A 4 night liveaboard dive trip to the Coral Sea, beginning on a Sunday morning with a 200 km flight from Cairns along the coast and over the Great Barrier Reef to remote Lizard Island (Jiigurru), where the crew welcome you aboard the Spirit of Freedom.
Days
- 5 days, 4 nights
Age
- 16+
Group size
- Small group
Start / finish
- Cairns / Cairns
- Cairns hotel, around 8am on day 5
Return
- Cairns hotel, around 8am on day 5
Accommodation
- Cabin with private bathroom on board the Spirit of Freedom, from quad share to stateroom
Transport
- Hotel coach transfer, light aircraft to Lizard Island, then the liveaboard dive vessel back to Cairns
Meals
- Lunch and dinner on day 1, 4 meals a day after that, breakfast on the last morning; wine and soft drinks with dinner
Route
Included experiences
- Lizard Island — scenic flight from Cairns
- Ribbon Reef Number 9 and 10 — two afternoon dives
- Osprey Reef — two days of wall diving and a night dive
- North Horn — shark attraction dive
- Ribbon Reef Number 3 — Steve's Bommie and Temple of Doom
- Bougainville Reef — caverns and wreck, in special conditions
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 12 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 12 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the crew's professionalism, warmth and hospitality, along with the quality of the food prepared on board and the standard of diving instruction and safety measures. What stands out most frequently is the exceptional quality of the reefs visited, particularly Osprey Reef, where guests encounter abundant marine life including sharks, rays, turtles and, notably, minke whales, alongside the crew's ability to find divable sites even in challenging weather conditions. The most common caveat is that the boat crossings to the outer reefs can be rough, with some guests noting that sleeping can be difficult, though travellers acknowledge this is made bearable by clear pre-departure briefings and the overall quality of the experience.
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.
We loved our 4 night Coral Sea and Ribbon Reef trip. After a first afternoon on the Ribbon Reefs the weather let us reach Osprey, Bougainville and Holmes reefs, with healthy coral walls, plenty of sharks, a hammerhead and a giant manta. Diving is self-guided but guides were always in the water. James, Fernanda, Jamie and Taku were superb, and chef Murray's meals were unique every day.
We did the 4 day trip to the Coral Sea and it was the best dive trip I've done. Leo and the crew were probably the best part, and Osprey Reef was something else.
My second trip with them, this time the 5 day, 4 night Osprey Reef trip. Everything was well organised with strict safety and a relaxed atmosphere. Having a Chinese-speaking guide, David, on board was a great addition, and I'd love to see a few more Asian-style meals.
Our Coral Sea 4 night trip was made easy by a great crew, with great food and diving, and we even saw minke whales. Be aware the crossing can be rough and sleep difficult, but it's worth it.
I did the 4 night trip this week. The crossing from the Ribbon Reefs to Osprey was rough but we knew what to expect from the briefing by Captain Tony and James. The dive masters, especially David, kept us safe, and Joost's cooking was second to none.
An incredible four nights, with four dives a day. Safety was always the priority on the long overnight crossings to Osprey Reef, James gave detailed briefings, Lily was a fantastic dive master, and chef Joost put real thought into my wife's vegetarian meals.
