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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Coral Sea Safari

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A week on the liveaboard Spoilsport covering 450 nautical miles and up to 26 dives: shark-filled walls at Osprey and Bougainville Reefs in the Coral Sea, a few hours ashore on Lizard Island, then the coral gardens and giant potato cod of the Ribbon Reefs. It joins Mike Ball's Coral Sea and Cod Hole trips into one round trip from Cairns, with no flight.

Days

8 days, 7 nights

Age

Adult divers; junior depth limits don't suit the Coral Sea

Group size

Shared liveaboard, 14 cabins

Start / finish

Cairns / Coral Sea / Lizard Island / Ribbon Reefs / Cairns
Trinity Wharf, Cairns, about 8am

Return

Trinity Wharf, Cairns, about 8am

Accommodation

7 nights in a cabin on the liveaboard Spoilsport

Transport

Dive boat from Cairns and back, about 450 nautical miles

Meals

All meals and snacks on board except the first dinner; wine with dinner

Route

Map of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Coral Sea Safari

Included experiences

North Horn, Osprey Reef — controlled shark feed
Dungeons & Dragons, Bougainville Reef — caves and tunnels above a deep wall
Lizard Island — beach, Mrs Watson's cottage and Chinaman's Ridge
Cod Hole — dive with giant potato cod
Pixie Pinnacle and Steve's Bommie — soft corals, critters and schooling fish

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Coral Sea Safari

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Itinerary

DAY 1 (THURSDAY): CAIRNS TO THE CORAL SEA

Check in at the Mike Ball office on Abbott Street in central Cairns during the day, and leave any spare luggage there. The town was founded in 1876 as a port for the Hodgkinson River goldfield and named after Queensland's governor, William Wellington Cairns. In the early evening the crew walk you aboard Spoilsport at Trinity Wharf. She's a 30-metre twin-hulled liveaboard built for Mike Ball in 1989, and the twin hull is designed to keep seasickness down. Champagne, light snacks and a full briefing from the trip director come first. Dinner isn't served tonight, so eat in town beforehand. Then you head out past the Great Barrier Reef towards the Coral Sea overnight, a good time to set up your gear on the dive deck.

Overnight: On board Spoilsport

DAYS 2 TO 4 (FRIDAY TO SUNDAY): OSPREY REEF

Each morning starts with a light breakfast, the first dive, then a full cooked breakfast. You can dive up to four times a day plus a night dive, with no limit on bottom time and guided group dives morning and afternoon. Part of these days is spent at Osprey Reef, an isolated reef far outside the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea Marine Park, which covers almost a million square kilometres, one of the largest marine parks on earth. Osprey is a shark sanctuary. At North Horn you watch a controlled shark feed with grey reef, whitetip and silvertip sharks. Admiralty Anchor has an old anchor lodged in a tunnel you swim through, and at False Entrance gorgonian fans, barracuda and bigeye trevally hang off the wall, with the odd hammerhead out in the blue.

Overnight: On board Spoilsport

ALSO IN THE CORAL SEA: BOUGAINVILLE REEF

The Coral Sea days also take in Bougainville Reef. In 1768 the French navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville met the breakers on this reef and turned north, missing Australia's east coast two years before Cook charted it. Underwater, Crystal Plateau is a terrace of hard coral at 20 to 30 metres before the reef drops away. Dungeons & Dragons is a maze of caves, tunnels and swim-throughs on top of a wall that falls to around 1,000 metres, and Coral Sea visibility is often around 35 metres. On Sunday diving finishes by late afternoon and Spoilsport moors off Lizard Island for the Aussie BBQ party night, so pack your loudest tropical shirt or dress. In strong winds the boat uses sheltered Great Barrier Reef sites instead.

Overnight: On board Spoilsport

DAY 5 (MONDAY): LIZARD ISLAND

Guests on the four-night Coral Sea trip leave this morning, and you can stay aboard or take the tender ashore to Lizard Island. In August 1770 James Cook climbed the island's 359-metre summit, now called Cook's Look, searching for a gap in the reef to sail his damaged Endeavour back out to sea. A crew member shows you around. Swim off the beach, see the stone ruins of Mrs Watson's cottage, whose owner Mary Watson fled in 1881 in an iron cooking tank with her baby and a servant and died of thirst on a distant island, walk the mangrove boardwalk and climb Chinaman's Ridge for the view over the island and its reefs. New guests join late morning, and the afternoon brings two dives and a night dive.

