Nudey Beach is Fitzroy Island's most photographed beach, a coral-rubble cove on the island's western side that Sunlover notes is regularly ranked among the best beaches in Australia. It lies a 15-20 minute walk from the resort along a rainforest track with steps, which keeps numbers down and makes it feel more remote than Welcome Bay. The fringing reef off the beach is in reasonable condition, and snorkel guides recommend heading straight out from the beach and around the right-hand headland, where coral and fish are best; turtles are regularly seen, and the site works at high or low tide.

For scuba divers the walk is the main obstacle: carrying tanks and weights along the track is tiring in tropical heat, so most people snorkel here, and divers usually do Nudey Beach as a guided dive with the island dive shop or with a light rig. Once in the water, the reef slopes gently from the beach to modest depths, and hard and soft corals host parrotfish, wrasse, damsels, butterflyfish, anemonefish and small reef fish, with turtles grazing and rays on the sand. Because it is on the sheltered side of the island it is calm in the prevailing south-easterlies, but like all Fitzroy sites it is close to the mainland and visibility is modest and affected by rain and wind.

It is a lovely snorkel and an easy shallow dive for those willing to make the walk, and the beach itself is a destination. There are no facilities at the beach.

Ferry from the Reef Fleet Terminal, Cairns, to the Fitzroy Island jetty (about 45 minutes; Fitzroy Island Ferry or Sunlover). From the day-use cafe near the jetty follow the signed track south to Nudey Beach: a 15-20 minute walk through rainforest with steps and some ups and downs, so carrying scuba gear is hard work and most people snorkel here; divers usually take a light rig or arrange a guided dive with the island dive shop. Enter from the beach over coral rubble (reef shoes help) and exit the same way.

There are no facilities at the beach; bring water and shade.

Fitzroy's western side, where Welcome Bay and Nudey Beach lie, is sheltered from the prevailing south-east trade winds, so shore diving and snorkelling are possible on most days; strong northerlies or north-westerlies make the bay choppy. Visibility is typically 5-15 m and falls after heavy rain and in strong winds because the island is only about 4 km from the mainland coast. Box jellyfish are rare this far offshore but have been recorded, and Irukandji are possible: wear a stinger suit from November to May.

Cyclone season runs November-April. Enter at mid to high tide, as the reef flat is shallow at low water. Nudey Beach works at high or low tide according to snorkel guides, but north-westerly winds make it choppy.

Enter from the middle of the beach, swim straight out over the reef to the coral edge, then work right towards the headland at 3-8 m, where the best coral is. Return along the edge and exit on the beach.

Cairns Dive Centre (Fitzroy Island dive shop beside the resort pool) – guided beach dives, introductory dives and PADI courses; Fitzroy Island Sports Hub – snorkel and stinger-suit hire; Sunlover and Fitzroy Island Ferry – daily ferries