Green Island National Park

Green Island National Park is a protected area located on a small coral cay in Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia.

It covers an area of just 12 hectares and is known to the local Gungganyji Aboriginal peoples as Dabuukji. The national park is situated approximately 27 kilometers offshore from Cairns, making it easily accessible and a popular destination for tourists.

Green Island is a true coral cay that has been formed over thousands of years by the build-up of sand and coral rubble on the calm side of a platform reef. The island is covered in tropical vine forest, which supports a diverse range of birds and insects. Visitors to the park can observe more than 60 species of birds while exploring the island.

The surrounding coral reef is home to many kinds of corals, clams, fish, stingrays, and other marine creatures, including green and hawksbill turtles which can be seen offshore. The national park boasts a stunning diversity of natural beauty and is reputed to be the most visited island National Park within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Green Island's unique environmental features have attracted visitors for centuries. Lieutenant James Cook, while exploring the east coast in 1770, recorded on his map "a low green woody island," and he named it after his ship's astronomer, Charles Green. In 1857, the first beche-de-mer fishing station was established on the island, marking the beginning of many years of commercial enterprise. In 1928, the first regular ferry service to the region began, making it easier for visitors to reach the island.

Today, Green Island is a popular tourist resort with a small luxury resort built on the island. Daily ferry services provide visitors with