Coral Sea and Cod Hole Expedition
5 nights and 18 dives
Coral Sea Cod Hole Expedition and live board is a trip where you experience the Great Barrier Reef's best selection of dive sites. Here in the Coral Sea, you will dive on the Osprey & Bougainville Reef where you have a fantastic marine biodiversity. Mike Ball and the lovely boat Spoil sport takes you on a diving trip and fantastic adventure along the east coast of Australia.
* Osprey Reef – was recently designated a marine shark reserve; 2-3 dives with shark action. Here you will find spectacular topography, dramatic wall diving and a wonderful mix of soft and hard corals. It is common with very large fish and action and with diving in 40 meter visibility.
* Bougainville Reef - Dungeons & Dragons is a reef system that is like a labyrinth of caves and overhangs. It is common to see large potato groupers at the Crystal Plateau.
* Ribbon reefs - Explore the rich biodiversity of fish species and corals that make this part of the Great Barrier Reef so incredible.
Summary:
The Coral Sea and Cod Hole Expedition is probably the best diving adventure you can do on the Great Barrier Reef. It is probably the dive trip and liveaboard that offers the most biodiversity.
Experience: You must be an Advanced diver or have logged at least 15 logged dives in the ocean to join this tour. You must have done at least 5 of these dives in the last 12 months.
Boarding: Thursday 18:00 – Trinity Wharf, Cairns. (Check-in must be before 16pm at Mike Ball's office in Cairns.)
Disembark: Tuesday 08:00 – Trinity Wharf, Cairns
Weather
The most reliable season for diving trips and a liveaboard to the Coral Sea is normally between September and January. The dive sites are chosen according to the weather and if the weather forces it, there may be a change in the route. Contact us for booking.
All pictures with © approval from Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Australia
What is included in a liveaboard package?
- Transfer from the boat to the hotel or the airport after your liveaboard
- 5 nights in a shared cabin with private or shared bathroom (depending on choice of cabin) on liveaboard
- 3 meals per day on board as well as water, tea, coffee,
- Open deck diving 3-5 dives / day including, dive briefing, tank, weights, GPS
Highlights
Crystal Plateau – Bougainville Reef – Coral Sea
This reef top drops down to a spectacular terrace of masses of hard coral at 20-30 meters depth before dropping into the abyss hundreds of meters deep. Gorgonians and soft corals adorn the reef wall where sharks also often patrol.
Dungeons & Dragons – Bougainville Reef – Coral Sea
The top of this reef here is cut and broken up, forming an incredible maze of caves, tunnels and swimthroughs. A great dive site to swim around and discover different fish and other animals. You can also swim a bit out from the shallow reef to a wall that drops down to about 100 meters and watch sharks and barracudas.
Admiralty Anchor – Osprey Reef – Coral Sea
The dive site is named after an anchor located in the middle of a tunnel that provides an exciting swim right through the reef. Here you will experience a maze of large tall bommies that are home to lots of fish. Under these bommies you have the option of hanging on to a wall where there are often sharks and sometimes manta rays.
North Horn – Osprey Reef – Coral Sea
Welcome to Shark Central! Here you dive and experience controlled shark feeding. Up to 10-30 gray and whitetip reef sharks and silvertips are not uncommon.
False Entrance – Osprey Reef – Coral Sea
This dive site never disappoints. Lots of action with lots of fish and big shoals along with colorful gorgonians and soft corals. Barracuda tuna are found here in large shoals and the dive site offers fantastic photo opportunities. Out of the blue, hammerhead sharks can sometimes cruise by, so keep an eye out.
The big sea bass at Cod Hole
Cod Hole - Ribbon Reefs - Great Barrier Reef
Cod Hole is widely known and talked about over the years for its large potato groupers. These fish are curious and don't care about divers and can become worldly close. A unique and fantastic opportunity to take pictures of these magnificent fish that have become real characters here over the years.
North Direction Island
Experience the seclusion when you visit the beautiful beach and surrounding shallow coral gardens on North Direction Island. You have the opportunity to explore this remote little island by diving, snorkeling or taking a shore excursion.
Pixie Pinnacle - Ribbon Reefs - Great Barrier Reef
An exciting dive on a reef top draped in soft coral and teeming with fish and marine life. Swim slowly up around the reef and look for interesting animals like electric clam or disco clam.
Coral Kingdom - Ribbon Reefs - Great Barrier Reef
A fantastic coral dive with large meadows of staghorn coral and other types of coral. Often encrusted with colorful giant clams. Parrot fish and curious barracuda cruise around the site along with loads of other fish on the reef.
Steve's Bommie - Ribbon Reefs - Great Barrier Reef
Steve's Bommie is a UV photographer's dream. Here you experience very rich marine life. Here you can find, for example, rockfish, scorpionfish, octopuses, clownfish and turtles. Not to mention the many shoals of different species that call this dive site their home.
Coral Sea & Cod Hole Expedition dates:
2024 Departure dates: 29 February | 28 March | April 4 | 8, 22, 29 August | 7 November | December 19
2025 Departure dates: 30 January | March 27
Programme
Thursday:
Check-in at our office (3 Abbott St, Cairns) between 8am and 30pm.
From 16:30: You will walk yourself to Hemingway's Brewery Cairns Wharf (200 meters from the MBDE office) to meet your fellow passengers. Please note that dinner is not provided on the first night so you may want to eat before boarding.
17.50pm: Our crew will guide you from Hemingway's Brewery Cairns Wharf to the board Spoilsport. Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your tour director gives a full briefing.
18:00: Spoilsport departs Cairns.
Time to arrange rental equipment and assemble the diving equipment on the diving deck.
Friday:
(4 dives + night dives) This is a sample of a 'typical day', but exact times may vary to optimize the prevailing weather conditions on the day.
06:30: Wake up, light breakfast available in the dining room
7:00: Full breakfast
8:00 a.m.: Dive briefing
9:00 a.m.: Diving begins
10:30: Dive briefing & diving. "Open deck" accommodates 1-2 dives either morning or afternoon
14:00: Lunch
15:30: Dive briefing & diving
16:30: Afternoon tea
18:30: Night Dive Short & Dive
20:00: Dinner
Saturday:
(4 dives + night dive)
As above.
Sunday:
(3 dives + night dive)
As above.
Last day's diving
Monday:
(4 dives) As above. However, diving ends and must be finished by 17.00.
As the sun goes down we pour the champagne, lay out the bites and get ready for a real Aussie BBQ party night. Don't forget to put on your best tropical shirt or dress and sing along to music played by our talented team.
Overnight cruise back to Cairns
Tuesday:
07:00: light breakfast
8:00am: Disembark and transfer to your hotel in Cairns, the airport or to the liveaboard office where you can store your luggage until 17:00pm if you have a later flight.
important:
We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is completed by 17.00pm Monday).
Please note!
Our solid program is a plan that is modified based on the external conditions that the weather gods reward us with. This means that we can move activities to other days and, in the worst case, replace planned activities with alternatives if necessary.
Liveaboards offering this safari
Spoilsport liveaboard great barrier reef
For those who want to dive at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, this is the absolute best liveaboard. The diving is spectacular but it is important to remember that you are far from land. Spoilsport is Australia's most award-winning liveaboard for divers and offers fantastic tours and expeditions.
