Fly Dive Cod Hole - Southbound
3 nights / 3 dive days / 12 dives - Includes 2 night dives
(Monday - Thursday)
MONDAY: Check-in by 7:00am, Mike Ball office, Shop 2, 3 Abbott Street. Transfer to Cairns General Aviation Airport. Spectacular low-level reef flight to Lizard Island to board Spoilsport. Dive with giant potato cod, napoleon wrasse, tuna, barracuda and more. Challenger Bay is extremely rich in biodiversity from spectacular coral gardens and unusual critters to large schooling fish. You get great day and night dives here.
TUESDAY: Dive sites Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie shrouded in fusilier bait fish. Rising from 80 meters the pinnacle of Andy's Postcard is featuring lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda. Another feature are spectacular giant clams at Clam Beds.
WEDNESDAY: Ribbon Reef #3 - Flare Point, Joani's Joy, Steve's Bommie. Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with marine life. See huge schools of baitfish stalked by barracuda, mackerel and trevally. Over night Spoilsport steams back to Cairns.
THURSDAY: Early morning docking in Cairns, breakfast, 8:00am courtesy transfers to Cairns city hotels.
Fly Dive Coral Sea - Northbound
4 nights / 3 dive days / 14 dives - Includes 2 night dives
(Thursday-Monday)
THURSDAY: Check-in by 4pm Mike Ball office, Shop 2, 3 Abbott Street, Cairns. Boarding by 6pm. Dinner in town prior to boarding at own expense. Cruise overnight to the Ribbon Reefs, the first stop on your 700km dive odyssey.
FRIDAY: Ribbon Reef #9 - Pixie Gardens, Cod Hole
Dive with giant potato cod, napoleon wrasse, moray eels, tuna and barracuda.
During a night dive you may see decorator crabs, egg cowry shells, moray eels, crayfish and more.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Coral Sea - Osprey Reef. Cruise 100 miles overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Fantastic visibility with lots of sharks and spectacular walls disappearing to 1000m+ and are typical for Osprey.
MONDAY: Breakfast on board and transfer to Lizard Island. See the Great Barrier Reef from the air during your low-level flight back to Cairns. Return at approximately 11:00am to Cairns General Aviation Airport for courtesy transfer to city hotels.
Special note for both itineraries
Due to light aircraft weight restrictions, your total luggage weight is limited to 25kg (55lbs) per person. All bags must be soft sided. Please note that above itineraries are samples only and sites may vary or the sequence may change in accordance to weather, sea conditions and accessibility.
7 night Coral Sea Safari
THURSDAY - THURSDAY
7 nights / 6 dive days - Unlimited diving (approx. 26 dives)
The 7 night trip starts every Thursday and combines the two itineraries above. Instead of the scenic flight, you will have time to explore famous Lizard Island on Monday morning. This is the ultimate Australian dive experience, giving you all the best dive sites in a just a week!
THURSDAY: Check-in by 4pm Mike Ball office, Shop 2, 3 Abbott Street, Cairns. Boarding by 6pm. Dinner in town prior to boarding at own expense. Cruise overnight to the Ribbon Reefs, the first stop on your 700km dive odyssey.
FRIDAY: Ribbon Reef #9 - Pixie Gardens, Cod Hole
Dive with giant potato cod, napoleon wrasse, moray eels, tuna and barracuda.
During a night dive you may see decorator crabs, egg cowry shells, moray eels, crayfish and more.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Coral Sea - Osprey Reef. Cruise 100 miles overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Fantastic visibility with lots of sharks and spectacular walls disappearing to 1000m+ and are typical for Osprey.
MONDAY: Lizard Island & Ribbon Reef #10 & #9 – Cod Wall, Cod Hole, Challenger Bay
Climb “Cook’s Look” at Lizard Island where Captain Cook searched for safe passage through the reef. Explore the rarely dived Cod Wall at the outer reef edge that disappears into 60m (200ft). Glide back towards the Cod Hole while enjoying the clear water and spectacular coral formations. Choose to dive the Cod Hole again if you agree with us that one day is not enough to enjoy its diverse marine life. Shallow but fantastic, Challenger Bay is extremely rich in biodiversity from spectacular coral gardens and unusual critters through to large schooling fish. Great night dive location… watch out for Baza the Barra!
TUESDAY: Ribbon Reef #9, #5, #4 - Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle, Andy’s Postcard, Clam Beds, Vertical Gardens
Circumnavigate Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie shrouded in fusilier baitfish. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic Minke whales are seen here in June and July.
Rising from 80m the pinnacle of Andy’s Postcard is encrusted in hard corals, lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda. See spectacular giant clams at Clam Beds as well as caves, canyons and coral encrusted bommies awaiting exploration. Sheer walls covered in whip corals and sea fans brim the natural amphitheatre of Vertical Gardens. Marine life varies from the many colourful nudibranchs to large schooling bump head parrotfish.
WEDNESDAY: Ribbon Reef #3 - Flare Point, Joani’s Joy, Steve’s Bommie
Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with diverse marine life. See huge schools of baitfish stalked by barracuda, mackerel and trevally. Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks and green turtle sightings.
THURSDAY: Early morning docking in Cairns, breakfast, 8:00am courtesy transfers to Cairns city hotels.
Note: Itinerary subject to change.
