October 2017 on the Great Barrier Reef

Unabashed Plug

Captain Trevor Jackson

Unabashed Plug…I don’t do it that often, but brace yourselves; here it comes. If you’re a fair dinkum adventurer type diver; if you like going WAY the hell off the beaten track; if you like viz in excess of 30 metres and if you want to go places that are virtually never available to the general public then here is a trip you might want to jump on. We shall call it…. the MBDE Turtle Spectacular. And it’s not like anything else we do.

For a start, it begins and ends at Lizard Island in Far North Qld. Both the start and finish of the expedition will feature low level flights over the stunning Great Barrier Reef. Day one of the 7 night affair will feature the fabulous Cod Hole at the very top of the Ribbon reefs. From here we head north into the virtual unknown… stopping at North Broken Passage, Tijou Reef, Great Detached Reef and Raine Island – famous for its convict built stone lighthouse and for being the largest Green turtle rookery in the world. Tis here where things get truly ‘spectacular”. Tiger sharks, turtles and some of the best coral you will EVER see (just ask anyone who did this expedition last year). And while you’re bathing in all that visual splendour, I will be upstairs in the bridge plotting a course to Australia’s MOST significant historical shipwreck, the HMS Pandora. The Pandora gained notoriety by capturing and transporting the mutineers of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ fame…. all of whom had to scramble for their lives as the ship struck coral and went to a watery grave. The ship is so remote, so unusually inaccessible, that this could well be your one chance to tick it off your diving bucket list. From the Pandora we turn around and weave our magic southward over the course of three days, back to Lizard Island and those awaiting aircraft.

Competition is fierce amongst the crew just to get rostered on for this trip (that should tell you something) and who could blame them. The chance to mix historical colonial water/landmarks, with spectacular ocean wilderness is too great an opportunity to let pass by. This year’s departure on Nov 20 is almost sold out. However, with two Turtle Spectacular departures scheduled for 2018 – November 12^th & 26^th, there is still time to join this bucket list itinerary.