Destination: Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Osprey Reef - Available year round
Duration: 5 Days and 4 Nights
Departing: Friday from Cairns
Returns: Tuesday into Cairns
The Diving
Taka Dive has been operating live aboard dive trips for over 18 years to the Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs and the Coral Sea. With a brand new, purpose-built dive vessel, launched in January 2004 this operator has set a new standard in dive travel.
The dive locations visited during this tour include the famous Cod Hole, which attracts divers from all over the world, combined with the Shark Feed at Osprey Reef to ensure that this excursion is certainly a dive trip of a lifetime. Osprey reef in the Coral Sea is one of the most spectacular dive sites in the world. Offering a diverse range of shark life all year round and pristine soft coral unlike anything you have ever seen before. During the shark feed dive, you are more than likely to see anywhere from 10 to 70 sharks at a time. The Osprey Reef offers a minimum 30 metres visibility in most conditions all year round. Some of the most frequent visitors include: Grey reef sharks (AKA Grey Whalers), Black tip reef sharks, White tip reef sharks, Wobbegong sharks, Epaulette sharks and the larger Oceanic Silver Tip sharks. Hammerhead sharks can sometimes been seen at North Horn in late winter and into spring of each year.
During June, July & August of each year Taka Dive actively participates in the Dwarf Minke Whale Season – these majestic mammals migrate the Northern waters of the Great Barrier Reef each year. Passengers traveling during this time will have the opportunity to contribute to the research of these whales. TAKA teams up with the James Cook University researchers, and records all sightings of these fantastic mammals. All passengers who have had interaction with the Minkes fill in a questionnaire, which helps to further research. Diving with these majestic creatures will be the most exciting and momentous experience of your life.
The amazing sightings are not limited to the Coral Sea, this year along the Ribbon Reefs the diving has been spectacular. Frequent sightings include various Nudibranchs, Manta Rays, Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Loggerhead and Green Turtles, Moray Eels, Red Flame File Shell, Lionfish and the best Marine life the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.
Itinerary
Friday: Complimentary pick-ups from Cairns City accommodation commence between 4:30pm & 5:00pm. Passengers arrive for boarding the ‘TAKA’ at approx 5:10pm. Check in is then done by one of our experienced & friendly crew. The first evening we travel overnight 150km to the Cod Hole. During this time passengers organize their dive gear or hire gear. There is also have a brief period of introduction followed by paperwork and a briefing on the schedule for the next day. Dinner is served at approx 7:30pm with the rest of the evening for relaxation.
Saturday: 7:30am – Breakfast
8:30am, arrive at the Cod Hole, dive briefing.
Dive 1: Familiarization with the Cod Hole. Check out dive for those who have done less than 50 dives or have not dived in the past year. Likely Sightings include Giant Potato Cod, Moray Eel, Reef Sharks & Maori Wrasse.
Dive 2: Cod Feed at the Cod Hole- Close encounters with the Famous Potato Cod. (Lunch)
Dive 3: Pixie’s Pinnacle/Reef/Wall or Challenger Bay - Likely Sightings include Lion Fish, Nudibranchs, Garden Eels & Barracuda. (Afternoon rest & snack.)
Dive 4 6:30pm Night Dive at Challenger Bay - Likely Sightings include Cuttle Fish, Sea Turtles, Reef Sharks & Manta Rays.
8:00pm Evening Meal
Sunday:
7:00am Breakfast
7:30am Arrive at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.
Dive 5: 8:30am North Horn. Wall Dive with drop-offs to 100m. There is a fantastic variety of sharks swimming off the wall- such as Gray Whalers, White Tip & Black Tips, Hammerheads, A Giant Potato Cod and the occasional Bull Shark.
Dive 6: 10:30am North Horn SHARK FEED. Divers observe this amazing spectacle from 15m sitting on dead coral palettes. The SHARK FEED can last anywhere from 5min to 30min depending on how many and how hungry the sharks are. Once the feed is completed, once the instructors gives the ‘all clear', the divers can leave the wall and continue the dive.
Lunch
Dive 7: 1:30pm Half Way Wall. Sightings include interesting coral formations, Feather Stars and Green Sea Turtles.
Dive 8: 4:00pm The Entrance. Sightings include Puffer Fish & Clown Fish.
Evening Meal
8:00pm Depart Osprey Reef and head back to the Great Barrier Reef.
Monday: 7:00am Breakfast
Dive Briefing
Dive 9: 7:30am Clam Gardens. Likely Sightings include Giant Clams (150-200 y/o)
Dive 10: 10:00am Steve’s Bommie. Likely Sightings include Red flame File Shell, Stone Fish, Wobbegong Sharks, Turtles & Thousands of schooling Anthias.
Snack
Dive 11:12:00/1:00pm Temple Of Doom. Sightings include Flatworms & Clownfish.
Lunch followed by afternoon rest.
Dive 12: 6:30pm Beer Gardens. Sightings include Sleepy Turtles & Parrot Fish.
8:00pm Evening Meal
Tuesday:
Dive Briefing
Dive 13: 6:30am Hogs Breath. Sightings include Angelfish & Clown Fish.
7:30am Breakfast
Dive 14: 8:30am Split Bommie. Sightings include Octopus & various Butterfly Fish.
As we sail back to Cairns, passengers have plenty of time to rest and relax in between snacks and lunch.
Taka then arrives back to Trinity Wharf in Cairns at 3:00pm.
Complimentary transfers to local accommodation between 3:00pm and 4:00pm.
Included
The Vessel
* All cabins are air-conditioned
Pricing July 2007 – June 2008
Extras
Pricing July 2008 – June 2009
Extras
Due to the greatly increased fuel costs and in accordance with Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) guidelines these charges are currently in effect and apply to all voyages of the dive vessel TAKA commencing Tuesday 4th October 2005. The Fuel Levy will remain in place until a time that the current fuel prices have returned to a sustainable level.
Terms and Conditions
What to bring