Dive at a range of sites with a variety of fish species and other pelagics as well as colourful coral structures for an extended excellent trip!
Four to five dives will be available per day. In addition to the dive sites visited in the 3 day trip, two days will be spent diving Osprey Reef where the landscape is shows sheer walls laced with gorgonians and bright yellow soft corals rising from thousands of feet below. One dive site is North Horn, where grey reef sharks and silvertips are likely to provide a close encounter experience. Another site visited on this trip is the Temple of Doom which is also known as Ribbon Reef no.3 and is a tropical coral reef at a depth of 20m.
Sample itinerary
Day One:
The Spirit of Freedom courtesy bus will pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11 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 you depart on your 7-night liveaboard dive trip at 12 pm (noon).
Enjoy lunch on board while you cruise to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight or night dive.
Day Two & Three:
These two days are spent diving at the most northern of the Ribbon Reefs, Number 9 & 10 Ribbon Reefs.
Dive sites and sequence may vary depending on the weather conditions, but will 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 known as a channel for sharks to pass through. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Friday. Saturday evening will be overnight at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, enjoying a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.
Day Four:
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! It's recommended to take the guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s cottage, over Chinaman’s Ridge, and back to the beach.
Around 11 am, 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.
Day Five & Six:
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.
Day Seven:
At Ribbon Reef Number 3 you 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.
Day Eight:
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.