Whitsundays (Airlie Beach)

Coral Sea Marina at Airlie Beach is a DAFF first point of entry and offers ABF clearance on request, but Airlie Beach is not on ABF’s published list of ports of entry, so clearance here is by prior arrangement with ABF; Mackay is the standing port of entry.

The Whitsundays is a compulsory coastal pilotage area for vessels of 70 m or more (Marine Order 54, 2026). Vessels of 50 m or more report to REEFVTS (entry report at least 1 hour before entering, deviation reports, AIS). Queensland port pilotage applies from 50 m.

Access in the Whitsundays Planning Area is by Setting and vessel length: 35 m or less has the widest access; over 35 m narrows to Setting 1 areas, the superyacht anchorages and designated anchorages with a booking; at 70 m and over it is booked designated anchorages or General Use Zones outside the Setting areas, going in by tender. GBRMPA flags its older Whitsundays material as no longer current, so take the Planning Area and Settings rules from the current GBRMPA instruments. Anchoring is at designated anchorages only, booked in advance; GBRMPA’s Superyacht guide to the Whitsundays (2nd edition, 2020) sets out the Settings and the 21 superyacht anchorages and 10 designated anchorages.

Coral Sea Marina: VHF 9, 5 m LAT, maximum 80 m, port of entry on request, helipads. Shute Harbour: maximum 45 m. Hamilton Island: VHF 68, maximum 43 m, stay clear of the flight path above 8 m air draft, moorings in Dent Passage. Hayman Island: maximum 45 m, confirm bookings before entering.

Whale rules in the Whitsunday Whale Protection Zone: keep 100 m from an adult and 300 m from a calf; swimming with dwarf minke whales is a special permit activity. The national whale and dolphin approach distances are now in regulations 8.04 to 8.07 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2025, in force since 19 December 2025.