Whitsunday Islands Cruises
The 74 Whitsunday Islands group was named by Captain Cook who sailed through this area in July of 1770.The archipelago is scattered on both sides of the Whitsunday Passage, with the islands rising out of the sea as the tips of underwater mountains. Many feature a hilly terrain and fringes of coral reefs around them. All but five of the Whitsundays are predominantly or totally national park territory. A few of the islands are inhabited or developed into tourist resorts, such as Hamilton, Daydream and Hayman.The actual Great Barrier Reef is some 36 miles from Shute Harbor. Cruising the Whitsunday Islands is no doubt one of the prime attractions in this area of the Great Barrier Reef.