Overnight: On board Spoilsport

DAYS 6 AND 7 (TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY): THE RIBBON REEFS

The Ribbon Reefs are a chain of ten long, narrow reefs strung along the edge of the continental shelf, where upwelling water feeds rich coral and fish life. The Cod Hole, on Ribbon Reef No. 10, is the star: potato cod as big as a diver swim right up to you, and it is one of the few single sites named in UNESCO's World Heritage listing for the reef. Pixie Pinnacle is draped in soft corals and home to the flashing disco clam. Coral Kingdom has big staghorn beds, giant clams and bumphead parrotfish, and Steve's Bommie crowds with stonefish, octopus, clownfish and turtles. These calmer reefs suit snorkellers too. Diving ends on Wednesday afternoon with a sunset farewell party, and Spoilsport cruises back to Cairns overnight.

Overnight: On board Spoilsport

DAY 8 (THURSDAY): BACK IN CAIRNS

Wake to a light breakfast as Spoilsport comes in through Trinity Inlet, which takes its name from Trinity Bay, named by Cook on Trinity Sunday in June 1770. You step off at Trinity Wharf early in the morning, about a week and 450 nautical miles after you left it. The crew transfer you to your inner-city hotel, the airport or the Mike Ball office, which can hold your bags until the afternoon if your flight is later. Diving finished on Wednesday afternoon, and you need 24 hours between your last dive and your flight home, so plan your onward travel around that.

Good to know

Meeting point: Check in at the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions office, Abbott Street, central Cairns, between 8:30am and 4pm on Thursday. Boarding is at Trinity Wharf just before 6pm; you meet the group at 5:30pm.
Finishes: Trinity Wharf, Cairns, about 8am the following Thursday, with a transfer to your inner-city hotel, the airport or the office.
Suits: Experienced divers: Advanced certification, or at least 15 logged ocean dives with 5 in the last 12 months. Coral Sea dives go to 40 metres in open water. Snorkellers can join in on days 4 to 6, weather allowing.
Fitness: You must declare medical conditions when you book; some need a doctor's dive medical. Spoilsport is not built for divers who can't move around the boat on their own. Briefings are in English only.
Accommodation note: Spoilsport has 14 cabins: Premium (double or queen bed, ensuite, ocean view), Standard (twin beds, ensuite, ocean view), Club (bunks, ensuite) and Budget (bunks, shared bathroom). All are air-conditioned, and the twin hull is designed to keep seasickness down.
Please note: The Coral Sea is most reliably reached from September to January; in strong winds the boat uses sheltered Great Barrier Reef sites instead. There is no overall luggage weight limit on this trip, but each bag must be 20 kg or less. Allow 24 hours between your last dive on Wednesday and your flight home.

What to bring

Quick-dry towel for the dive deck
Refillable water bottle
Reef-safe sunscreen, hat and sunglasses
Long sleeves and pants for cooler evenings
A loud shirt or dress for the party nights

What is included

7 nights on Spoilsport in your chosen cabin type, twin or double share
Up to 26 dives, with tanks, air fills and weight belt
All meals and snacks from the first breakfast, with wine and soft drink at dinner
Shore visit to Lizard Island
Nautilus Lifeline GPS on loan for every dive
Reef ecology talks and a dive computer workshop
Daily cabin service
Transfer to the airport, your Cairns hotel or the office at the end

Not included

Dinner on the first evening
Environmental Management Charge of about $8.50 per person per day, added to your bar bill on board
Dive gear hire, nitrox and dive courses
Drinks from the bar
Private dive guides

FAQ

Preparing for the trip

Do I need travel insurance?

Insurance is important in protecting visitors from loss or damange of goods, medical problems, cancelation by passengers or other casualties. Its highly recommended. Some tours on this website require you to have travel insurance. If you are Australian then it is not necessary.

Where can I get more information about this trip?

If you find that this tour page doesn't answer all your questions, then please get in contact with us! Our passionate team are always available to answer any queries you may have.

What immunisations do I need?

For the latest information on immunisations, we strongly recommend you or contact the Travellers Medical and Vaccination Centre (www.traveldoctor.com.au) to discuss health requirements for your trip. They will advise you about appropriate inoculations.

Do I need to take any medical supplies?

It is not necessary to bring any medical supplies other than any personal items you may require. Each tour carries a first aid box, and the tour guides are all certified in First Aid.

Will I be able to use my mobile whilst on tour?

You can use your mobile while touring in Australia or New Zealand, but coverage may be limited in remote areas. For best connectivity, consider purchasing a local SIM card or an international roaming plan.

How fit do I need to be?

