Experience Co commences building of Great Barrier Reef pontoon

Listed tourism and attractions operator Experience Co has announced that it has started building the first new pontoon for the Great Barrier Reef in over a decade.

Set to be Located at Moore Reef just 45 kilometres offshore from the city of Cairns, the 1003 metre² new pontoon will be one of the biggest on the Reef and will have a daily capacity of up to 250 guests.

These guests will enjoy features such as a water entry point for swimming and snorkelling (the first of its kind on the Great Barrier Reef), a 10-seat air-conditioned underwater observatory with floor to ceiling windows, and a fully functioning scientific lab where reef research and projects will be conducted.

This is all in addition to Experience Co’s existing product offerings including fish feeding, intro and certified diving, guided snorkel tours and a huge sundeck with day beds.

Sustainability is also at the forefront of the new pontoon (pictured above), with wind and solar generators generating 36 kWh through three wind turbines and 18 solar panels, which is yet another first for the Great Barrier Reef region.

In a statement, Experience Co advised “the new pontoon will be a welcome addition to not only the Experience Co portfolio, but also the region itself as it will provide new job opportunities as well as increased tourism in the area.”

At the end of June, Experience Co subsidiary Skydive Australia raised over $200,000 for life-saving mental health research and education through its inaugural ‘CEO Skydive for Mental Health’ event, run in conjunction with Black Dog Institute at Skydive Australia's Wollongong base.

In total, 17 chief executives took the leap, with Skydive Australia looking forward to running the event again next year.