Is The Whitsundays An Island?
The islands themselves are part of The Cumberland Island Group which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of his royal highness, The Duke of Cumberland.
The greater Cumberland Island group was divided into five sections;
- The Whitsunday Group
- The Lindeman Group
- The Anchor Islands
- The Sir James Smith Group
- Southern Cumberland Islands National Park
The Whitsunday Group is commonly referred to as The Whitsundays.
The most visited island is Whitsunday Island, which is home to Whitehaven Beach.
Tour companies in The Whitsundays operate from Airlie Beach and the islands you are likely to see on a day trip like Thundercat are;
- Whitsunday Island (The largest island)
- Hook Island (The second largest island)
- Hayman Island
- Border Island
- Dumbell Island
- Esk Island
- Hazelwood Island
- Langford Island
- Bird Island
- Arkhurst Island
- Black Island
- Cid Island
- Long Island
- Henning Island
- Dent Island
- Pine Island
- North Molle Island
- Mid Molle Island
- South Molle Island
- Daydream Island
- Planton Island
As you can see, that is quite a lot of islands to see in one day. While you will likely only visit two or 3 of these, you will still be able to see the rest.
The cluster of islands off Airlie Beach is tight and condensed unlike the rest of the Cumberland Islands which are more spread out. This is why Airlie Beach became the launchpad for Whitsunday Island adventures.