These tours are designed to be fun, informative and active, and can be enjoyed by anyone with a moderate degree of fitness and agility. Travellers should be comfortable with hiking or walking up to 5km each day.

What should I pack?

Depending on where in Australia or New Zealand you decide to visit, your luggage will vary. For exact information please visit the "What to bring" section of each tour page.

Private tours and families

Is it possible to travel in a private group?

If you are looking for a private tour based on one of these trips, please contact us directly and we may be able to help. Over the years we have worked with families, groups of friends, schools, clubs and charities to put together the perfect trip.

Booking the trip

Do I have to book this tour online?

Definitely not. Our website is designed to make is easy and convenient for you to schedule your tour. However we understand sometimes its nice to talk to someone directly. So by all means give us a call and we can organise your trip over the phone.

If I book more than one tour can I get a discount?

Absolutely! If you are booking multiple tours then we may be able to offer you a discount. Send us an email at info@lostinaustralia.org and let us know what you thinking of doing and we can put together a price for you.Also, be sure to look out for monthly specials on tours. We often have some great bargains.

Does the tour price include flights?

No. Tour prices do not include any travel arrangements other than for the duration of the tour itself. If you need assistance with booking flights or buses our travel team and certainly help - Just ask!

How far in advance do I need to book my tour?

As a rule of thumb, try to book at least 2 weeks prior to departure, this will usually get you a seat on the date you want. That being said, we cannot guarantee that spaces will be available at the time of your booking so, if you can, book as soon as possible. Bookings can still be made right up until the departure date of the tour if seats are available. If you know when you'd like to travel, please contact us and we will let you know if you need to book soon or if you have time.

How do I know when a tour is available?

You can check the departure dates of tours by using our calendar on the top right hand corner of the tour page. This will tell you what days the tour departs. For availability of seats please contact us directly at info@lostinaustralia.org or call us.

If I make a deposit only, when will I need to pay the balance?

Balance on tours need to be paid at least 30 days prior to departure. Failure to do so could result is the cancellation of your seat with a fee charged. If you need more time to clear your balance then let us know ASAP and arrangements can be made.

Who travels with us

Is it ok to travel alone on one of these tours?

Plenty of travellers book these tours on their own. Solo travellers are very much welcomed and encouraged. During your outback adventure you'll meet new and interesting people and forge relationships that last a lifetime.Solo travellers will usually share a room with a travelling companion of the same sex, but even if you do get your own room you won't be charged extra. On camping tours there are generally enough tents available that you can have your own if you choose to.For more information please contact us directly.

Cost and Fees

Do I need to tip the guide?

If you had an amazing time on tour and wish to tip your guide, that is completely up to you. Tipping is not customary in Australia and is not at all expected.

Will I need additional money?

Travellers are advised to bring some cash, as ATMs and banks can be few and far between in the remote parts of the trip. It is handy to have some extra cash, as the tour does stop by local shops and cafes.

Are there any hidden fees I need to know about?

Our tour prices are completely transparent. There are no additional fees involved that are not included in the overall tour price shown. If you wish to do optional activities such as helicopter rides or wildlife safaris, then an extra cost may be needed. However, this will always be made clear at the time of your booking.

What does Paid Locally mean?

Some tours require you to pay national park fees directly, in cash, to the tour guide on the morning of departure. Rest assured this will be subtracted from the tour price when reserving your tour.

Whilst on tour

Can I book extra accommodation for the start and end of the tour?

We know our country inside and out and would be happy to give you good recommodations. Please contact us for recommendations.

Where do I meet the tour?

For pick-up times and locations, please check the "Start/Finish" section directly under the itinerary, which lists every pick-up point and its time.There is a lot of information there to help you plan your flights and arrival.Please review it carefully, as pick-ups can vary from tour to tour.

Reviews

5.0

Based on 2 reviews

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Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.

How we collect and publish reviews

Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.

Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.

Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.

(5/5)

I've just done the 8-day, 7-night liveaboard to the Coral Sea and Ribbon Reefs, my first ever, and I don't know how I'll top it. Beautiful sites with great coral and abundant fish, fantastic meals and a boat set up perfectly for diving. Huge thanks to the crew for a great week.

Carolyn Drover Verified· Travelled 25th September 2025

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(5/5)

Everything was top notch from check-in to leaving the boat. The week diving the Coral Sea and Cod Hole was exactly the escape I wanted over New Year, diving at my own pace with a buddy or a guide, plenty of food and no contact with the outside world. The only bad part was leaving.

Music Guy Verified· Travelled 10th January 2024

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