Just 40 minutes from Heron Island, Wilson Island is a tiny coral cay off northern Queensland's east coast. Surrounded by the crystal waters of the Great Barrier Reef, the island is also a part of it and features soft white sand beaches. Turtles and a diverse range of bird life calls the island home while the waters that surround it are teeming with marine life, colourful coral and tropical fish making it one of the best off beach snorkelling destinations in the Great Barrier Reef.
Bringing the fascinating Great Barrier Reef to you, your time on Wilson Island can be spent exploring the island and its crystal waters with snorkelling, bird observation, watching the turtles and their hatchlings or simply lazing on the sand or in a hammock working on your tan and enjoying the spectacular views. The pisonia forest covered island sustains an important ecosystem and is an important turtle and bird rookery. Acting as a rare breeding ground, Wilson Island is an incredible natural environment home to a variety of wildlife and marine life.
A nature-lovers paradise, Wilson Island is busy year round with a variety of wildlife and what you see will depend on when you visit. From November to March, you’ll not only spot Wedge-tailed shearwaters but you’ll also be lucky enough to bear witness to laying season of the resident green turtles. Although the island is closed for bird nesting season in February, January to April offers the miracle of the baby green turtles hatching. The tiny little hatchlings emerge from their nest buried in the sand and make their way to the sea to begin their lives. From June to September, you can also see magnificent humpback whales making their way between their winter feeding grounds later in the year.
