3-Night Cod Hole/Minke Whale Fly/Dive Trip
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions |
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This trip is aboard Spoilsport, a 100 foot Catamaran with a maximum of 29 divers. It is for 4 days, 3 nights, and allows 7 dives, plus 2 night dives.
Departure Information
Departure is from Cairns Colonial Club, Cairns at 7:00 AM Mondays, return time 11:00 AM.
Trips also depart 6/16/2008, 6/23/2008, 6/30/2008, 7/7/2008 and 7/14/2008.
The Dive
This 3-night trip not only offers access to some of the best diving the Barrier Reef has to offer, but also provides the opportunity to spend a remarkable day interacting with Minke Whales.
Dive sites visited include the Ribbon Reefs, Harrier Reef and Cod Hole. These sites are well known for their diversity of corals, reef fish and pelagic species. In addition, due to their location farther from Cairns and Port Douglas, these reefs see less diving traffic and boast better visibility than closer sites.
Day 2 of the expedition provides the opportunity to spend a remarkable day seeking and interacting with Minke whales.
 Minke Whales are commonly seen along the Ribbon Reefs north of Cairns between May & September. June and July provide the months when these whales are most abundant on the Ribbon Reefs. Adults are generally up to 8 metres in length, and are occasionally accompanied by calves of 3 - 4 months. Minkes also have behavior similar to humpbacks, such as breaching, tail slapping and spy hopping, though not to the same extend as their larger cousins. Minkes are renowned for their curiosity and approachability, especially to calm snorkelers at the surface.
With 11 years experience diving with the Minkes in this area, the company has learned a lot about the habits of these whales and where to find them. In the past 4 years Mike Ball Dive Expeditions has run 18 specialized Minke Trips with 100% success rate. The smallest number of whales seen on any trip was 2, and the most ever seen was several pods of up to 22 whales, with encounters lasting up to 10 hours.
With 13 years experience diving with the Minkes in this area, the company has learned a lot about the habits of these whales and where to find them. Over that time they have had a 95% success rate in finding whales. The smallest number of whales encountered on any trip was 2, and the most was several pods of up to 22 whales, with encounters lasting up to 10 hours.
When not spending time with the Dwarf Minke Whales, you will make up to 9 outstanding dives on the Ribbon Reefs, including sites such as Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, and Pixie's Pinnacle.
The dive trip begins with a low altitude plane flight that cruises over the reef and along the spectacular coastline landing at beautiful Lizard Island. At Lizard Island you willl board the supersport, and dive along the reef as you travel South back towards Carins.
For a detailed trip itinerary, click here.
The Boat
Mike Ball advertises this dive vessel as "four star" and it is an apt description for this large, stable and extremely well furnished. At 100 feet in length with a 36-foot beam, this powerful twin hull boat makes for a stable and fast dive platform. There is plenty of space for the 29 passengers. All rooms and cabins are air-conditioned. Ten crewmembers supervise the dive, and care for the cabins daily. A lounge and bar, wave skis, and E6 photo processing and a full range of dive gear are additional features making this an award-winning dive vessel.
Trip Prices
Included
 1st Intro. Scuba dive (with Snorkel price only)
Reef ecology certificate course
All linen
All meals
Daily cabin service
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All prices are in
US Dollars. |
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1 Apr 08 -
31 Mar 09*
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1 Apr 09 -
onwards
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| Budget Twin Cabin |
$1,292 |
$1,334 |
| Twin Cabin w/bathroom |
$1,507 |
$1,556 |
| Ocean View Twin Cabin w/bathroom |
$1,708 |
$1,764 |
| Ocean View Double Cabin w/bathroom |
$1,877 |
$1,936 |
| Extras: | |
| Beer, wine, soda, on sale at bar |
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- | | Nitrox fills for Nitrox certified divers |
$9 |
$9 | | Dive computer per day |
$11 |
$11 | | Environmental management charge per trip |
$14 |
$14 | | Fuel levy (pay on board) per night |
$14 |
$14 | | Pony bottle per day |
$14 |
$14 | | DAN Insurance |
$15 |
$15 | | Full dive gear hire (exc. computer) per day |
$37 |
$37 | | Subsequent Intro. Scuba dives per dive |
$47 |
$47 | | Nitrox dive package per trip |
$70 |
$70 | | PADI advanced course |
$136 |
$136 | | Referral dives, (for certification course) |
$136 |
$136 | | Nitrox certification course |
$257 |
$257 |
Currently applicable trip prices marked with *.
About Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions is one of the premier liveaboard operators on the Great Barrier Reef. This owner-operated company has been taking divers onto the reef since 1969. They are well known on the international dive scene, and have won numerous awards for their service. These include awards for their environmental stewardship, food, and for their overall operations.
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