Great Barrier Reef Cod Hole, Northern Reef & Coral Sea Live Aboard Tours, Mike Ball Dive Tours, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions 7 Nights Exploratory Itinerary

The Mike Ball Dive Expeditions 7 night ‘Exploratory Itineraries’ are run over select dates and are exclusively for 7 night guests. Almost all divers have ‘advanced skills' however we can accommodate 1 or 2 less experienced certified divers. This itinerary takes advantage of prevailing dive site and weather conditions and may not visit Lizard Island.

Spoilsport is a three level catamaran, accommodating a maximum of 29 divers. Food, accommodation and organisation of the dives is excellent, and has earned Spoilsport many repeat customers. 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.

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 minimizes 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. The ‘open dive deck’ gives you the freedom to dive as little or as much as you want.

Get spoilt on board Spoilsport, a custom designed twin hull liveaboard with a spacious sundeck, al fresco deck, saloon and large well equipped dive deck. Enjoy the luxurious motor yacht atmosphere and the attentive crew. Enjoy a sumptuous variety of meals that has earned Spoilsport a reputation for catering excellence. Vegetarian and standard diets are catered for.

Access to prime dive sites guaranteed! From Cairns the focus is 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. Experienced dive crew are often able to show you very rare species like the beautiful dwarf scorpion fish and ghost pipefish.

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.

• Complimentary Reef Ecology Program
• 2 large inflatables for personalised dive service
• Underwater photography and video services
• PADI instruction: Advanced, Nitrox, Naturalist and Photo/Video
• Aussie BBQ and party night, wave ski’s, videos and library
• Warm towel after each dive
• Solo diving as per Mike Ball Safe Solo System

You benefit from the industries best trained and qualified staff. 7 of the 11-person crew are divemasters or 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 a policy for all dives to be divemaster 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.

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 using fresh local produce. Please advise if you have special dietary needs

Here’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 sites guaranteed!
• Superior vessel stability in adverse weather conditions

Please note: This itinerary may not visit Lizard Island.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

At this halfway point guests on the Fly Dive option may join this Coral Sea Safari. Meanwhile 7 day guests 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.
Note: Itinerary subject to change

• Premium AU$4581.00
• Standard AU$4161.00
• Club AU$3590.00
• Budget AU$3050.00

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

• Premium AU$4723.00
• Standard AU$4291.00
• Club AU$3702.00
• Budget AU$3141.00

• 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%