Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard

The Spirit of Freedom courtesy bus will pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11 a.m. to transfer you to Trinity Wharf, where you will board the vessel. You will be greeted by the Spirit of Freedom crew, who will give you an orientation of the vessel before a 12-noon departure.

Enjoy lunch on board while we cruise to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight or night dive.

After dinner, we cruise north to the Ribbon Reefs.

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 always 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. See the dive site page for site selection of some of our dive sites on the Ribbon Reefs. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Tuesday. On Wednesday evening we overnight at Watson’s Bay on Lizard Island and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.

This morning after breakfast you will disembark and say farewell to Spirit of Freedom.

Onshore, at Lizard Island, you can take the guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s cottage over Chinaman’s Ridge and back to the airstrip.

Following a picnic of a Breakfast Roll and drinks you will board a light aircraft for your flight back to Cairns. The one-hour flight arrives at Hinterland Aviation, Cairns General Aviation Airport around 11.15 to 11:45 am, where the Spirit of Freedom courtesy coach will meet you for your transfer back to your Cairns city hotel at the end of your liveaboard dive trip.

(*) itinerary description provided by the boat operator

RIBBON REEF DIVER SAFETY

Suitable for Snorkelers to Advanced Divers

Diver experience recommendation: Open Water certification with a minimum of 10 ocean dives including 5 dives in the last 12 months

Less experience may result in limited diving due to environmental conditions. We recommend a Scuba Diver Refresher course prior to your trip.

Diver Health: If you have a medical condition or are currently taking prescription medication, you will need a medical clearance. For further details refer to our Diver Information form or contact our Reservations team.

RIBBON REEF IMPORTANT INFO

SNORKELERS. Snorkeling on Spirit of Freedom is in waters that are exposed and not “calm sheltered waters”. Our itinerary is to suit Scuba Diving and you may not be able to snorkel at every site. There are opportunities to snorkel at the reef top of the Ribbon Reefs are relatively close to the surface. Most of our guests are scuba divers, however, experienced snorkelers with a good level of fitness are welcome to join this tour. Please note that a snorkel buddy may not always be available, you may be required to snorkel alone and to wear our floatation equipment. You will be safe under the watchful eye of the 'look-out' crew.

Due to light aircraft restrictions, the total weight of your luggage is limited to 20 kilograms/ 45 lb. per person, including your dive gear and carry-on luggage.

The Spirit of Freedom courtesy bus will pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11 a.m. to transfer you to Trinity Wharf, where you will board the vessel. You will be greeted by the Spirit of Freedom crew, who will give you an orientation of the vessel before a 12-noon departure. Enjoy lunch on board while we cruise to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight or night dive. After dinner, we cruise north to the Ribbon Reefs.

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 always 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. See the dive site page for site selection of some of our dive sites on the Ribbon Reefs. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Tuesday. On Wednesday evening we overnight at Watson's Bay on Lizard Island and enjoy a sunset Bar-be-que dinner on the top deck.

This morning after breakfast you will have the opportunity to go ashore at Lizard Island. A good chance to stretch your legs on land at this halfway point, you can take the guided walk from Watson's Beach to Mary Watson's cottage over Chinaman's Ridge and back to the beach. Around 11.00 a.m., we will 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. If the tide permits we may repeat a dive at the Cod Hole or visit new sites. We depart in the evening for a 10-hour crossing to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

Two days will be spent diving at Osprey Reef (weather permitting). Australia's Coral Sea reefs are renowned for crystal clear water with visibility ranging from 30 to 100 meters. The landscape is amazing with sheer walls laced with gorgonians, 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. . 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Friday. See the dive site page for a selection of some of our dive sites at Osprey Reef. On Saturday night we will depart Osprey Reef for overnight travel to the Ribbon Reefs.

At Ribbon Reefs Number 3 we will dive into 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. On Sunday evening, we will cruise overnight back to Cairns.

We arrive back in Cairns at 6:30 a.m. Enjoy a light breakfast on board and a group photo opportunity before being dropped back at your Cairns hotel around 8 a.m.

Marine Life: These unique ecosystems showcase an amazing diversity from picturesque coral gardens crowned with delicate anemones and colorful reef fish to the 1000-meter walls of the volcanic atolls of the Coral Sea, home territory for reef sharks, whalers, schooling hammerheads, mantas, schools of barracuda and mackerel, and massive red and yellow soft corals.

CORAL SEA IMPORTANT INFO

SNORKELERS. The (at times) deeper reef tops and swift currents of the Coral Sea make the Coral Sea reefs only suitable for very experienced snorkelers and strong swimmers with a high level of fitness. You may not be able to snorkel at every site. Please note that while you may be safe under the watchful eye of the 'look-out' crew, a snorkel buddy may not always be available and you may be required to snorkel alone and to wear our floatation equipment.

Due to light aircraft restrictions, the total weight of your luggage is limited to 20 kilograms/ 45 lb per person, including your dive gear and carry-on luggage.

This itinerary is a sample only and sites may vary or the sequence may change. Access to the Cod Hole and the Coral Sea is tide and weather conditional.

CORAL SEA DIVER SAFETY

Diver Recommendations: Diving at the Coral Sea can be considered Advanced Type Diving, and an ‘Advanced Diver certification with a minimum 50 of ocean dives, 5 in the last 12 months, is recommended.

Less experience may result in limited diving due to environmental conditions and remote isolation of the dive site. We recommend a Scuba Diver Refresher course prior to your trip.

Diver Health: If you have a medical condition or are currently taking prescription medication, you will need a medical clearance. For further details refer to our Diver Information form or contact our Reservations team.