This modern liveaboard vessel is a 30 metre monohull steel vessel which was specially rebuilt for extended liveaboard dive travel. She is stable and spacious, with plenty of room to move around, with a sun deck and a comfortable living room / games room/ tv room / bar to mingle and socialise.
The vessel is fully air conditioned and offers all the comforts you could hope for after a long day in the water exploring the reef! All accommodation is in twin or double cabins. All cabins have ensuite bathrooms. There is also one 4 share ensuite cabin. Double cabins fill up far in advance, so do not delay locking in your cabin!
Due to a daily transfer vessel that brings you out from Cairns to meet up with the overnight vessel means you can depart and return on any day you like (but must be pre-booked) so you can stay 2 days 1 night, 3 days 2 nights, or longer!
Caters for Snorkellers, Certified and Introductory divers.
If you have never dived before and don't want to do a full course you can now book a 'Discover SCUBA Diving' 2 Day/1 Night liveaboard trip including 2 Introductory Dives. You can book more on board! All that is required is the ability to swim and you will also be required to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Certified Divers
All equipment and diving is included in the cost of your cruise, guided dives can be booked onboard for $20 per dive. Our dive locations on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef (approx 70km offshore) offer outstanding underwater visibility, superb coral formations and abundant, colourful marine life including Wally, our friendly 1.5m Maori Wrasse at Norman Reef!
- 2 day / 1 night - 5 day / 1 night dive
- 3 day / 2 night - 8 day / 2 night dives
- 4 day / 3 night - 11 day / 3 night dives
- extra days - 3 day / 1 night dive
Sharks After Dark
Our exclusive Sharks in the Dark experience is a real highlight among divers and spectators alike. See a variety of reef sharks on your after dinner scuba dive, or if you prefer, watch them from the comfort of our vessel as they pass through the soft light we cast. You’ll be enthralled as these inquisitive and friendly creatures swim near our overnight vessel.
Diving with sharks is a safe but exhilarating activity. Specialty night diving experiences like Sharks in the Dark make your dive adventure that much more memorable. Only certified divers are permitted in the water after dark – but if you’re not a diver, you can still join in the fun by watching from on deck. When conditions are calm, snorkellers can grab a mask and peek under the surface from our dive platform and watch the sharks gliding right underneath us.
Flouro Diving
See the colour of the Great Barrier Reef like never before on a night dive with a difference!
With a special mask filter and torches we open up an amazing underwater world. See coral and other marine life light up around you like neon. Be amazed as their natural bio fluorescent properties are brought to life in pops of yellow, purples, pinks and greens. Specialty night diving experiences like fluoro diving are an unforgettable part of any overnight dive trip. Fluoro diving is exclusive to this cruise. All certified divers with at least one prior night dive can add this exclusive for just $50 per dive.
Itinerary for 3 day / 2 night Scuba Diving Liveaboard
(simply substitute "snorkel" for "dive" if you're a snorkeller)
Day One
- 7.30: Free bus transfer from your city accommodation and check in at our dive centre, before transferring to the marina.
- 8.30am: Set off from Cairns Marina for the 90-minute trip to the Outer Barrier Reef.
- Select your equipment and receive in depth safety briefings along the way.
- 10am: Arrive at the reef for your first snorkel or dive.
- 12pm: Enjoy lunch while we move to our second dive and snorkel site.
- 12:30pm: Second dive or snorkel opportunity.
- 2.30pm: Transfer to the overnight vessel and settle into your cabin.
- 3.30pm: Third dive or snorkel session
- 6pm: Dinner is served!
- 6.30pm: Gear up for one of our unique liveaboard dive experiences, or simply chill out on board
- Certified divers can enjoy a night scuba dive. Option to add on a fluro night dive (extra cost) where the coral glows like a scene from Avatar! amazing!
- Snorkellers can enjoy the sharks after dark platform, viewing fish and sharks feeding while in the water on the submerged platform! very exciting!
- 8pm: Dessert is served
- 10pm: Bar closes
Day Two
- 7.30am: Breakfast is served
- 8.30am: First dive and snorkel session
- 10.30am: Second dive and snorkel session
- 12.30pm: Lunch is served
- 3.30pm: Third dive and snorkel session
- 6pm: Dinner
- 6.30pm: Briefing and night dive/sharks in the dark/fluoro dive
- Certified divers can enjoy a night scuba dive. Option to add on a fluro night dive (extra cost) where the coral glows like a scene from Avatar! amazing!
- Snorkellers can enjoy the sharks after dark platform, viewing fish and sharks feeding while in the water on the submerged platform! very exciting!
- 8pm: Dessert
- 10pm: Bar closes
Day Three
- 7.30am: Breakfast
- 8.30am: Dive/snorkel session
- 10.30am: Dive/snorkel session
- 12pm: Check out
- 12.30pm: lunch
- 3pm: Depart Outer Barrier Reef - board the transfer vessel for the trip back to Cairns
- 4.30 to 4.45 pm arrive back in Cairns
- 5pm(approx):bus transfer to your hotel
2 DAY 1 NIGHT ITINERARY - SAME AS DAY 1 AND DAY 3 ABOVE
Snorkelling
All of the snorkelling equipment you will require is supplied as part of your trip, including a wetsuit or stinger suit. The sites we visit are equally appealing for both snorkellers and scuba divers. Guided snorkel tours are provided at every site, staff tow a floatation life ring that you hold on to if you wish.
