What we experienced was amazing but also you see the stress the reef is under and that part should spur us all to do more to save it. The 4 Club cabins are bunk-style as well, no window but, with an ensuite bathroom. Diving Great Barrier Reef in February on the Spirit of Freedom. Dive Level: Open Water Diver, minimum 10 ocean dives including 5 in last 12 months, Four-Day Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs FLYNN REEF Features arguably Australia's best coral garden, is a place where you can see the full array of hard and soft coral that the GBR has on show. Please fill in your contact details in the form below and LiveAboards customer service will get back to you. It's definitely a bucket list item, and the fact that we got to stay there overnight and see the reef in the day and at night - and in several locations - was priceless, Diving Great Barrier Reef in January on the ScubaPro I, Maybe because of the rain, the water is not so clean. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the Pro Dive Cairns, Even though the visibility was bad for windy weather, still coral was spectacular and there were many kinds of fish, Diving Great Barrier Reef in May on the Ocean Quest, Disappointing snorkelling, more suited for diving. T Shirts, Polo, Caps, Jumpers, Jackets, Vests, Stubby Cooler plus more! This trip begins every second Sunday, with a flight along the coastline from Cairns, over the reef to Lizard Island. The few 'best of', and on many liveaboard itineraries, are described below: OSPREY REEF is famous for its 40m+ visibility and almost guaranteed sitings of large numbers of sharks at North Horn. There is diving to suit every level of diver on the Great Barrier Reef, from calm, gentle, warm waters for newbies, to challenging swim-throughs and caves for the more experienced. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the Ocean Quest. This 37 meters vessel was built in 1992. Someofthe spectacular scuba diving sites you willexperienceare Permission Bommie, Wonderwall, Pixie Reef Pinnacle, Lighthouse Bommie and the Clam Gardens. Diving Great Barrier Reef in August on the Pro Dive Cairns. Finally, there are 6 Double & Twin Share cabins as well as 2 Quad Share cabins. Innovative, spacious and clever designed, this 4 day 3 night is a real gem of a boat. Diving Great Barrier Reef in July on the Rum Runner, Fantastic! Liveaboard divers will want to stop by Cod Hole where friendly potato cod greet divers, and Ribbon Reefs is a must-visit area due to its amazing biodiversity. This family of Potato Cod find you just as interesting as you find them and they love to receive a pat as they come up to you for a look. During your liveaboard scuba dive tour, you will have a chance to do up to 11 day and night dives. The diving was fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised at the range of fishes though. It is so large and vast that it is visible from outer space - even if you spent a lifetime exploring the reef, it would be impossible to view it all. Fly Dive Cod Hole 3 nights : Starts at 1403$US for Budget cabins / price goes up to about 2005$US for a Premium cabin. Enjoy time ashore at Lizard Island the next morning, before boarding your return flight to Cairns, arriving on Sunday morning. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the ScubaPro III, Fantastic dives - iconic sites. It was great! Beautiful car of colored coral, Diving Great Barrier Reef in December on the Spirit of Freedom, Overall great. Saw tons of fish and coral and sea turtles, Diving Great Barrier Reef in August on the ScubaPro I. ), and no doubt by the end you'll be thinking of planning another similar trip in the near future! Like flying over gorgeous coral garden, I think this was the richest in terms of diversity. Obviously, it has all the amenities stated above such as a roomy bathroom, wardrobe space, air-con, TV, etc. It is sad to see the coral bleaching up close but it is a reality. The Top Deck is the place for some time out to catch some rays or watch the sunset in the evening and there is no better place to be in the evening than the ships bar so you can swap your Coral Sea underwater scuba diving stories. Finally, the Premium cabins (4) have a double deb, ocean view and ensuite bathroom. Coral Sea Safari 7 nights : Starts at 2761$US for a Budget cabin and goes up to about 4102$US for a Premium cabin. Water temperatures range from 22 to 30 degrees Celsius. Plenty of simple and easy dives. Maximise your time in the water with up to 26 dives over this one week itinerary. Dive Level: Advanced Diver, minimum 20 ocean dives including 5 in last 12 months, Seven-Day Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea Diving Great Barrier Reef in March on the ScubaPro III. Definitely one of the best diving spots on the planet. The visibility was variable, but the dive sites excellent. You won't need to rely on your guide to spot the tons of circling Reef Sharks, elegant Turtles (green and loggerhead), and huge Manta Rays that are present at many sites frequented by liveaboard operators - you'll have to make sure you have your camera handy though as you won't want to miss these creatures in their natural habitat! Internet access, healthcare, and transport in Australia are of high quality, although as always please ensure that appropriate travel insurance has been purchased. Dive the world famous Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs of Australia's Great Barrier Reef where you will encounter giant Potato Cods, masses