Great Barrier Reef Cod Hole, Northern Reef & Coral Sea Live Aboard Tours, Mike Ball Dive Tours, Mike Ball 4 Night Fly / Dive Cod Hole Excursion

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. There are four categories of air-conditioned cabin types: Premium Cabins (Ocean View, Double Bed & Private Ensuite Bathroom), Standard Cabins (Ocean View, Twin Single Beds & Private Ensuite Bathroom) Club Cabins (Twin Bunk Beds & Private Ensuite Bathroom) and Budget Cabins (Bunk Beds & Share Facilities). The vessel’s massive dive deck is superbly set up for diving. The vessel’s massive dive deck is superbly set up for diving.

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.

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’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.

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.

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.

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 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 is Australia’s most ‘Awarded’ liveaboard dive vessel.
• Length 30m (100ft); Beam 10m (36ft); Speed 15 knots.
• Passenger average = 18 (max 29); Crew 11.
• Twin hull’s reduce seasickness and maximises stability, space and privacy.
• Twin or double cabins, most with ocean views. Daily cabin service.
• Huge dive deck with large camera table and unique entry/exit platforms.
• Spacious: dining room; lounge; alfresco deck and sundeck.
• Sensational chef prepared meals and in-between meal snacks.
• Complimentary softdrinks and Australian wines (with dinner).
• Enjoy your choice of hot beverage with your early morning wake-up call.

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.

• Prior to 4:00pm. Check-in luggage
• 7:00pm board Spoilsport at Trinity Wharf, Cairns
• Cruise overnight to the magnificent Ribbon Reefs, the first stop on your 700km dive odyssey

• Buddy up with diver size fish that dive with you at the Cod Hole
• Swim with giant potato cod, napoleon wrasse, moray eels, tuna and barracuda
• Enjoy close encounters with huge Maori wrasse
• Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks and green turtle sightings
• Night dive where decorator crabs, egg cowry shells, moray eels and crayfish are just a few of the creatures you can find

• Cruise 100 miles overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea
• Enjoy 40 meter (132ft) visibility with spectacular walls disappearing to 1000metres
• Witness the resident shark population including grey whalers, whitetip reef sharks, silvertips and hammerheads
• Search for the commonly seen green and loggerhead turtles
• Find the caves, overhangs and spectacular walls adorned with huge soft coral trees and gorgonian fans

• Breakfast on board and transfer to Lizard Island
• Spectacular low level Great Barrier Reef flight to Cairns
• 150 miles, altitude 600-1000ft - saves 12 hours travel time
• Return at approximately 11:00am for courtesy transfer to city hotels

• This itinerary has been designed to include the ‘prime’ Ribbon Reef and Coral Sea dive sites
• 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

• Flying After Diving - the surface interval between the last dive completed at 5pm and flying at 9.30am is 16.5 hours, which exceeds the DAN minimum requirement of 12 hours. An additional safety feature is that Skytrans flies below 1000ft, weather permitting
• Itinerary subject to change

• Premium AU$2465.00
• Standard AU$2243.00
• Club AU$2020.00
• Budget AU$1751.00

** Enquire About Current Dive Specials ~ Stand-by Rates May Be Available **

• Premium AU$2544.00
• Standard AU$2315.00
• Club AU$2086.00
• Budget AU$1808.00

• Premium Cabins - Ocean View, Double Bed & Private Ensuite Bathroom
• Standard Cabins - Ocean View, Twin Single Beds & Private Ensuite Bathroom
• Club Cabins - Twin Bunk Beds & Private Ensuite Bathroom
• Budget Cabins - Bunk Beds & Share Bathroom Facilities

• Reg, Ocy, Gauges AU$15.00 per day
• BCD AU$10.00 per day
• Computer AU$12.00 per day
• Snorkel Gear AU$5.00 per day
• Light/Torch AU$10.00 per day
• Wetsuit AU$8.00 per day
• All of the above AU$40.00 per day

• BCD Aqualung Wave x5 sizes.
• Fins Technisub Stratos (full foot) x6 sizes.
• Wetsuits 5mm long sleeve short leg x5 male + x5 female sizes. Includes 3mm hood.

