Part 1 of a Series on Diving North Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
NORTHERN QUEENSLAND is home to two of Australia’s most remarkable marine environments, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the remote Coral Sea Marine Park. From Cairns, expedition liveaboards depart regularly to explore these iconic reef systems. The market is served by three primary vessels: Spoilsport with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Spirit of Freedom, and Rum Runner.
Vessel Descriptions: Spoilsport is a large catamaran (L: 100ft / 30m. B: 34.7ft / 10.5m), Spirit of Freedom is a monohull (L: 122ft / 37m. B: 24ft / 7.1m) and Rum Runner is a 66ft / 20m motor sailing schooner. The maximum number onboard per trip (divers / crew): Spoilsport 28 / 12, Spirit of Freedom 24 /12 and on Rum Runner 16 / 3 to 4. These crews include an ‘Australian Maritime Safety Authority’ qualified Master / Skipper and First Mate / Engineer, dive team, chef and dedicated host / tour director. Chefs prepare quality meals including for those with special dietary requirements.
Trip Durations: There are 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 day schedules available. There is also a fly in/out option from Cairns/ Lizard Island for 4-day trips. It is not totally uncommon for some divers to do back-to-back trips to extend the 7-day option to 11 and 14 days.
Best Time to Visit: The most seasonally stable weather is October through to December when Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom commonly explore the further Northern reaches of the GBR and out to the Coral Sea. For example, the very remote ‘Far North Expeditions’ from Horn Island at the tip of Australia are only conducted in November and December. Vessels tend to focus the rest of the year in the more sheltered Ribbon Reef section of the GBR which also has year-round access. Snorkelling with Minke Whales is from June to July.
How to Get There: Cairns is serviced by flights from all Australian major airports and several overseas hubs, especially those from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, China, Singapore and from the USA via Fiji. Because these expeditions are characterized by multiple dives on multiple days, strict adherence to the ‘flying after diving rules’ should be a major consideration when planning your homeward bound flights.
Bookings: On Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom the accommodation options include double and twin share cabins with ensuite(s). Cabins are serviced daily. Meanwhile, Rum Runner is aimed at the adventurous diver on a limited budget with multi share twin single bunk areas, semi-private twin single bunk cabins, and a 4-share single bunk cabin.
You can book directly with the vessels or through your preferred travel consultant. Single and group bookings are available. Book a minimum of 6 months out, but 12 months is preferred to avoid disappointment.
Onboard Services & Special Events: On Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom you have separate sun and dive decks, drying areas, camera tables and freshwater tubs. Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom also have large lounges, dining areas and bar with complimentary coffee, tea, biscuits and snacks. Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom also have guest internet services, a dedicated battery charging station, shared computer desk for photo editing, in-water professional photo services/guide, souvenir shop, library of reference books and dive magazines. Hair dryers are available.
Your adventure will also include marine presentations by a qualified ‘Master Reef Guide’ and on occasion celebrity guests. All three vessels have an end of trip celebration and/or BBQ. Spoilsport also hosts an Underwater Photo Contest on each trip with the winner going in the draw for a free return trip while Spirit of Freedom’s ‘Trivia Night’ is a real blast and a chance to showcase your marine knowledge.
Dive Destinations: All are world-class diving sites and include the remote CSMP (e.g. Ashmore, Osprey, Bougainville & Holmes Reefs) and the GBRMP’s Ribbon Reefs (e.g. Lizard Island to Flare Point). Additional destinations in season include Far North (November & December) to Ashmore & Detached Reefs & Raine Island), and the wreck of the SS Yongala (March). Spirit of Freedom also has adventures to the Far East (e.g. Lihou Reef). Rum Runner tends to limit their expeditions to Holmes Reef in the Coral Sea and the lower Ribbon Reefs of the GBRMP.
Signature Dive Sites: In the Far North: Ashmore & Boot Reefs are spectacular as are Detached Reef’s Twin Peaks and Rainbow Road. Meanwhile, a visit to the wreck of the Pandora of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ fame is a weather-dependent bonus. Then you have Raine Island, the largest green turtle breeding area in the world.
In the Coral Sea: the Shark Feed at Osprey Reef’s West Wall and North Horn, Round the Bend, Admiralty Anchor, False Entrance and Shark Reef are a must. Bougainville Reef’s Crystal Plateau and Dungeons & Dragons are stunning while the wreck of the Antonia Tarabocchia is exciting. Holmes Reef’s Nonki Boomie, and Amazing are stunning.
On the Ribbon Reefs: Dynamite Pass, Cod Hole, Snake Pit, Pixie Pinnacle, Challenger Bay, Coral Kingdom, Light House Boomie, Pixie Gardens, Pixie Wall, Cracker Jack, Two Towers, The Clam Beds, Steve’s Boomie, Flare Point and Twin Peaks are considered iconic dive sites by both local and international divers.