of colourful tropical fish, anemones, Moray eels, giant Napoleon Maori Wrasse, and pristine coral gardens. The Ocean View Deluxe cabin is located on the top deck, so it has its own stairways to the main deck. Awesome - saw all of the marine life I was hoping to see and more! A perennially popular liveaboard, the Spoilsport offers great value for money. Diving Great Barrier Reef in November on the Pro Dive Cairns. Some sites better than others but always a positive experience. Food is carefully prepared by the chefs, which can cater to specific requirement. Varied fish and coral warm temps calm weather, Diving Great Barrier Reef in October on the ScubaPro II. Ok, vis was about 15 mtrs for most dives, fish life was awesome! Fantastic healthy dive sites with plenty of marine life - lots of marine megafauna and macro life. They are a chain of ten individual reefs offering sheltered warm waters, and due to their remoteness are in pristine condition. Experience a dive at the world famous Cod Hole and travel out 200km to the remote Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. We require divers to present a valid Certification Card and be equippedwith a safety sausage, whistle and alternate air source (included in our Hire Equipmentpackage). On 3 & 4 Day Cruise there are light aircraft restrictions, your total weight of your luggage is limited to 20 kilograms/ 45 lb per person, including your dive gear and carry on luggage. Enjoy a gourmet lunch as you cruise to the Great Barrier Reef arriving in the first dive spot for an afternoon orientation dive and a twilight or night dive subject to the weather conditions. The crew on the Spoilsport knows how to show guests the best of the Great Barrier Reef. For all itineraries that include flights, the total luggage weight is limited to a maximum of 20kilograms (45 lb) per person. Amazing though coral bleaching is very evident :( great abundance of fish! There are three entertainment areas on the vessel where passengers can kick back and relax; the dining saloon, lounge bar and sundeck where you have the occasional barbeque under the stars. Transfers are provided from Cairns via speedboat. Our luxury liveaboard dive boat travels out to the Ribbon Reefs, Osprey Reef and the famous Cod Hole where open water divers have the chance to experience some of the most diverse coral and marine life on the reef. There are a few small regional airports (for example Townsville, Rockhampton, Lizard Island) where it is possible to fly into from other areas of Australia, but by far the easiest, cheapest and convenient way to visit the reef is to fly directly into Cairns. We will endeavour to adhere to the scheduled itinerary, but we cannotacceptfinancial responsibility for cancellation or adjustment of advertised itinerary due to weatherconditions or medical emergency. Its airport has good international connections, allowing most visitors to fly directly from many overseas locations, although many daily flights also arrive here from the major hubs of Sydney and Melbourne, in case one of your first Australian destinations is there. Saturday morning you will arrive at the Cod Hole, famous for its humongous Potato Cod. Picture perfect with 20- 30 meter visibility. You will have the whole day back at your hotel accommodation ahead of you to rest, recover and reflect on the amazing scuba diving you have just experienced over the last seven days in Queensland Australia on the Great Barrier Reef. A minimum age of 10 and full fare applies. Perfect boat for your next family adventure with plenty of time to relax in luxury. Nitrox is available. Diving Great Barrier Reef in September on the Spoilsport. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the Spoilsport. If you have other luggage that youneed to be storedthen please advise at time of booking. 3 Day Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef tour: Open Water certification with a minimum of 10 oceandives, including 5 dives in the last 12 months. This 7-day,7-nightadventure departs Thursdaymornings at noon and returns the following Thursdayat 8.00am. We got to see so many turtles too, which was amazing. Second, it means itineraries are flexible. Departs Cairns 12pm Thursday For sure something you could not miss. Australian wine and soft drinks are complimentary with the evening meal. All scuba diving locations may vary according to the weather and ocean conditions at the time of the journey. Pretty good. Personal items and toiletries, swimwear, hat, and sweatshirt in the winter (May - September). If you look hard enough (or more likely your expert Divemaster who'll know where to look! Includes scenic flight from Lizard Island to Cairns Opportunity for up to 26 dives In the outer reefs, you may encounter six different species of sea turtles and several shark species, such as grey reef sharks, whale sharks, silky sharks and even hammerheads or tiger sharks. The salon and the large sundeck, with optional shading, will sure please the most discerning vacationer. Superb visibility, awesome reefs and fish, not to much current, Diving Great Barrier Reef in February on the Spoilsport, Perhaps better condition of coral and marine life compared to diving the same sites 10 years ago, Diving Great Barrier Reef in February on the Pro Dive Cairns. Most importantly, a top of the line air-conditioning system was installed in 2008. You'll see the full complement of reef fish, including Clownfish, Fusiliers, Butterfly Fish, Angelfish, Trout and Batfish, all swimming