Fancy a bit of YE OLDE world exploration?

by Captain Trevor Jackson

Ashmore reef. I have to confess, I don’t know anything at all about Ashmore Reef. I don’t even know exactly where it is. It’s UP there… Somewhere I guess. Closer to Papua New Guinea than Queensland. In fact the only thing I know about Ashmore Reef, is that at the end of 2023, I’m taking Spoilsport there. There’s something supercool about that. The whole not having a clue in the world thing.

On my desktop at work there is a quote from a newspaper, at least a century old. It reads thus:

“Crew Wanted. For Hazardous Journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in event of success.” Ernest Shackleton 4 Burlington St

I love the sentiment of that newspaper ad. Written in the days when ‘ships were wood and men were iron’. It reminds us that it’s not that long ago we didn’t really know that much about our planet.
Of course, the days of true romantic adventure are mostly over, there’re not many places we haven’t been, seen, taken a selfie at…Or are there?…

Ashmore Reef… Where is it? What is it? What will we see there? Are there any ship wrecks, whale sharks, MEGALODONS?… Will we fall off the edge of the earth? Probably not. But suffice to say that when we go to Ashmore, it will be a Shakletonesque Expedition. We’ve got rough itinerary, a great plan, and we are looking for a group of divers who fancy a bit of YE OLDE world exploration. And who wouldn’t?

Now don’t get me wrong, we’ve got the latest technology, satellite imagery, navigation electronics and world class crew to keep it super safe. Mike Ball Dive Expeditions have spent 50 plus years getting divers to places no one has been before. But what’s under the water? Well that’s still to discover. And it could be YOU, that discovers it!

Ernest Shackleton and his crew went on to create what is arguably the greatest adventure story the world has ever known. Where this will differ, is that there won’t be any: bitter cold, complete darkness or constant danger. What there will be, for those spirited souls who join us, is the chance to emulate the same sense of discovery and adventure that drove those now legendary sailors to answer Shackleton’s call to arms. The chance to seek for the first time, what is still genuinely unknown.

All that remains is for you is to ask yourself, am I up for it?