Cod Hole & Coral Sea 7 Night Adventure

For the diver who wants to see it all, our 7-night dive liveaboard trip begins every Thursday from Cairns and combines the 3 Night Cod Hole/Ribbon Reef and 4 Night Coral Sea trips into one of the world’s most epic liveaboard dive boat adventures.

Day 1: The Spirit of Freedom courtesy bus will pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11:00 am to transfer you to Trinity Wharf. There you will be greeted by the Spirit of Freedom crew, who will give you an orientation of the vessel before on you depart on your 3-night liveaboard dive trip at 12 noon.

Enjoy lunch on board while we cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight dive.

After dinner we cruise north to dive the Ribbon Reefs.

Day 2 and Day 3: These two days are spent diving along the Ribbon Reefs, from Number 3 to Number 10 Ribbon Reefs.

Dive sites and sequence may vary depending on the weather conditions, but will always include at least one dive at the Cod Hole, where you encounter a family of massive and very friendly Potato Cod. Other sites may include Wonder-wall, Pixie Pinnacle, Challenger Bay, Two Towers, Lighthouse Bommie, and the Snake Pit, just to name a few.

If the current is right, you may also take a drift dive at Dynamite Pass, well know as a channel for sharks to pass through. See the Ribbon Reef page for site selection of some of our dive sites on the Ribbon Reefs. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Friday. On Saturday evening we overnight at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.

Day 4: This morning after breakfast you will have the opportunity to go ashore at Lizard Island. This is a good chance to stretch your legs on land at the halfway point of your trip! We recommend taking the guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s cottage, over Chinaman’s Ridge, and back to the beach.

Around 11 am we will cruise back to Ribbon Reef Number 10 for two dives at a choice of sites including the Snake Pit, Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Wall, and Pixie Pinnacle.

If the tide permits we may repeat a dive at the Cod Hole or visit new sites. We depart in the evening for a 10-hour crossing to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

Day 5/6: Two days will be spent diving Osprey Reef (weather permitting). Australia’s Coral Sea reefs are renowned for their crystal clear water, with visibility ranging from 30 to 100 metres. The landscape is amazing, with sheer walls laced with gorgonian fans, sea whips, and bright yellow soft corals, rising from the ocean floor thousands of feet below.

‘North Horn’ is a dive site at the tip of Osprey where grey reef sharks, silvertips, and the occasional oceanic congregate, and you can experience a close encounter with the Spirit of Freedom shark attraction dive. Four to five dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Monday.

See our Coral Sea and Osprey Reef dive sites here.

On Tuesday night we will depart Osprey Reef for overnight travel to the Ribbon Reefs.

Day 7: At Ribbon Reef Number 3 we will dive such sites as the sensational Steve’s Bommie, Temple of Doom, and Flare Point. A second option for this day, in special weather conditions, is to head south from Osprey to Bougainville Reef, known for its unusual underwater landscape or caverns, and its partially submerged wreck.

On Wednesday evening we will cruise overnight back to Cairns.

Day 8: We arrive back in Cairns at 6:30 am. Enjoy a light breakfast onboard and a group photo opportunity, before being dropped back to your Cairns accommodation around 8.00 am.


Suitability: We recommend this Great Barrier Reef liveaboard dive trip for Open Water to Experienced divers, or divers with minimum 10 ocean dives, including 5 dives in the last 12 months.

Standard Trip Inclusions:

Chef prepared meals & snacks, wine and soft drink are included with the evening meal.
Tanks, air fills, Nautilus Lifeline and weight belt. Full equipment rental available.
Daily cabin service.
Cairns hotel or Airport transfers.
GST and all reef levies and fees.

Guest Dining:

- Our Chefs serve a variety of fine quality healthy meals using the best of our local produce. You will find a mix of international influences in the selection that cater to most tastes. Special requests/dietary requirements can be catered to with prior notice. Lunch and dinner are provided on the day of departure, with 4 meals a day on ensuing days, and breakfast on the day of return to Cairns. Tea, coffee machine and fountain water are always available for self service. We operate a ships bar offering an assortment of beer, mixed drinks and wine selection. Australian style BBQ is served on the last night of each itinerary.

Diving Services:

- Full Gear Hire and Individual Gear Hire items available onboard at an additional charge
- Nautilus Lifeline GPS locator devices issued to all diving guests
- 32% Nitrox Fills available
- PADI Advanced and Nitrox Courses available
- Camera station, wash tub and air gun available
- Dive freedom available

Activities:

- WiFi access when in range
- Upper sundeck with lounges
- Extensive library
- Range of DVDs and Games


Accommodation Options:

- Ocean View Deluxe Cabin: Located on Upper Deck, Double bed, large ocean view windows, TV & Apple TV/Movies, Private bathroom. 10 sq metres including bathroom.
- Ocean View Standard Cabin: Located on Upper Deck, Double bed, large ocean view windows, TV & Apple TV/Movies, Private bathroom. 7 sq metres, including bathroom.
- Stateroom Cabin: Lower deck, queen bed, TV & Apple TV/Movies, private bathroom. 12 sq meters, including bathroom.
- Double/Twin share Cabins: Lower deck, double bed with single bunk above, private bathroom. 9 sq metres including bathroom.
- Quad share Cabins: Lower deck, 4 Single beds in bunk style, private bathroom. 9 sq Meters, including bathroom.