Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - 7 Night Coral Sea Safari
What awaits you? Imagine yourself as a feeling of excitement arises as you cruise north in the shelter of the Great Barrier Reef. Your choice of hot beverage delivered to your cabin begins the next day in a civilized way. On deck you are greeted by the fabulous turquoise waters of the Ribbon Reefs. To port is historic Cooktown to starboard is the vastness of the Coral Sea.
7 nights - unlimited dives
Location: Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef.
Embark: Thursday 7pm – Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
Disembark: Thursday 8am – Trinity Wharf, Cairns. (courtesy city hotel transfers)
Cabins: (Valid 01/04/09 - 31/03/10)
Premium - $4276
Standard - $3882
Club - $3346
Budget - $2840
** These rates are subject to change at any time without notice.
Itinerary Summary - ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONHere's the deal. The new 7night, 450 mile Coral Sea Safari includes some of the best dive sites on Australia’s Great Barrier and Coral Sea featuring:
- Spectacular first dive at Challenger Bay
- Diver size fish at the Cod Hole
- Plummeting Coral Sea wall dives in gin clear water
- Exciting shark action in the Coral Sea
- Schooling trevally and barracuda in the Coral Sea
- Exploration of Lizard Island
- The Cod Wall, outer edge big fish dive
- The prime Ribbon Reef sites
- All dives north of Cooktown, dive site guarantee!
- Superior vessel stability in adverse weather conditions
Occasionally a 7 night 'Exploratory Itinerary' is operated exclusively for 7 night guests. This itinerary takes advantage of prevailing dive site and weather conditions and may not visit Lizard Island.
Shallow but fantastic – Challenger Bay! Challenger Bay is a spectacular introduction to the Great Barrier Reef. Gliding along, surrounded by schools of silver trevally, surgeon fish, diagonally lined sweetilp and yellow striped bream you explore pristine coral gardens in excellent visibility. You will understand why the 'Great' is in Great Barrier Reef.
Diver size fish at the Cod Hole! One of the Great Barrier Reefs most amazing phenomenon's await you at the Cod Hole. Swim with, 'small diver size' or 'giant fish size' potato cod. Spend the dive amongst shallow sunlit coral gardens of acropora coral or venture deeper into the parallel gullies forming the front of the reef where huge Queensland groupers face into the current.
Friday night, heading N/E to Coral Sea. Overnight aboard Spoilsport you venture 75 miles beyond the Great Barrier Reef to the remote Coral Sea. Without exception guests and crew are impressed by the superb seagoing ability of Spoilsport.
Plummeting walls in gin clear water. Imagine, early morning dives on sheer walls that plummet to 1000 metres. Glide pass huge black coral trees, diver size soft coral trees and golden gorgonian fans. Observe or be observed by curious sharks cruising in the clear water.
Exciting shark action in the Coral Sea! Your Osprey Reef adventure builds to a climax with a spectacular shark dive at North Horn. You will see 10-30 grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks as well as other species. You can photograph these sleek high order predators at close-range, or not so close, you choose! Off the deep wall solitary hammerheads are regularly seen, schools are occasionally seen.
Schooling trevally & barracuda in the Coral Sea! Also observe the perimeter of the shark dive. You will see a queue for the scraps! Potato cod, Napoleon wrasse and moray eels forage the reef while trevally, barracuda and red bass control the mid-water.
Lizard Island. Sunday night you cruise to Lizard Island. Here the famous English navigator James Cook climbed to its summit in 1770 to find a way out of the labyrinth of reefs. Naturalist Joseph Banks lamented in his journal that he had too little time to study the wealth of strange creatures he saw in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Cod Wall and Cod Hole. A short steam to the top of Ribbon Reef #10 permits an exciting alternative to the Cod Hole. At the reef's outer edge the deep, pristine, Cod Wall, is a series of stepped ledges to 60 metres. Grey reef sharks, bull sharks, flowery cod and diver size Queensland groper roam this deep wall. The Cod Hole can be repeated if preferred!
The turquoise chain of Ribbon Reefs. This 55 mile chain of reefs from Lizard Island to Cooktown is the most prized dive region of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. This is where you can see more of the Great Barrier Reefs 1500 fish and 400 coral species than elsewhere. The currents that channel between the ribbon reefs attract large fish populations. Marine life encounters range from pygmy seahorses to manta rays and whales.
