Mike Ball Dive - 5 Night Cod Hole & Coral Sea Expedition
Prices from $3,111 AUD
This 5 day scuba dive expedition will show you the best diving that Australia has to offer. As well as the world famous 'Cod Hole', this trip vists the northern 'ribbon reefs', 'Lizard island' and 'Bougainville & Osprey Reefs' in the Coral Sea. Exploratory and Minke Whale Expeditions sometimes deviate from the itinerary.
Features
- Prime Ribbon Reef sites
- The world famous Cod Hole
- Unspoilt Osprey Reef
- Unlimited Diving
More information...
Prices
Simply click the price below to add an item to your booking
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - budget
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Bunks - share bathroon
|
$3,111.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - club
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Bunks - ensuite bathroom
|
$3,651.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - standard
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Beds - ensuite bathroom - ocean views
|
$4,179.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - premium
|
includes all meals and diving - Double Bed - ensuite bathroom - ocean views
|
$4,550.00 |
Additional Costs: EMC (reef tax) of $7 per person, per day is payable directly
For sole occupancy of a cabin, when available, add 20% to these prices
|
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - budget
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Bunks - share bathroon
|
$3,267.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - club
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Bunks - ensuite bathroom
|
$3,833.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - standard
|
includes all meals and diving - Twin Beds - ensuite bathroom - ocean views
|
$4,388.00 |
|
Cod Hole & Coral Sea - 5 nights - premium
|
includes all meals and diving - Double Bed - ensuite bathroom - ocean views
|
$4,778.00 |
Additional Costs: EMC (reef tax) of $7 per person, per day is payable directly
For sole occupancy of a cabin, when available, add 20% to these prices
|
2024 Departure dates: 28 March | 4 April | 8, 22, 29 August | 7 November | 19 December
2025 Departure dates: 30 January | 27 March | 31 July | 7, 21, 28 August | 6 November | 18 December
2026 Departure dates: 29 January | 26 March
Experience our best selection of Coral Sea dive sites at Osprey & Bougainville Reef with superb Great Barrier Reef marine biodiversity.
Coral Sea: The azure and fathomless water of the Coral Sea is the playground for sharks and big fish action in exceptional visibility. Huge soft coral trees and sea fans will impress.
Ribbon Reefs: The potato cod grouper at the Cod Hole are a highlight, however it is the rich biodiversity of fish species and coral that make this section of the Great Barrier Reef so incredible.
Some of the well known dive sites you will visit include.
Crystal Plateau - Bougainville Reef
The reef top descends to a spectacular terrace of hard corals at 20-30m before edging over into an abyss hundreds of metres deep. Sea fans and soft corals adorn the reef wall where sharks also patrol.
|
Dungeons & Dragons -Bouganville Reef
The reef top here is cut with an incredible maze of caves, tunnels and swim throughs – great to poke around to discover fish and other critters. Or venture beyond the shallows to a wall descending to around 1000m, where you can find sharks and barracuda.
|
Admiralty Anchor - Osprey Reef
Named after an anchor lodged midway through a tunnel that makes for an exciting swim through. A maze of huge towering bommies are home to plenty of fish and a delight to explore. Below them a sheer wall attracts sharks and occasionally manta rays.
|
North Horn - Osprey Reef
Welcome to shark central! Watch a controlled shark feed with 10-30 grey reef, white-tip reef, silver tip sharks.
|
False Entrance - Osprey Reef
This site never disappoints with exciting fish action alongside colourful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Resident barracuda and schooling big eye trevally make for great photo opportunities, and keep an eye out for cruising hammerheads out in the blue.
|
Cod Hole - Ribbon Reefs
The Cod Hole is famous for its diver-sized potato cod. These fish are incredibly inquisitive and don’t mind getting very chummy with divers. A great opportunity to capture photographs of these magnificent characters or a simply hang out and enjoy their company.
|
Pixies Pinnacle - Ribbon Reefs
An exciting pinnacle dive, draped in soft corals and absolutely heaving with fish life. Spiral your way up the pinnacle and search for interesting critters such as the flame file clam, or ‘disco clam’, named for the flashing light that appears to pulse along its mantle.
|
Coral Kingdom - Ribbon Reefs
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.
|
Steves Bommie - Ribbon Reefs
This site is a natural amplitheatre and home to a school of very large Bump Head Parrotfish. Sometimes their crunching can be almost deafening.
|
Dive Freedom
You will notice there is no rush or limit placed on your dive time. Spoilsport’s itineraries normally provide 3 dive sites per day with opportunity for relaxed or unlimited diving. At sites like Challenger Bay some photographers do 2 hour dives to capture special fish behavior photographs.
|
Thursday: Departure
- Check in at our office (3 Abbott St, Cairns) between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.
- From 4:30 pm: Make your own way to Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf (200m from MBDE office) to meet your fellow passengers. Please note that dinner is not provided on the first evening so you may wish to eat before boarding.
- 5:50 pm: Our crew will lead you from Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf to board Spoilsport. Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing.
- 6:00 pm: Spoilsport departs Cairns. Time to organise any rental equipment and put your dive gear together on the dive deck.
Friday: 4 day dives, 1 night dive
This is a sample of a ‘typical day’, however exact times may vary to optimise the prevailing weather conditions on the day.
- 6:30 am: Wake up call, light breakfast available in dining room
- 7:00 am: Dive brief & diving commences
- 9:00 am: Full cooked breakfast
- 10:30 am: Dive briefing & dive. “Open decks” accommodate 1-2 dives either am or pm
- 2:00 pm: Lunch
- 3:30 pm: Dive brief & diving
- 4:30 pm: Afternoon tea
- 6:30 pm: Night dive brief & dive
- 8:00 pm: Dinner
Saturday & Sunday: 8 dives, 2 night dives
Monday: 4 dives, 1 night dive
- As per fridays schedule, however all diving is finished by 5pm.
- As the sun sets we pour the champagne, lay out the nibbles and get ready for an Aussie BBQ party night. Don’t forget to wear your loudest tropical shirt or dress and sing along to music played by our talented crew.
- Overnight cruise to Cairns.
Tuesday: Return to Cairns
- 7:00 am: Light breakfast
- 8:00 am: Disembark and courtesy transfer to Cairns inner city hotels, the airport or our office where we can store your luggage until 5pm if you have a later flight.
Equipment Rental
New (1 year old) BCD's and regulators are supplied to guests in Premium and Standard cabins who rent equipment.
- Reg, Ocy, Gauges $15/day
- BCD $10/day
- Computer $12/day
- Snorkel Gear $5/day
- Light/Torch/Cyalume $10/day
- Wetsuit $10/day
- Safety Sausage (SMB) $10/trip
- All of the above $44/day
- 6cf Pony Bottle + Reg $15/day
- 12L Steel Bottle $25/day
- 15L Steel Bottle $30/day
- Cyalume Light Stick $2/each