AUSTRALIA

RAINE ISLAND AND NORTHERN GREAT BARRIER REEF EXPEDITION

Dive the Largest Green Sea Turtle Nesting Site in the World

Raine Island is the largest Green Sea Turtle Rookery in the world (Image by Mike Ball Expeditions)

7 Night Turtle Spectacular

This trip is suitable for advanced recreational and technical divers alike. Diving support includes nitrox, solo diving pony bottle rigs and rebreather service and consumables. Visit the best sites on the Ribbon Reefs, before continuing north on a 7 night adventure to the Torres Straits. A unique diving adventure.

What awaits you?

A rare collection of remote reefs most divers can only dream about! Imagine sheer walls plummeting to depths of over 600m encrusted with sponges, whip corals, fans and more. Reefs such as Tijou, Bligh, Mantis, Black Rock and The Detached Reefs, teem with fish life that will satisfy the most fastidious of photographers.

Cod Hole - Ribbon Reefs

One of the Great Barrier Reefs most amazing phenomenons awaits at the Cod Hole. Swim with incredibly inquisitive ‘small diver size’ potato cod. Tidal currents ensure the coral growth here is very diverse. The Cod Hole’s Shark Alley is a great place to see sleeping white tips in the sand and the occasional grey reef shark.

Snake Pit

An isolated platform reef shoaling up to form a number of deep coral bommies festooned with multi coloured crinoids. Olive sea snakes are commonly found and are both very curious and very complacent, allowing the more adventurous diver and photographer to get very close indeed! It is also common to sight a variety of ray species, cuttlefish and turtles.

Tijou Reef

A diver’s paradise, Tijou offers wall dives and drift dives. The outer wall drops off to 90m is covered in hard and soft corals. Watch out for large schools of pelagic fish and many species of shark, including grey and silvertip.

Moulter Cay

An epic outgoing 1000 metre long drift dive passing through four distinct areas of terrain. From inside the reef, a 30metre steep sloping cliff transforms into a stunning sand-based coral garden. Reaching the outer edge, glide along an unfathomed overhanging cliff, home to dozens of sharks hunting in the ocean current. Once around the ocean side, take your time exploring the visually stunning coral slope before being picked up by inflatable.

Mantis Reef

A diverse reef with many excellent dive sites. In the depths you’ll find large gorgonian fans and soft corals, while higher up watch out for anemones and schools of brightly coloured reef fish including basslets and butterflyfish. Whale sharks are sometimes seen here.

The Detached Reefs

With 46km of edge, this is sometimes called the Great Detached Reef and it’s home to masses of marine life, great and small. Dive sites include ‘Shark City’ and ‘Manta Wall’, giving an indication of just some of the critters you’ll find here.

Raine Island

This has been a Green Turtle nesting site for over 1,000 years. Each year hundreds and thousands of them return to lay their eggs in the warm sands. The island is not accessible to the public, but the reefs around are excellent for diving. As well as turtles, there’s lots of sharks.

Thursday Island

Disembark at Horn Island 0800.
Options for further travel vary. Daily scheduled flights from Horn Island to Cairns are available & should be arranged by the individual.

Budget Cabin

From USD$2833  £1810  EUR 2547 per person

Standard Cabin

From USD$3324  £2123  EUR 2988 per person 

Includes:

• 7 nights accommodation on a twin/share basis 
• Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) daily
• Unlimited diving on air
• Tanks and weights

Not included in the price:

• One way flight from Cairns to Horn Island
• Nitrox
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
• Rental dive equipment if required
• Rebreather and technical diving support
• Fuel surcharge of AUD$44 (subject to change)
• Reef tax of AUD$18 (subject to change)

Upgrades to other cabin types are available:Please contact us.

Single Occupancy Supplement:  Berth cost plus 70%

Air Travel: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with your holiday from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to make a stop-over or two, make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.