Please Note: Fitting extra small and extra large people can be difficult. Please bring your own equipment if concerned about fit.

• Nitrox EAN AU$10.00 per fill or AU$20.00 per day for entire expedition.
• Pony Bottle AU$15.00
• Fuel Levy* AU$15.00 per night
• Reef Tax AU$15.00 to AU$16.00 per trip
• Personal Dive Guides AU$250.00 per day (+ berth cost for guide) or AU$50.00 per dive
• DAN Travel Assist AU$16.00 valid for 30 day period.

• Referral (PADI/SSI) AU$245.00
• PADI Scuba Dive Upgrade AU$245.00
• PADI Open Water Diver AU$395.00
• PADI Advanced Diver AU$215.00
• PADI Nitrox AU$325.00 or AU$200.00 Referral
• PADI Discover Scuba (Resort) FOC
• PADI Underwater Videography AU$350.00
• PADI Underwater Photography AU$250.00
• PADI Underwater Naturalist AU$220.00
• SDI Easy Nitrox AU$275.00
• SDI Solo Diver AU$220.00

• Canon A640 - 10 mega pixel AU$40.00 per day
• Digital Downloads AU$20.00 per day
• Blank CD AU$5.00 per day

• Standard Holiday Trip - DVD AU$85.00
• Purchase of Second DVD AU$65.00
• Personalized Holiday Trip – DVD AU$220 (single / couple) or AU$275 (family)
• Personal Holiday Photographs AU$100.00
• Photo CD AU$50.00
• Purchase of second photo CD AU$30.00

• Non-diver10%
• Non-diving child (8-15 years)20%

Minke Whale Excursions - Dive / Fly Cod Hole (Northbound) - 4 Nights / 3 Dive Days up to 9 dives (including 2 night dives) included

These specialized Minke Whale expeditions are incorporated into the standard itinerary shown above. The focus is snorkelling and diving amongst these majestic creatures during this period of high aggregation. Your second day is entirely devoted to locating Minke Whales and Snorkelling with them in the water.

Prior to 4:00pm. Check-in luggage at 143 Lake Street, Cairns.
If unable to check-in prior to 4:00pm phone us on 4031 5484 for departure details.
6:00pm our crew meet you at the Cairns Corporate Tower and escort you to Spoilsport – Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
Cruise overnight to the magnificent Ribbon Reefs, the first stop on your 250km expedition.

Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks and green turtle sightings. Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with life. Huge schools of fusiliers entice predatory barracuda and schooling trevally. Night dive where decorator crabs, egg cowry shells, moray eels and crayfish are just a few of the creatures you can find

Dive superb patch reefs rich in diversity dotted with huge giant clams. Caves, canyons and encrusted coral bommies encourage great exploration. Explore unique shoals providing examples of some of the best plate corals to be seen and are home to an array of tropical fish including sweetlip, butterfly, angel and beautifully coloured trumpet fish.Glide through fields of garden eels, blue spotted rays, leaf scorpion fish, moray eels to name but a few, and when the lights go out, spectacular night diving awaits.

Circumnavigate Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie covered in schools of fusiliers. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic minke whales can be seen here between May & August. Swim, play with, and photograph a family of giant potato cod at the Cod Hole. Enjoy close encounters with huge Maori wrasse. Here, diver size fish dive with you! 5:00pm, exit last dive and cruise to Lizard Island.

11:00am, return to Cairns with courtesy transfers to Cairns city hotels.

This itinerary has been designed to include the ‘prime’ Ribbon Reef dive sites. If weather forces an itinerary change our surety of access to the prime Ribbon Reef sites is your guarantee of the best possible diving.
Spoilsport’s outstanding stability minimises disruption to your itinerary and your diving experience.

Note: Itinerary subject to change.

• 9th June - 13th June
• 16th June – 20th June
• 23rd June - 27th June
• 30th June – 4th July
• 07th July – 11th July