Ribbon Reef Highlights
Challenger Bay's Baza! Another highlight is a night dive at Challenger Bay, home of Baza the barracuda and of many moray eels and clever lionfish, who, are very active at night and have learnt how to use the light of your torch to find their supper.
Lighthouse Bommie. And your next stop? Lighthouse Bommie is a pinnacle rising from the sand at 30 metres. In the months, of June to August you can enjoy more Minke whale sightings and longer encounters than elsewhere in the world. This site is also famous for its olive green sea snakes, turtles, schools of bream and large colonies of anemones.
Pixie Pinnacle, Vertical Gardens. You will spend the next morning at Pixie Pinnacle where you may find harlequin ghost pipefish, leafy scorpion fish and lace scorpion fish. Vertical Gardens is a natural amphitheatre, and home to a herd of large green bump head parrotfish. They make an awesome procession crunching their way through the reef!
Clam Beds, Andy’s Postcard. Clam Beds is a beautiful shallow coral garden where dozens of giant clams show off their majestic mantles. Andy's Postcard is an isolated bommie rising from 80 metres. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract trevally and barracuda to these photogenic sites.
Steve's Bommie, Flare Point, Joani’s Joy. At Steve's Bommie, hiding amongst the coral you can find lion fish, frog fish and leaf scorpion fish. Fluorescent anthias amass on the reef edge while lined snapper, big eye trevally and barracuda circumnavigate the pinnacle. Flare Point has beautiful pristine coral gardens where cuttle fish are regularly seen.
Dive Site Guarantee! All your dives will be north of Cooktown including 'prime' Ribbon Reef sites that have restricted access. If weather forces an itinerary change our surety of access to the prime Ribbon Reef sites is your guarantee of the best diving. Spoilsport's outstanding stability minimizes disruption to your itinerary and your diving experience.
Dive Freedom! You will notice there is no rush or limit placed on your dive time. Spoilsport's itineraries normally provide 3 dive sites per day with opportunity for relaxed or unlimited diving. At sites like Challenger Bay some photographers do 2 hour dives to capture special fish behaviour photographs.
Diving Service. Guests who prefer supervision are offered a combination of: complimentary orientation dives to enhance skills, a scheduled morning and afternoon guided dive and dives with our staff on an ad hoc basis. Our crew will locate species like the beautiful leaf scorpion fish. The complimentary Reef Ecology Program will assist you identify the marine life.
Spoilsport = 5 Star Service! We aim to spoil you! To ensure your needs are met, on arrival the 'trip director' will have a private consultation with you. In between dives you enjoy Spoilsports luxurious motor yacht atmosphere and attentive crew. Spoilsport is the Great Barrier Reef's most awarded live aboard.
Spoilsport. Spoilsport was designed to provide divers with a new level of comfort and convenience. You get less rock 'n' roll with more space and comfort. She has received 11 prestigious Rodale’s Reader Choice awards including Best Live aboard and Most Environmentally Sensitive.
Sumptuous Meals. Enjoy a sumptuous variety of meals that has earned Spoilsport an enviable reputation for catering excellence. Vegetarian and standard diets are catered for with Australian and International menus. Please advise if you have special dietary needs.
Spoilsport Vessel Features:- Spoilsport is Australia ’s most 'Awarded' live aboard
- Length 30m (100ft); Beam 10m (36ft); Speed 15 knots
- Passenger average 20 (max 28) Crew 11
- Twin hull's reduce seasickness and maximises stability, space and privacy
- Twin or double cabins, most with ocean views. Daily cabin service
- Spacious: dining room; lounge; alfresco deck and sundeck
- Sensational chef prepared meals and in-between meal snacks
- Complimentary soft drinks and Australian wines (with dinner)
- Enjoy your choice of hot beverage with your early morning wake-up call
- Complimentary Reef Ecology Program
- Low key photo comp on every expedition
- Huge dive deck with convenient entry/exit platforms
- Photographer friendly with 3 large camera tables
- 'Open dive deck' allows flexible dive planning
- 3 dive sites per day is normal
- Underwater photography and video services
- Nitrox $10/fill or $20/day for entire expedition
- PADI instruction: Advanced, Nitrox, Naturalist and Photo/Video
- Dry towel after each dive
- Solo diving as per Mike Ball Safe Solo System
- 2 large inflatable's for personalised dive service
DETAILS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
