Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Dive Tours

DIVE THE
GREAT BARRIER REEF
MIKE BALL LIVEABOARDS
WITH REEFCOMBER TOURS

MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS operates within and beyond the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Listed on the World Heritage List, this huge ecosystem is regarded by many as the finest barrier reef in the world.
There are many options to choose from all of which include all meals and unlimited diving. Best time to travel would be between August to Dec but there is probability of excellent diving all year.

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Liveaboard Excursions :

SPOIL SPORT is the fleet’s flagship - a high tech power catamaran with luxury facilities. She is unquestionably Australia’s most spacious live-aboard. She makes regularly scheduled departures to the central Coral Sea, diving such offshore atolls as Flinders Reef, Abington Reef and Dart. The return leg of these trips includes a stop at Australia’s famous Yongala wreck.

SUPER SPORTSUPER SPORT is the fleet’s number two vessel, offering superior accommodation and excellent service. She makes slightly shorter cruises along the northern Barrier Reef, diving the Cod Hole, Dynamite Pass and the Ribbons Reefs.

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST AND BEST KNOWN LIVE-ABOARD FLEET

There are three names synonymous with Australia - Paul Hogan, Fosters Beer and Mike Ball. For divers, Mike Ball is probably the most important.
Mike Ball is Australia’s most successful diving pioneer. He has assembled the country’s largest fleet of live-aboard dive boats along with a major retail dive store and training facility on the
When Mike Ball opened his one-man dive shop in 1969, he had no idea that one day he would become the ‘Mr Australia’ of the diving industry. His business flourished and soon became the number one scuba training centre on the Queensland Coast. Today, he operates a fleet of five major live-aboards - the largest fleet in the South Pacific.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions seven dive expedition itineraries in Australia and four in Papua New Guinea, ranging in length from three day/two night to 13 days and nights. The shortest trips are on the WaterSport, with a total of six dives and special focus on the wreck, Yongala. The longest trip is a discovery adventure aboard Spoilsport and SuperSport, probing the outer limits of the central Coral Sea and Cod Hole.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions is headquartered at Townsville on the Queensland Coast. Both the SpoilSport and WaterSport operate out of this port. The best way to reach Australia and Mike Ball’s live-aboards is via Qantas Airways, the flag carrier of Australia. It takes thirteen hours to reach Australia from Johannesburg.
Another major development in the Mike Ball Expeditions organisation is the appointment of a general sales agency in South Africa for bookings, being Reefcomber Tours at The Dive Travel Centre in Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg.
Contact Judy on (011) 781 6520 or holidays@reefcomber.co.za for all the details.

#2 COD HOLE ITINERARY

DIVE / SNORKEL WITH MINKE WHALES

Between May and August every year Minke Whales migrate from Antarctica to spend the winter months in the warm tropical water of the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions offers special Minke Whale itineraries during June and July where you can snorkel and dive with the wonderfully curious Minke Whales.
The little known Minke Whale was only discovered in Great Barrier Reef water during the 1980s and research into its biology and ecology has only recently begun.
During the 1990s increasing numbers of divers have been reporting interactions with dwarf Minke whales along the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns. Mike Ball's Cairns based vessel, Supersport has had a remarkable 1999 season resulting in excellent numbers of Minke Whale encounters. Seeing and swimming with the Minke Whales was the most consistently mentioned element of a diver's "best experience".

Minke Whales are frequently seen at isolated coral bommies within the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef. Supersport will be including two of these sites, "Lighthouse" and "Pixie Pinnacle" in the new itinerary as a special point of interest. Close up snorkelling encounters are common while hanging on to SuperSports current line.
These 8 metre giants allow encounters as close as 2 metres! In the unlikely event whales are not at either site a maximum of two hours would be spent searching for them after which scuba diving would resume on the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. On the Minke Whale expeditions you will cruise the entire 150 mile chain of Ribbon Reefs and enjoy a spectacular low level reef flight from Cairns to Lizard Island.
Between 7 and 11 scuba dives are included depending on whale encounters. The Cod Hole Expedition #2 is the one to take to see these magnificent creatures. For Monday and Friday departures from mid June to Mid July price per person sharing excluding flights is from R4350.

Jan-Jun

Jul-Dec

Supersport
4 days/3 dive days
11 dives
Departs Mondays from Cairns Colonial Club
Return Thursday

Budget Cabin:
From R3655

Economy Cabin:
From R4295

Standard Cabin:
From R4675

Premium Cabin:
From R5160

Budget Cabin:
From R4260

Economy Cabin:
From R4980

Standard Cabin:
From R5480

Premium Cabin:
From R5990

#4 CORAL SEA EXPEDITION

Jan-Jun Jul-Dec
Spoilsport

7 days/6 dive days

Unlimited diving

Departs Townsville on Tuesdays

Return on Monday

Budget Cabin:
From R8820

Economy Cabin:
From R10340

Standard Cabin:
From R10960

Premium Cabin:
From R12050
Budget Cabin:
From R10550

Economy Cabin:
From R12295

Standard Cabin:
From R13050

Premium Cabin:
From R14300

#6 ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

Jan-Jun Jul-Dec
CORAL SEA, COD HOLE, YONGALA WRECK

Supersport & Spoilsport

2 days/9 dive days

Unlimited dives (approx 34)

1 night Cairns (Thursday)

Friday - Monday on liveaboard

1 night Townsville on Monday

Depart Tuesday

Budget Cabin:
From R15730

Economy Cabin:
From R16370

Standard Cabin:
From R17490

Premium Cabin:
From R18450

Budget Cabin:
From R18295

Economy Cabin:
From R19010

Standard Cabin:
From R20270

Premium Cabin:
From R21520

#7 EXPLORATORY EXPEDITION

Jan-Jun Jul-Dec

Spoilsport

8 days/7 dive days

Unlimited diving

Depart Tuesdays from Townsville

Return the following Tuesday in Townsville

Budget Cabin:
From R10290

Economy Cabin:
From R12060

Standard Cabin:
From R12780

Premium Cabin:
From R14050

Budget Cabin:
From R11520

Economy Cabin:
From R13460

Standard Cabin:
From R14350

Premium Cabin:
From R15810

#8 DISCOVERY ADVENTURE

Jan-Jun Jul-Dec

Supersport & Spoilsport

13 days/10 dive days

Unlimited diving

Friday to the second Tuesday after

1 night Cairns on first Thursday

1 night Townsville on the Tuesday, to depart on Wednesday

Budget Cabin:
From R17450

Economy Cabin:
From R18090

Standard Cabin:
From R19200

Budget Cabin:
From R19460

Economy Cabin:
From R20200

Standard Cabin:
From R21560

Accommodations :

There are also premium cabins at a higher cost and budget cabins at lower cost. Cabin layout depends on the boat operating for the specific excursion. Where not otherwise specified, bathroom facilities are shared.
Should you require accommodation in Cairns prior/after liveaboard we can accommodate you at the 3 star Cairns Colonial Club Hotel in a standard room at a cost of R260 per person per night. Sydney accommodation may also be arranged.

How to get there :

Above prices exclude airfares
Jhb to Sydney return :
R5040 per person if staying away not less than 11 days
R5570 per person if staying away not less than 10 days.
Sydney to Cairns: Approx R1920 return
Sydney to Townsville : Approx R1880 return
Jhb to Cairns : Approx. R3750 on Malaysian Airlines

E & OE
All prices are per person sharing and are provisional and subject to change without prior notice.