The Trip
8 days/ 7 nights, 450 mile Coral Sea Safari includes some of the best dive sites on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef 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!
What awaits you?
Imagine yourself as a feeling of excitement arises as you cruise north in the shelter of the Great Barrier Reef. 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
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 phenomenons’s awaiting 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.
SPOILSPORT (Vessel)
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 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.
Dive Information
Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres)
Wreck certification is not a requirement to dive this site
Depth ranges from 6 – 28 metres
Diving by yourself? We will buddy you up with another diver with similar experience
Snorkelling is limited to Ribbon Reef sites, Coral Sea sites not suitable.
Trip Date
Thursday, 10 – Thursday, 17 July 2014- EXTRA Release of spots available as of 27/03/2014
Price
$4987 per person- Premium Cabin- (Double bed, private ensuite, ocean views) – SOLD OUT
$4530 per person- Standard Cabin- Twin bunk beds & private ensuite & Ocean views – 1 SPOT AVAILABLE
$3909 per person- Club Cabin – Twin beds, private ensuite – SOLD OUT
$3322 per person- Budget Cabin- Twin bunk beds & shared bathroom- SOLD OUT
What’s Included
7 nights accommodation onboard the spacious Spoilsport
All deluxe chef- prepared meals and Australian wine on the Spoilsport
Unlimited dives including tanks and weights
Snorkelling with Minke Whales
Professional Dive Services Tour Leader to look after you above and below the water
Spoilsport Dive Services:
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
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.
What’s Excluded
Return flights to Cairns
Travel Insurance
Nitrox fills and pony bottles
Personal spending money
Gratuities
$20 per person reef tax payable on board
Gear Hire
PDS is able to provide you with a wetsuit, BCD, regulator and computer for the trip and please communicate your requirements on the booking form. These items will need to be given to you prior to the trip and will need to be included in your luggage allowance. Alternatively gear can be hired from the operator in Cairns and we are happy to quote upon request.
Itinerary
Embark: Thursday 6pm – Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
Disembark: Thursday 8am – Trinity Wharf, Cairns. (courtesy inner city hotel transfers)
Plummeting walls in gin clear water.
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.
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.
Off gas and hike into history!
Divers can off-gas and take some unique photographs on Lizard Island. Includes: walk of Watson’s Bay; visiting the historic ruins of Mrs Watson’s Cottage and exploring the Pandanus Swamp and Chinaman’s Ridge.
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.
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 & Acropolis
Lighthouse Bommie is a pinnacle rising from the sand at 30 metres. June/July this is the world’s hotspot for Minke Whale encounters. Acropolis Plateau is the new hot site shrouded in spectacular corals and festooned with baitfish, predatory fish and critters
Pixie Pinnacle, Vertical Gardens.
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.
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 available. 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.
PADI Specialities Suitable for this trip
Advanced Open Water
Under water Navigation
Nitrox
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Videographer
Search and Recovery
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Underwater Navigation
Dry Suit Diver
Shark Awareness
Underwater Naturalist
This is the perfect way to complete a specialty course as you have already paid for the dives!!
HOW TO BOOK
Download the booking form attached to the page. Complete the required fields, scan and email to [email protected].
