Printer Friendly Version	Updated: Tuesday, 22 August 2006

These expeditions are incorporated into the standard itinerary shown below. The focus is snorkelling and diving amongst these majestic creatures during this period of high aggregation.  Your second day is entirely devoted to locating Minke whales.    

Fly Dive Cod Hole (northbound) - 4 nights / 3 dive days / 9 dives (including 2 night dives)

Fly Dive Cod Hole (southbound) - 3 nights / 3 dive days / 9 dives (including 2 night dives)

Thursday - Check-in and Departure

• Prior to 4:00pm. Check-in luggage at 143 Lake Street, Cairns.
• If unable to check-in prior to 4:00pm phone us on 4031 5484 for departure details.
• 7:00pm our crew meet you at the Palm Court entrance and escort you to Spoilsport – Trinity Wharf, Cairns .
• Cruise overnight to the magnificent Ribbon Reefs, the first stop on your 250km expedition.

• Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks and green turtle sightings.
• Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with life. Huge schools of fusiliers entice predatory barracuda and schooling trevally.
• Night dive where decorator crabs, egg cowry shells, moray eels and crayfish are just a few of the creatures you can find.

Saturday - Ribbon Reef #4, Clam Beds, #5 Rouge Reef, #9 Challenger Bay

• Dive superb patch reefs rich in diversity dotted with huge giant clams. Caves, canyons and encrusted coral bommies encourage great exploration.
• Explore unique shoals providing examples of some of the best plate corals to be seen and are home to an array of tropical fish including sweetlip, butterfly, angel and beautifully coloured trumpet fish.
• Glide through fields of garden eels, blue spotted rays, leaf scorpion fish, moray eels to name but a few, and when the lights go out, spectacular night diving awaits.

Sunday - Ribbon Reef #9, Ribbon Reef #10, Cod Hole, Dynamite Pass and Lizard Island

• Circumnavigate Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie covered in schools of fusiliers. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic minke whales can be seen here between May & August.
• Swim, play with, and photograph a family of giant potato cod at the Cod Hole. Enjoy close encounters with huge Maori wrasse. Here, diver size fish dive with you!
• 5:00pm, exit last dive and cruise to Lizard Island.

Monday - Low level return flight to Cairns

• 11:00am, return to Cairns with courtesy transfers to Cairns city hotels.

Monday: Check-in and Departure & Ribbon Reef #10 & #9 - Cod Hole, Cod Wall, Challenger Bay

• Monday by 7:00am, Cairns Colonial Club Cairns. Transfer to Cairns Airport.
• Spectacular low level 150 mile reef flight to Lizard Island to board Spoilsport.
• Commence diving approximately 12:30pm.
• Explore the rarely dived Cod Wall at the outer reef edge that disappears into 60 meters (200ft).
• Glide back towards the Cod Hole while enjoying the clear water and spectacular coral formations.
• Shallow but fantastic, Challenger Bay is extremely rich in biodiversity from spectacular coral gardens and unusual critters through to large schooling fish. Great night dive location… watch out for Baza the Barra!

Tuesday: Ribbon Reef #9, #5, #4 - Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle, Andy’s Postcard, Clam Beds, Vertical Gdns

• Circumnavigate Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie shrouded in fusilier baitfish. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic minke whales are seen here in June and July.
• Rising from 80 meters the pinnacle of Andy’s Postcard is encrusted in had corals, lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda.
• See spectacular giant clams at Clam Beds as well as caves, canyons and coral encrusted bommies awaiting exploration.
• Sheer walls covered in whip corals and sea fans brim the natural amphitheatre of Vertical Gardens. Marine life varies from the many colourful nudibranchs to large schooling bump head parrotfish.

Wednesday: Ribbon Reef #3 - Flare Point, Joani’s Joy, Steve’s Bommie

• Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with marine life.
• See huge schools of baitfish stalked by barracuda, mackerel and trevally.
• Anticipate spectacular coral gardens, spotted rays, reef sharks and green turtle sightings.

Thursday: Dock

• Early morning docking at Trinity Wharf - Cairns, breakfast, 8:00am courtesy transfers to Cairns city hotels.

Prime dives sites - GUARANTEED!

• This itinerary has been designed to include the ‘prime’ Ribbon Reef dive sites.
• If weather forces an itinerary change our surety of access to the prime Ribbon Reef sites is your guarantee of the best diving.
• Spoilsport’s outstanding stability minimises disruption to your itinerary and your diving experience.

Note: Itinerary subject to change.