Prescription masks are also available upon request.
Introductory Scuba Diving
If you have never dived before and don't want to do a full course you can now book a 'Discover SCUBA Diving' 2 Day/1Night liveaboard trip including 1 or 2 Introductory Dives. All that is required is the ability to swim and you will also be required to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Finally when you and your instructor feel comfortable it's time to dive!!! As a resort diver there will be a maximum of 4 divers with 1 instructor. The supervision is very close at all times. You will go to a maximum depth of 12 m (40ft) and these dives generally last around 1/2 hour. During the dive you can expect to see the Great Barrier Reef in all its glory - You will discover excitement and adventure - freedom and serenity. Nothing compares to the "weightless" exhilaration of breathing underwater.
Advanced Dive Course
Once you have completed your PADI Open Water Course, the next step is to enhance your scuba skills with the PADI Advanced Open Water Program. We offer regular Advanced Open Water diver courses from Cairns on our overnight vessel.
There are no formal classroom sessions with this PADI course, and no exam! The only academic work required is to read the relevant chapters in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Manual and complete the knowledge reviews at the end of each chapter. Then the fun begins! You will need a minimum of two days to complete your PADI Advanced Open Water Course on the Great Barrier Reef. Join us on board our overnight vessel for one or two nights and return a certified Advanced diver!
Your 5 training adventure dives include two core dives in Deep and Underwater Navigation. The remaining three adventure dives will be a selection of Night Dive, Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive, Fish ID, Underwater Naturalist and Boat Diver.
Dive & Snorkel Sites - this vessel has a roving / roaming permit enabling them to move from reef to reef according to the conditions (tide/current/wind / swell etc) so you get the best experience! This also means the coral stays in great condition!
The sites include....
Saxon Reef – Sandra’s
Shallow Reef dive, lots of various types of anemone fish. White tipped reef sharks can be watched sleeping during daytime and schools of yellow fin Barracuda. The rare fire flame shell is also spotted there. Perfect also for snorkeling.
Saxon Reef – Twin Peaks
Unusually varied dive site circling two bommies with a narrow swim through. Schools of wild band fusiliers and humbug damsels and lots of different nudibranches!
Saxon Reef – Clipper & Super Cat
From the boat moored close to the reef you can dive along the reef wall and smaller offshore bommies displaying different types of anemone fish. Bottlenose dolphins are spotted occasionally during the colder months as well as the notorious Titan Triggerfish, the largest species of triggerfish.
Saxon Reef – Coral Garden
Diving amongst Garden Eels you can spot beautiful Anthias and Spinecheek Anemone fish. This place is also a popular for snorkeling as you can swim just on top of the coral and watch closely e.g. gobies and lots of smaller soft corals.
Saxon Reef – Reef Magic
Depending on the current, this dive site offers the possibility of a challenging dive around the reef edge to untouched areas displaying humpback snappers, giant trevallies and wild band fusiliers. Schools of Moorish Idols and even paddle tail snappers can be spotted in the shallow areas on the inner side of this reef site.
Norman Reef – Bob’s Bommie
With its beautiful pink soft coral and lots of smaller multi colored table coral amongst an abundance of all other coral types this is the perfect example for Great Barrier Reef Diving.
Norman Reef – Shark Mountain
Very versatile dive for beginners as well as more experienced divers who want to circle the entire shark-shaped Bommie. You can spot a small wreck in a depth of approx. 10m hidden on the northern wall. Extremely large starfish and lots of grey reef sharks.
Norman Reef - Playground
Sheltered by a ledge this is our preferred overnight mooring place. During the night dive you’re able to “hang out” on the mooring lines and watch reef sharks cruising around, our local resident Queensland Grouper and sometimes even Eagle Rays chasing their prey in the beam of the boats bright lights.
Norman Reef – Wild Side Clipper
Nestled on the south side of Norman Reef this dive site provides a terraced area with massive cabbage coral and beautiful staggered table corals. This site is also a popular feeding ground for turtles.
Norman Reef – Wild Side West, Wild Side East
These two neighboring dive sites are separated by a tongue of reef and can easily be combined into one long dive. WSW shows big lunar corals and a variety of anemone fish whereas WSE is a large bowl with rare star sand. During spring season lots of juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips cavort through the stag horn corals.
Norman Reef – Plate Top
This is a real conglomeration for all sort of reef fish: Anthias, Yellowtail Barracudas, Anemone fish, Gobys , Sweet Lips, Trevallies and Coral Trout just to name a few and on low tide they all gather in one spot on the plates northern corner. Amazing!
Norman Reef – Turtle Bay
As the name implies, this is the green sea turtle’s favorite feeding ground. Species up to 1.5 m have been spotted! Plus Anemone Shrimp, Hairy Spider Crabs, Blennies and many more.
Hastings Reef – Turtle Bommie
A cluster of smaller bommies dropping off real deep to the north offering bat fish, stone fish (if you can spot them), anthias, fusiliers and, of course, turtles! Also lots of smaller table corals, sea fans and whip corals.
Jorgie’s Patches
Situated in the Trinity Opening this dive site can be approached only on very calm weather. But because of this it’s pristine. Lots of finger coral, anemones, scorpion fish, big school of batfish and fusiliers, barracudas and anemone fish.
Accommodation
All Cabins feature ensuite facilities.
