody Island, and its smaller brother Low Island. Like its name suggests, Woody Island is largely forest clad and filled with an abundant bird population. It’s fringed with mangroves and a rugged rocky foreshore that’s teeming with life.
The two islands are separate but share the common reef, and are considered an important indigenous cultural site for both the local KuKu Yalanji and Yirraganydji tribes.
We’ll be anchoring at the Low Island (also called ‘Little Woody’). It’s a majestic coral cay with a white sandy beach that spreads 360 degrees around the whole island. You’re welcome to take a short, self-guided stroll along the ‘Low Isles Heritage Walk’, including a trip to its heritage-listed lighthouse and museum that has been operational since 1878. Little Woody is a superb spot for snorkelling with an abundance of reef that sits very close to the shore.
Our mornings start with fun and chilled-out SUP tour paddling around the reef. You can explore the marine life from above through the shallow, crystalline waters. We regularly spot turtles and a large variety of tropical fish, stingrays and sometimes even harmless reef sharks if you’re lucky!
The waters surrounding Low Isles boasts 150 different species of hard coral, which is dominated by 15 species of soft coral. Swimming amongst them are colourful tribes of parrotfish, angelfish, damselfish, clownfish, trevally, rabbitfish, sweetlip, moon wrasse, fusiliers and even giant 60-year-old clams and resident turtles.
