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| Date: 31 January, 2006 |
Vessel: Spoilsport |
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Guest Photo Competition
1st Place
Congratulations to Russell Scott for taking this colourful underwater photograph of a lion fish. |
2nd Place
Russell Scott - fan.
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3rd Place
Russell Scott - sea snake.
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Guest Comments |
Cara Bloomfield, New Zealand. "Diving! Seeing many new species of animals. meeting many wonderful people, having a laugh, learning a new type of diving." |
| Joan Boyles, USA. "The layout of the boat was great." |
Caroline Townsend, Australia. "Dive staff were great. Skipper Pete kept us all entertained where he could. Food was fantastic. My Reindeer Club mates were great company." |
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| Date: 17 January, 2006 |
Vessel: Spoilsport |
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Guest Photo Competition
1st Place
Congratulations to Brian Kuner for getting this fantastic underwater photograph of schooling damsels and anemone fish. |
2nd Place
Greg Oppenhuizen - lion fish.
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3rd Place
Jim Raymont - gray reef shark.
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Guest Comments |
Brian Kuner, USA. "The Yongala wreck is outstanding especially since the current was low." |
| Luke Salmon, Australia. "Good laughs with the crew, they were a lot of fun." |
Danielle Go, UK. "Experience of diving with a safe crew and progressing in my diving."
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| Date: 13 January, 2006 |
Vessel: Spoilsport |
Written by Trip Director, Daniel Foote
Aussie's were the flavour of the week this expedition with Dive 2000 from Sydney again out with us for some fantastic diving at Wheeler Reef and the SS Yongala.
Cuttlefish, eagle rays, a wobbegong and bull rays were a definite highlight at the reef with Mu and his trusty film camera again running out of shots at the most inappropriate time, much to his disappointment. With over 30 metres visibility again at Wheeler Reef we were again subjected to awesome dives. With a day and a half at the SS Yongala we were, again, excited to be there, with only two trips to go from Townsville, the whole boat wanted to make the most of the time available. Josie, the group leader (who was camera-less this trip) with over 2500 dives without seeing a manta ray, knew it would be her luck to drop straight onto the wreck and onto the same manta ray that has been there for the last week and a half. Did it happen? Of course it did with everyone being treated to numerous encounters with it feeding and being cleaned on the bow of the wreck.
With only small amounts of current nobody could have wished for better diving conditions so a night dive was in order and the colours were as vibrant as ever and the marine life as extraordinary with sleeping giant turtles, arrow crabs and even a bull ray being seen. With the night dive the glass fish, which have been covering the wreck in recent months, went into hiding making it possible to see well inside the wreck with the torches.
Ranieri all the way from Brazil kept the boat entertained with his fantastic guitar skills and singing ability throughout the BBQ night and Gavin from the Gold Coast took out the on board guest photo competition with a magnificent shot of a flowery cod with its mouth open. Once again another brilliant expedition aboard the M.V. Spoil Sport. |
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Guest Photo Competition
1st Place
Congratulations to Gavin Phillips for getting this great close-up of a flowery cod. |
2nd Place
Richard Foate - Wheeler Reef.
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3rd Place
Gavin Phillips - sea snake.
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Guest Comments |
Les Schumen, Australia. "Awesome marine life, great people, great facilities."
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| Muhunthan Kanagaratnam, Australia. "Good diving, but good staff as well." |
| Diane Foate, Australia. "Seeing these pristine dive locations from the comfort and security of a large vessel. Seeing my first manta ray. The extraordinary fish life on the Yongala. Being constantly pampered by the staff. Eating Warwick's eggs Florentine in the middle of the ocean." |
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| Date: 10 January, 2006 |
Vessel: Spoilsport |
Written by Trip Director, Daniel Foote
Spoilsport… fantastic again!! With 17 passengers from a wide range of countries including; UK , France , Switzerland , Australia , and even Nisha all the way from Sri Lanka to some of the best the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.
The first day was spent on Wheeler Reef with it, again, being it’s usual brilliant self. Reports came back from dives that they saw shovel nose rays, white-tip reef sharks, schooling barracuda, moray eels and octopus again being hassled by coral trout. Markus and Tanja from Switzerland even saw three ribbon eels which was very exciting for everybody! Rave reviews were given by everyone about the huge and healthy diversity of corals, abundance of marine life and great visibility.
We made our way to the SS Yongala for the next day and a half which was brilliant, with nearly everybody of board getting a very long and extremely up close look at one of the biggest manta rays we had ever seen just sitting on the top of the wreck and enjoying the close attention being given by a school of cleaner wrasse. Everyone was extremely excited with some divers coming back with stories of having seen white spotted eagle rays, shovel nose rays and a second manta ray. Whilst watching the manta most didn’t even give any notice to the huge Queensland grouper coming within arms reach of them. The dusk dive was as entertaining as ever with the huge giant trevally feeding and causing some very interesting moments with the inferior sized divers.
All in all a great trip to be had by everyone and with only 3 and a half weeks to the move up North there is only limited time at both sites so everybody was glad to have the opportunity whilst it lasts. Congratulations to Nisha for her fantastic photo of a manta ray which won the on board guest photo competition. |
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Guest Photo Competition
1st Place
Congratulations to Nishamani Jinadasa for taking this great manta ray photograph. |
2nd Place
Matt Coulter - damsel.
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3rd Place
Richard Brown - turtle.
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Guest Comments |
| Jamie Powter, Australia. "Ease, food and diving was very well organized - very nice." |
| Richard Brown, Australia. "Nice boat, good accommodation, great food and nice friendly staff." |
| David Martin, Australia. "First dive on the Yongala - current was nice and strong - under the bow was fantastic." |
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| Date: 3 January, 2006 |
Vessel: Spoilsport |
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Guest Photo Competition
1st Place
Congratulations to Jeanette Lockard for taking this underwater photograph of a unicorn fish. |
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2nd Place
Craig Gibson - cabbage coral.
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3rd Place
Wayne Cooper - diver.
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Guest Comments |
| Ricky Ramieraz, USA. "Scuba Zoo was amazing." |
| Bob Clark, USA. "On top of all the great diving the crew took wonderful care of us. Good safety procedures." |
| Dudley Small, USA. "Overall experience was very positive, diving was excellent." |
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