What You Will See: All three vessels have destination itineraries that suit every diver’s needs including those interested in wide angle, portrait and macro photography. The one thing you will notice is out in the Coral Sea is the presence of schools of big fish such as barracuda, giant trevally and tuna – something that is not always common elsewhere!
There is an amazing 1,628 fish species, 400 species of hard corals and 200 species of soft corals in the regions visited. Furthermore, there are 6 species of turtle, multiple species of shark, manta rays, sea snakes, a large variety of nudibranchs, flatworms and other macro subjects. You can also snorkel with minke whales between late June and August.
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Similarly, the underwater geography varies considerably from one dive destination to another which makes for an extraordinary diversity of scenery. In the Far North and out in the Coral Sea magnificent walls drop vertically from the shallows to over 1,000m / 3,300ft and out there anything could turn up from a giant hammerhead to a massive school of barracuda. Meanwhile, the Ribbon Reefs provide gradual drop-offs to a sandy bottom at 40m / 132ft. The Ribbons Reefs have iconic dive sites like Steve’s Boomie where a single column / pinnacle rises from 40m / 132ft to just 5m / 16.5ft from the surface and is clouded in huge schools of fish of different species and much more.
The Diving: Expedition diving can be challenging in some circumstances, so it is highly recommended, especially for excursions to the Coral Sea: Divers advanced and above with at least 20 logged ocean dives and at least 5 of those in the last 12 months. Divers are encouraged to dive with a buddy of their choice while participation in small group guided dives is available for those preferring closer supervision by a dive professional. Solo diving is permitted for suitably qualified and certified divers at the sole discretion of the Skipper and Trip Director. Rebreather diving on Spoilsport is by arrangement.
All dives include a detailed pre-dive briefing often with excellent graphics of the site. These liveaboards operate in very remote areas where swimming to accessible land is not an option. Therefore, Spoilsport and Spirit of Freedom, which operate in the most remote areas, equip each diver with a Nautilus GPS locator. This is to be used if separated from the vessel and there is a need for a tender pick-up.
Diving usually consists of a maximum of 5 dives per day on multiple sites. A typical day consists of first breakfast (continental), dive #1, main breakfast, dives #2 and #3, lunch, dive #4, dinner, and dive #5/night dive. Torches are supplied for the night dive and/or general use to illuminate the many swim-throughs and small caverns that can be found on many of the dive sites. Water temperatures range from 24°C / 75°F in the winter (March–October), peaking at 30°C / 86°F in the summer (November to February), while maximum air temperatures range from 24°C / 75°F to 32°C / 90°F. The GBR has an average year-round visibility of 25m / 82ft and the Coral Sea 50m / 165ft. All three liveaboards limit recreational scuba diving to 40m / 132ft with bottom times ranging from 45 to 60 minutes.
In consideration of your own safety and the impact that an incident may have on the diving schedule of other passengers, a medical declaration is required. In the event of any medical condition or medications being deemed to possibly be contrary to diving, a dive medical is required prior to departure. Evacuation and medical insurance are highly recommended especially for non-Australian citizens. A liability release commonly developed by the diver training agencies will also need to be signed.
Seasickness can be an issue for some so take preventative measures before you feel any symptoms. Non-prescription seasick tablets are available onboard but bringing your own is preferred.
Environment: Most of the diving is done in marine parks so there is a strong ‘no take, no touch’ policy. Each vessel has its own unique conservation practices which may include conducting marine surveys. Your dive operator will include in your trip package an Environmental Management Charge for you to enter the GBRMP. This charge is used to maintain the sustainability of the world’s largest living organism.
Courses Offered: Multiple specialty courses are offered on request for a fee. These may typically include Advanced, Deep, Nitrox, Rescue, Photography and Solo.
Additional Charges: Your expedition tour price includes cylinders and weights/weight belts. However, if you need additional dive gear, high quality equipment can be rented onboard including a dive computer which are mandatory for all divers. It is advisable to prebook your equipment needs and nitrox packages at time of booking.
Onboard purchases (e.g. souvenir shop, bar, training courses, etc.) can be settled with major credit cards and/or cash. While tipping is very highly appreciated it is not expected throughout Australia.
Non-Diving Activities: Snorkelers and non-diving guests are welcome on all three vessels where some of the best snorkelling on the planet can be experienced. However, Coral Sea expeditions are commonly limited to scuba divers. Cairns is also the stepping–off point to visit the Daintree Rainforest. With the GBR adjacent, this is the only place in the world where two World Heritage areas come together. Therefore, land tours of the rainforest, waterfalls and other escorted land tours are extensively available and a perfect way to ‘off-gas’ after all that diving.
There’s More: Cairns also hosts a fleet of coastal liveaboards which we will discuss in Part Two of this series. See Dive-Queensland.com for more information on this region.
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