amongst a backdrop of stunningly colourful hard and soft corals. The typical length of these liveaboard trips is 2 to 5 days, although some operators offer longer 8-day itineraries. From June to November, the water temperature drops, attracting pelagic species such as manta rays, whale sharks and minke whales. I hope all of the info you find on this website will help you plan your next dive trip! Diving in ill- fitting equipment is not allowed. Plenty of critters to see and some good scenery. When youwake,be prepared for an adrenaline rush on Fridayas you finally reach the Cod Hole, made famous by the legendary Giant Potato Cod that just love to interact with scuba divers. Amazing animal sightings! We do not offerLearn to Dive courses, resort dives or any form of scuba diving activities for anyone who isnot a Certified Diver. Diving Great Barrier Reef in June on the Ocean Quest, Kind of depressingly dead still worth it. As you discover Australia's Great Barrier Reef from the sky you will be more excited than ever to venture into the deep blue and discover all the magnificent creatures in the ocean below. Diving Great Barrier Reef in November on the Spoilsport. 14 air-conditioned staterooms are complemented by ensuite bathrooms and hot water. All cancellations must be in writing. AGreat Barrier Reef liveaboard will take you tothe crystal clear tropical waters of the Coral Sea, whichis comprised of billions of coral polyps, making it the largest living organism on the planet. Good. The reef was pretty vibrant, but you can see the stress its under. 2022 - I have been really lucky to dive all over the globe over the past few years. Scuba diving on board our dive trip is only available for Certified Divers. Each itinerary is chosen specifically for its visibility and marine life quality. Beforedeparture, you will meet the crew and undergo a simple orientation of the vessel. After your firstday'sdives, settle in and get comfortable,enjoy some good meals and get to know your new dive buddies because it is now an eight-hourjourney overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Reef areas were beautiful. Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater. All passengers are required to complete anon-line Diver Information form which requires themto agree to our passenger terms and conditions, advise details of their diving experience, andcomplete our medical statement. Full price forfeiture (100%) with cancellations received within 21 days of departure. The diving was beautiful, I loved changing sites daily. The coral gardens were beautiful and marine life was plentiful. Being the World's largest reef system, you can expect to see pretty much everything you could imagine on a GBR liveaboard tour. Wonderful, vis was not as great as hoped for due to winds and waves but it was managed well and great dives. If weather permits, you will do a fourth dive at Bougainville Reef with its underwater swim thru caverns and submerged wreck. Diving on Cozumel: The Perfect Return into the Blue! In addition to being the most luxury liveaboard on our list, the MV Coral Discoverer also offers some of the most adventurous itineraries. Chef prepared gourmet meals - Australian style, Australian wines and soft drinks with evening meals, Low-level scenic flight Lizard Island to Cairns on the 3 & 4 Day Cruise. Sunday morning you will have a great chance to explore the historical locations on exclusive Lizard Island before heading back to your liveaboard, thenout to the coral reef gardens again before lunch for more scuba diving. Day trips are possible but will only allow you to witness the crowded inner reef for a few hours, and will leave you wishing for more time to explore what is on offer. Great. It would be naive to write about every single dive site on the Great Barrier Reef, as it's likely you'd be here for a lifetime if so! A range of cabin types is available and the three premium cabin types contain TV/DVD and CD player. This is the premier liveaboard scuba diving tour on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The coral isn't as colourful as some other places, but the marine life is still plentiful and thriving. Please see our terms and conditions for details prior to booking. First, the 2 budget/bunk cabins have no window and the bathroom is shared. On Thursdaymorning you will enjoy your final breakfast onboard before you reach Cairns at6.30am. From there you will board a lighttwin-engineaircraft for a wonderfullow-levelscenic flight to Lizard Island where you can take some great images of the reef and sea creatures below. Diving Great Barrier Reef in August on the Spirit of Freedom. Some divers even complete their Open Water course on a liveaboard in Australia. Prices are AUD, per adult and include all levies fees and taxes. