Coral Sea & Cod Hole Expedition - 5 Night
2024 Departure dates: 19 December
2025 Departure dates: 30 January | 27 March | 31 July | 7, 21, 28 August | 6 November | 18 December
2026 Departure dates: 29 January | 26 March
5 Nights / 18 Dives. Experience adventure diving in the Coral Sea with superb Great Barrier Reef marine biodiversity.
Expedition Highlights
5 Night Coral Sea Ribbon Reefs featuring:
- Coral Sea: The azure and fathomless water of the Coral Sea is the playground for sharks and big fish action in exceptional visibility. Huge soft coral trees and sea fans will impress.
Coral Sea Dive Sites - Ribbon Reefs: The potato cod grouper at the Cod Hole are a highlight, however it is the rich biodiversity of fish species and coral that make this section of the Great Barrier Reef so incredible. Ribbon Reef Dive Sites
Get Spoilt
Spoilsport is Australia’s most awarded liveaboard.
Enjoy sumptuous cuisine and a superb combination of diver conveniences, space & stability.
Weather
The most reliable Coral Sea access is September to January. Spoilsport’s favourite dive locations will be selected should weather force an itinerary change.
Crystal Plateau - Bougainville Reef - Coral Sea
The reef top descends to a spectacular terrace of hard corals at 20-30m before edging over into an abyss hundreds of metres deep. Sea fans and soft corals adorn the reef wall where sharks also patrol.
Dungeons & Dragons - Bougainville Reef - Coral Sea
The reef top here is cut with an incredible maze of caves, tunnels and swim throughs – great to poke around to discover fish and other critters. Or venture beyond the shallows to a wall descending to around 1000m, where you can find sharks and barracuda.
Admiralty Anchor - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea
Named after an anchor lodged midway through a tunnel that makes for an exciting swim through. A maze of huge towering bommies are home to plenty of fish and a delight to explore. Below them a sheer wall attracts sharks and occasionally manta rays.
North Horn - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea
Welcome to shark central! Watch a controlled shark feed with 10-30 grey reef, white-tip reef, silver tip sharks. Read more.
False Entrance - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea
This site never disappoints with exciting fish action alongside colourful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Resident barracuda and schooling big eye trevally make for great photo opportunities, and keep an eye out for cruising hammerheads out in the blue.
Cod Hole - Ribbon Reefs - Great Barrier Reef
The Cod Hole is famous for its diver-sized potato cod. These fish are incredibly inquisitive and don’t mind getting very chummy with divers. A great opportunity to capture photographs of these magnificent characters or a simply hang out and enjoy their company.
Pixie Pinnacle - Ribbon Reefs - GBR
An exciting pinnacle dive, draped in soft corals and absolutely heaving with fish life. Spiral your way up the pinnacle and search for interesting critters such as the flame file clam, or ‘disco clam’, named for the flashing light that appears to pulse along its mantle.
Coral Kingdom - Ribbon Reefs - GBR
A fantastic coral dive with vast beds of staghorn and other varieties, and dotted with colourful giant clams. Bump headed parrotfish and inquisitive barracuda cruise the site along with schools of other reef fish.
Steve’s Bommie - Ribbon Reefs - GBR
Steve’s Bommie is a photographers dream with an incredible quantity of diverse marine life. Hunt out such creatures as stonefish, scorpionfish, octopus, clown anemone fish and turtles, not to mention the many schools of fish that call this place home.
Dive Site Guarantee!
Spoilsport’s outstanding stability minimizes disruption to your itinerary and your scuba diving experience. If weather forces an itinerary change we divert to the best, ‘safe, accessible sites’ to ensure you get the best scuba diving available. The Coral Sea may not be accessible in strong winds.
All itinerary details are subject to change, specific marine life cannot be guaranteed.
| April 2024 – March 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Cabin | Price |
| Premium | $4550 |
| Standard | $4179 |
| Club | $3651 |
| Budget | $3111 |
Environmental Management Fee $8.00/day
| April 2025 – March 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Cabin | Prices |
| Premium | $4778 |
| Standard | $4388 |
| Club | $3833 |
| Budget | $3267 |
Environmental Management Fee $8.00/day
Rates include:
- Accommodation in twin/double cabins
- Delicious meals & snacks, wine and soft drink are included with the evening meal
- Tanks, air fills and weight belt
- Daily cabin service
- Reef ecology programme
- Dive computer workshop
- Transfer to the airport or Cairns hotel after your expedition
Please note that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requires us to collect an Environmental Management Charge of $8.00 per day spent on the Great Barrier Reef. This amount will be added to your bar bill at the end of your expedition.
Click on the links here for extras such as dive courses, photo services and gear hire, nitrox, etc. Premium – queen or double bed, private bathroom, ocean views. Standard – twin beds, private bathroom, ocean views. Club – twin bunk beds, private bathroom, no ocean view. Budget – twin bunk beds, share bathroom, no ocean view. Click here to find out more about accommodation.
Itinerary
Sample itinerary, subject to change based on conditions.
Thursday:
- Check in at our office (3 Abbott St, Cairns) between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.
- From 4.30 pm: Make your own way to meet your fellow passengers. The meeting point for boarding is at 5:30pm, further details will be given at check-in. Please note that dinner is not provided on the first evening so you may wish to eat before boarding.
- 5.50 pm: Our crew will lead you to board Spoilsport. Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing.
- 6:00 pm: Spoilsport departs Cairns.
- Time to organise any rental equipment and put your dive gear together on the dive deck.
Friday: (4 dives + night dive) This is a sample of a ‘typical day’, however exact times may vary to optimise the prevailing weather conditions on the day.
- 6:30 am: Wake up call, light breakfast available in dining room
- 7:00 am: Full cooked Breakfast
- 8:00 am: Dive brief
- 9:00 am: Diving commences
- 10:30 am: Dive brief & diving. “Open decks” accommodate 1-2 dives either am or pm
- 2:00 pm: Lunch
- 3:30 pm: Dive brief & diving
- 4:30 pm: Afternoon Tea
- 6:30 pm: Night dive brief & dive
- 8:00 pm: Dinner
Saturday: (4 dives + night dive)
- As per above.
Sunday: (4 dives + night dive)
- As per above.
Monday: (4 dives)
- As per above, however all diving is finished by 5pm.
- As the sun sets we pour the champagne, lay out the nibbles and get ready for an Aussie BBQ party night. Don’t forget to wear your loudest tropical shirt or dress and sing along to music played by our talented crew.
- Overnight cruise to Cairns
Tuesday:
- 7:00 am: Light breakfast
- 8:00 am: Disembark and courtesy transfer to Cairns inner city hotels, the airport or our office where we can store your luggage until 4pm if you have a later flight.
Important:
- We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 4pm Monday).
