Fitzroy Island is a popular day trip from Cairns and has a surprising amount of marine life. This charming continental island is close to the mainland, so doesn’t have great visibility. Around the island are rocky reefs with varying amounts of coral cover. Snorkelers generally stick to the shallows, but will still encounter a good variety of small reef fish and invertebrates. While the odd turtle and stingray can be seen, if you look under ledges you have a good chance of seeing a small and harmless epaulette shark.