Guide To Spearfishing and Mud Crabbing On Cooya Beach

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The Daintree Rainforest was one of our favourite parts of Tropical North Queensland. It’s known for its lush vegetation, mossy gorges, and ancient trees.

But it’s also home to another wonder; Cooya Beach.

While Cooya Beach isn’t the most picturesque beach in Queensland, it should certainly not be missed off any Daintree Rainforest trip.

Spearfishing and mud crab hunting are some of the top things to do on Cooya Beach, and we were lucky enough to give it a go. It was certainly one of our highlights of visiting the Daintree on our road trip from Port Douglas.

Want to know how you can do it too? This guide will tell you everything you need to know.

Where is Cooya Beach?

Cooya Beach is a small village located on the east coast of Australia, between Port Douglas and Cairns.

It’s a 20 minute drive north from Port Douglas, a 10 minute drive from Mossman Gorge and an hour and 10 minute drive south from Cairns.

The nearest airport is Cairns Airport, 37.9 miles away.

The world’s biggest reef just lies out to the horizon and looking back from the best are the rainforest-clad mountains. Just a little further north lies the oldest rainforest in the world, The Daintree Rainforest.

History of Spearfishing at Cooya Beach

Cooya Beach has been an area where spearfishing has taken place for centuries. The beach belongs to the Kuku Yalanji people, the traditional owners, who have been following in the traditions of their ancestors here for many years.

The fishing ground has three diverse ecosystems, beach, mangroves, and a coastal reef. Hunting and stalking is one part of the tradition, but observing wildlife and finding medicinal plants for food and medicine are just as important.

It’s not clear how long the aboriginal people have been spearfishing here, but the traditional methods are still used ot this day.

What to Bring Spearfishing at Cooya Beach

If you’re thinking spearfishing sounds fun and you’d like to give it a try, here’s some items to take with you:

• Sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Insect repellent
• Towel

Can you swim at Cooya Beach?

Cooya Beach is more like a mud flat, so it doesn’t have the idyllic white sand you might be thinking of. Far out, it has some gentle waters that connect to a small reef, which is a good place to snorkel and swim.

While many people don’t advise swimming anywhere in Cairns or in certain parts of Queensland because saltwater crocodiles and jellyfish…