Strictly in terms of proximity and access to the Reef, which is better? Let me stress that I want to enjoy the reef snorkeling (without spending half a day to get there), and I have ZERO INTEREST in diving.

Shari - I have been to both. Stayed at Heron and just visited Lizard one day on a small cruise ship. My interest is just snorkeling also and I would pick Lizard. You might try entering each in the "Search this Forum". There are a lot of previous posts.

Thank you. Could you please tell me why you would pick Lizard. I have been searching these posts, so I tried to make mine specific.

Hi, again - I found Heron to be too crowded for my taste. Also, the constant noise of birds nesting and the smell from them was not enjoyable to me. Although I don't think this occurs all the time. Found the best snorkeling you had to take a boat to - not a long distance by any means but I prefer to be able to snorkel from shore. Just thought Lizard suited me better.

The boats on Heron that Louise refers to are the snorkel boats that take people out to the reef edge...it's only 5 or 10 mins. Depending on tide and weather they often let you drift snorkel over the reef for a km or more. It's wonderful. You can access the reef edge from shore, but it's good to have a buddy to snorkel with...it's a couple of hundered meters away, usually shallow water. Nesting birds are a "problem" only Nov-Mar. Hard to imagine Heron being crowded....it's an exclusive island, no daytrippers.

Also meant to say the snorkeling right off the beach on Heron (in the area known as the intertidal lagoon), though not so good for coral, is very good for seeing rays, shovel nosed rays and turtles, and the odd harmless whiote tipped reef shark. Though the staff don't like you doing it, the snorkeling around the jetty is often very good for swarms of fish and rays. So is the wreck of the Protector, the old ship sunk in the "harbor" as a breakwater. You can also do daytrips to Wilson Island (another coral cay) from Heron...I thought the snorkeling from the beach there was quite good for coral.

Thanks for the information. So, if I stayed on Lizard island, I would be able to walk into the water and snorkel easily? It sounds like Lizard is what I am looking for. When you read the pages about Heron and Lizard, it makes it sound like Heron offers this and Lizard doesn't. I was afraid I would have to spend a day going out on a boat on Lizard to snorkel? Not true?

What will I see close to shore on Lizard--without having to take a boat trip? Yes, I am a wimp.

Another question...can we see whales off of Lizard in October?

Shari: I haven't been to Lizard so I can't comment on the snorkeling right off the beach. I sure would like to go to Lizard, but it has always been a heck of lot more expensive than Heron. Heron may be second best, but with limited funds, I'd rather spend 3 days on Heron than 1 on Lizard (or whatever the ratio of the overnight tariffs is).

I would say the opposite - that the shore snorkeling is much better off of Lizard. It has been probably five years since I visited Heron and at that time the area in front of the resort when the tide was out was used for "reef walks". It bothered me that people were walking all over whatever was living there. Found when the tide was in there wasn't much to see. There was another beach to walk to and what was underwater was mostly sand. There is a day trip by air to Lizard Island with snorkeling which is supposed to be wonderful. It has been mentioned on this board. Try searching Daintree Air. Maybe you could visit both?

Shari: I doubt you will see whales from Heron in Oct. the winter months (Jun-Aug) is the prime time I believe. As for the reef walks that Louise mentions...these take place only in the intertidal lagoon where what coral there is is exposed at low tide and is mostly dead except for around the edges. You see a lot of large clams, blue starfish and sea cucumbers on the walks. As I said before, the lagoon snorkeling not so good for coral, but with some patience and maybe a bit of good luck, you'll see things you don't see elsewhere, like the shovel nosed rays....really cool, sort of a cross between a sting ray and a shark.

This is a little off topic but when we were at Heron Island (I think it was more like 8 years ago) there was a family from the U.S. who were all celebrating the marriage of the daughter. They were out diving and when they came back the new bride was so upset that she had lost her wedding ring. At dinner that evening, we were all sitting together and two of the staff approached her with their apologies that she had lost her ring and offered her a glass of wine. Amazingly, a number of them had gone diving and found her ring and it was in her wine glass. Last November, a year ago, I was on a 100 passenger expedition ship visiting Vanuatu and New Caledonia. There were naturalist lecturers on board and one gal from New Zealand had studied turtles on Heron Island and I told her the story. She had been there at the time and had been one of the divers who found the ring!! Small world.

What a great story!