Destination Coral Sea & Great Barrier Reef
Duration 4 nights - up to 14 dives (includes 2 night dives)
Departs Thursday from Cairns
Returns Monday into Cairns
This superb 4 Day Itinerary will take in the best of northern Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea locations. The ‘Fly Dive’ itinerary’s flight is designed to maximize your appreciation of the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Access to prime dive sites is guaranteed! From Cairns you will visit the superior Northern Ribbon Reefs, including the Cod Hole, and pristine Coral Sea locations including Osprey Reef and Bougainville Reef. Here, the marine life is at its best and you will see spectacular concentrations of pristine corals, colourful tropical fish, schooling pelagics and shark action. The trip allows for 14 dives over 3.5 dive days, either from the vessel or from the vessel’s two inflatable dive tenders.
Spoilspost is one of the best appointed liveaboard vessels operating to the Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs. The 30metre vessel cruises at 13 knots and accommodates 29 passengers in fully air conditioned comfort. The massive dive deck is superbly set up for diving.
Expedition Summary
Dive the pristine Ribbon Reef’s north of Cooktown and remote Cora Seal. Enjoy Osprey Reef’s 40m (132ft) visibility, plummeting walls to 1000m (3300ft) and resident shark population. Dive with diver size fish at the Cod Hole and schooling tuna and barracuda at North Horn.
Prime dives sites - Guaranteed!
This itinerary has been designed to include the ‘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 minimises disruption to your itinerary and your diving experience.
Spoilsport
Spoilsport’s specially designed itineraries provide more diving and more relaxed diving. Quickly you will notice there is no rush or limit placed on your dive time. At sites like, Challenger Bay, some photographers do 2-hour dives to capture special fish behaviour photographs. Our ‘open dive deck’ gives you the freedom to dive as little or as much as you want.
Better Diving!
Access to prime dive sites guaranteed! From Cairns we focus on the superior northern Ribbon Reefs, including the Cod Hole, and pristine Coral Sea locations including Osprey Reef and Bougainville Reef. Here, the marine life is at its best and you will see spectacular concentrations of pristine coral s, colourful tropical fish, schooling pelagics and shark action. Our experienced dive crew are able to show you very rare species like the beautiful dwarf scorpion fish and ghost pipefish. Spoilsport’s complimentary Reef Ecology Program will assist you in identifying such amazing marine life.
Fly Dive - Spectacular Flight!
250km GREAT BARRIER REEF FLIGHT! HALF THE FLIGHT BELOW 200M! The ‘Fly Dive’ itinerary’s flight is designed to maximize your appreciation of the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Follow the detailed flight maps as you anticipate the low altitude pass (180m) over Endeavour Reef where Captain Cook ran aground, Emily Wreck and the outer reefs you will dive from Spoilsport and Lizard Island. Keen observers are often rewarded with sightings of Minke whale (May-Aug) dugongs, rays, turtles and sharks.
Lizard Island
Walk in Captain Cook’s footsteps to ‘Cook’s Look’. Lizard Island is one of the reef's most exclusive island resort. The famous English navigator James Cook climbed to its summit in 1770 to find the way out of the labyrinth of reefs. At that time, naturalist Joseph Banks was to lament 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 .
Spoilsport
Spoilsport is a custom designed twin hull liveaboard to provide the optimum liveaboard experience with excellent spaciousness and stability. She has received 11 prestigious Rodale’s Reader Choice awards including Best Liveaboard and Most Environmentally Sensitive Liveaboard. Spoilsport is very spacious and stable with a very large well-equipped dive deck as well as a very spacious sundeck, al fresco deck and saloon.
Spoilsport Special Services
Vessel
You will benefit from the industries best trained and qualified staff - 7 of the vessel’s 11 person crew are Dive Masters or Dive Instructors. The ‘Trip Director’ is specifically tasked to ensure you have great diving and a great time. Most guests prefer to plan and dive independently with their buddy. It is not policy for all dives to be Dive Master led. Guests who prefer more supervision are offered a combination of: complimentary orientation dives to enhance skills: a scheduled morning and afternoon guided dive and the opportunity to dive with the crew on an ad hoc basis. Nitrox, solo diving and photo services are available
The excursion will allow for 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 using fresh local produce. Please advise if you have special dietary needs.
Expedition Itinerary
Thursday: Check-in and Departure
Friday: Ribbon Reef #9 - Pixie Gardens, Cod Hole
Saturday & Sunday: Coral Sea - Osprey Reef
Monday – ‘Like the astronauts witness the Great Barrier Reef as the eighth wonder of the world!’
Prime dives sites - Guaranteed!
Note:
Prices 4 Night Fly Dive Coral Sea Excursion
Rates April 2008 to March 2009
Cabin Type
Rates April 2009 to March 2010
Cabin Type
Rental Equipment
Extra Charges
Fuel Levy – Due to the greatly increased cost of fuel it has been necessary to impose a Fuel Levy. Unfortunately, this cost impost was not foreseeable when our prices were calculated. Due to the large amount of confirmed bookings up to 3 years in advance it has not been practical to restrict this fee to just new bookings and applies to all guests from November 7th 2005. The Fuel Levy is currently charged at $16.00 per person for the duration of the excursion.