Airlie Beach tide times

Airlie Beach is the jumping-off point for the Whitsunday Islands — 74 islands and cays scattered in the Coral Sea between the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. The town sits on Airlie Bay, sheltered from the prevailing southeast trade wind by the headland to the east. Tidal range in the Whitsunday Passage is significant: mean spring range around 3.5 to 4.0 metres in the narrower channel sections, with tidal current running 2 to 3 knots on springs through the passages between islands.

Sailing is the defining activity. The Whitsundays are a premier sailing charter destination — hundreds of bareboat and skippered charter yachts operate from Abel Point Marina beside Airlie Beach. The trade wind blows 15 to 20 knots from the southeast from April through October (the dry season sailing season); December through March brings the wet season with lighter and more variable winds and higher thunderstorm frequency. Charter routes typically visit Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, and the fringing reef sections on the eastern sides of the outer islands.

Whitehaven Beach — on Whitsunday Island, 30 minutes by fast ferry from Airlie Beach — is consistently rated one of the finest beaches in the world. The beach is 7 kilometres of 98% pure silica sand, white enough to reflect the sky. Hill Inlet at the north end of the beach is where the tidal current shifts the sand patterns with each cycle, creating a visible braided pattern of sand and turquoise water that is the signature photograph of the Whitsundays. The pattern changes daily with the tide.

Snorkelling is best done at the outer island reef sections, not from Airlie Beach itself (the inner passage water is stirred up by tidal current and has limited visibility). Hayman Island, Langford Reef, and the fringing reefs of Hook Island have 8 to 15 metre visibility and good coral and fish diversity. Manta rays are regularly encountered at Manta Ray Bay on Hook Island.

The stinger season (October through May) applies in the Whitsundays. Box jellyfish and Irukandji are present; swimming in the open water without a full-length lycra stinger suit is not recommended. Whitehaven Beach is open-water swimming; most visitors wear stinger suits provided by charter operators.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative Australian tide data, consult the Australian Bureau of Meteorology at bom.gov.au.