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the ScubaPro II. Visibility is always great - often well in excess of 25 metres, and sometimes over 40. The three liveaboards youve read about were hand-picked by our scuba diving experts, but there are a few more boats available. Sunk in 1911, the ship is relatively intact, having developed a mesmerising variety of corals and boasting some of the most diverse marine life on the whole of the GBR. With daily transfers, you can stay for as many days as you want. I saw so much wildlife, and I saw all the wildlife I was hoping to see and then some. Diving Great Barrier Reef in June on the Pro Dive Cairns. This beautiful 2-story, powered catamaran is built to please with all the modern luxuries and has just been newly renovated. This 30 meters long very stable vessel is one of the best of Australia. Other animals that divers report sightings of frequently include Sea Snakes, Cuttlefish, and Leopard Moray Eels. Returns Cairns 12pm Sunday LiveAboard.com has several cruises to choose from to suit every budget, with the vast majority departingfor the Great Barrier Reef fromCairns' port in Queensland. An experience that should not be missed. Our Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs trip begins every second Thursday from Cairns and travels along the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs, finishing 150 miles to the north at the world famous Cod Hole. Next, it is time to do a drift dive at Dynamite Pass which got its name because of the many species of sharks and other predators who hang around this channel waiting for dinner to pass between the reefs with the strong currents and straight into their mouths. Pinnacles were great, Diving Great Barrier Reef in May on the Pro Dive Cairns. Digital cameras (Sony DCS-P9) and housings are available for hire. The first dive will be at the monolith at Challenger Bay and the unforgettable Cod Hole. Diving Great Barrier Reef in April on the ScubaPro I. There were so many different dives sites with a variety of marine life! See the Best Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Reviews 2016! Trip itineraries are subject to change at the sole discretionof the Master of the Vessel. Connect with our expert travel consultants to plan your next trip. This provides two advantages. We strongly advise all passengers participating in our tours to hold a comprehensive TravelInsurance policy that includes Trip Cancellation insurance, and Evacuation & Medical cover forScuba Diving. Sunday morning, after a satisfying leisurely breakfast, explore the brilliant blue beaches and bays at Lizard Island and have a snorkel or join the guided walk around the historical sites on Lizard Island. Due to Covid 19 we are now virtual. Located in the Coral Sea, and accessible via liveaboard from Cairns, the reef features many small caverns and swim-throughs, making the dive sites here fun for everyone. Very good, coral still in good condition. The best time to dive in the Great Barrier Reef is from June to December. Indeed, every cabin has air-conditioning as well as an en-suite bathroom. Sail out to sea in style. Trip fees will not be refunded should passengers be unable to board intime for the scheduled departure or be unable to complete all available dives. For photographers, there is a separate rinse tank and a camera table at your disposal. Sunday tours depart Ex: Hinterland Aviation, General Aviation Airport. This boat whisks divers and non-divers away in luxury to experience the boundless pleasures of Australias Great Barrier Reef. Then it is time to settle in for some dinner as you cruise northwards to the Ribbon Reefs. Most of the time full equipment is available to rent (please check this! and most corals were dead. Such a wonderful variation of fish and all the beautiful colours of coral were unreal! Isolated they are only reachable via a few liveaboards. The diving was spectacular, although you can tell the reef isn't what it used to be. Also, it's amazing to be on the side of a 15m wall of reef. Next, it is aten-hourjourney overnight to Osprey Reef. Three-Day Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs Your cruise will include the Ribbon Reefs, the Cod Hole, a chance to explore Lizard Island, Osprey and possibly Bougainville Reef in the Coral Sea. Deck towels are provided after each dive and there are fresh water showers on the aft deck. About 40 % give or take is very stressed or outright dead. 20% cancellation fee applies with cancellations received within 21 - 60 Days of departure. To see the full list of liveaboards in the Great Barrier Reef, click the button below. LIZARD ISLAND is a national park on an island of the same name, situated to the very north of the GBR. It's also not just beautiful reefs and their associated coral gardens that are on the diving radar here either - the SS Yongala wreck is widely recognised as one the finest dive sites on the planet, situated towards the southern end of the reef. Join your friends or family on a Whitsunday luxury yacht charter for the ultimate holiday experience on the Great Barrier Reef. ), but remember to bring your certification. Gorgeous! Plus, cameras have their own rinse tanks, making sure they stay salt free. There are so many dive sites along the various reefs that each dive can feel like a new experience. You will have a chance during the afternoon to do two or three dives on Ribbon Reef Number Ten, the Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Wall, and Pixie Pinnacle. Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator. Please note that a snorkel buddy may not always be available, you may be required to snorkel alone and to wear our floatation equipment. BOUGAINVILLE REEF benefits from an exposed position on the outer reef, which does mean it can only be visited by liveaboard and when conditions permit. Non-English speaking passengers are to travel with aninterpreter. Be amazed at the fantastic coral at Osprey Reef that features sheer walls laced with Gorgonians, sea whips, and bright yellow soft corals rising fromthe ocean's floorthousands of feet below. All those rooms, on the lower deck, are also including an en-suite bathroom, wardrobe and air-conditioning.