Fly Dive Coral Sea

2024 Departure dates: 2, 9, 16, 23 May | 1 August | 12, 26 September | 3, 31 October | 12 December
2025 Departure dates: 2, 9, 16, 23 January | 1, 8, 15, 22 May | 4, 18 September | 2, 16, 30 October
2026 Departure dates: 8, 15, 22, January

4 Nights / 14 Dives. Our best selection of Coral Sea dive sites at Osprey & Bougainville Reef; max out on viz; wall diving, pelagics & sharks.

Expedition Highlights

4 Night Fly Dive Coral Sea featuring:

Osprey Reef – Recently proclaimed Shark Sanctuary; 2-3 shark attraction dives; spectacular topography, sheer walls, soft and hard corals; big fish action in 40 metre visibility.
Bougainville Reef – Dungeons & Dragons labyrinth of caves & caverns, giant potato cod at Crystal Plateau. Coral Sea Dive Sites

Stunning 250km Great Barrier Reef flight from Lizard Is. to Cairns. (Luggage)

Get Spoilt

Spoilsport is Australia’s most awarded liveaboard.
Enjoy sumptuous cuisine and a superb combination of diver conveniences, space & stability.

Weather
The most reliable Coral Sea access is September to January. Spoilsport’s favourite dive locations from the Fly Dive Coral Sea Itineraries will be selected should weather force an itinerary change.

coral-sea-1

Shark Diving

This expedition offers two shark attraction dives: a shark observation dive with around 10 sharks; an exhilarating shark feed with up to 40 sharks. Read more

North Horn - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

Welcome to shark central!  Watch a controlled shark feed with 10-30 grey reef, white-tip reef, silver tip sharks.  Considered a highlight of the expedition.

Fairy Grotto - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

A ‘mountain range’ of big coral bommies flanked by a steep wall dropping to over a 1000 meters. The many small caverns and swim throughs at this site give it its name, the largest of which is spacious enough to fit several divers.

Admiralty Anchor - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

Named after an anchor lodged midway through a tunnel that makes for an exciting swim through. A maze of huge towering bommies are home to plenty of fish and a delight to explore. Below them a sheer wall attracts sharks and occasionally manta rays.

False Entrance - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

This site never disappoints with exciting fish action alongside  colourful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Resident barracuda and schooling big eye trevally make for great photo opportunities, and keep an eye out for cruising hammerheads out in the blue.

Western Wall - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

Drift along a sheer wall plummeting over 1000m, cut with overhangs and grottos lined with soft corals and fans.  Surgeon fish and fusiliers flow up and down the wall like waterfalls. Search for dogtooth tuna, grey reef sharks, barracuda and other pelagics out in the blue.

MV Antonio Tarabocchia - Bougainville Reef - Coral Sea

This cargo ship struck the Reef in 1961. The scattered remains include a huge engine block and propeller which now lie on the gentle sloping terraces of the reef. The clear water, strewn wreckage and abundant fish life, including resident potato cod, make fantastic diving.

Crystal Plateau - Bougainville Reef - Coral Sea

The reef top descends to a spectacular terrace of hard corals at 20-30m before edging over into an abyss hundreds of metres deep. Sea fans and soft corals adorn the reef wall where sharks also patrol.

Dungeons & Dragons - Bougainville - Coral Sea

The reef top here is cut with an incredible maze of caves, tunnels and swim throughs – great to poke around to discover fish and other critters.  Or venture beyond the shallows to a wall descending to around 1000m, where you can find sharks and barracuda.

Scenic reef flight

End with a scenic flight over the reef from Lizard Island back to Cairns. Captain James Cook landed on Lizard Island in 1770, climbing to its peak to search for a way through the labyrinth of coral. He named the island after the many monitor lizards that live here. Scenic flight map.

Dive Site Guarantee!

Spoilsport’s outstanding stability minimizes disruption to your itinerary and your scuba diving experience. If weather forces an itinerary change we divert to the best, ‘safe, accessible sites’ to ensure you get the best scuba diving available. The Coral Sea may not be accessible in strong winds.

All itinerary details are subject to change, specific marine life cannot be guaranteed.

April 2024 – March 2025
CabinPrice
Premium$3545
Standard$3236
Club$2924
Budget$2547

Environmental Management Fee $7.00/day

April 2025 – March 2026
CabinPrices
Premium$3757
Standard$3430
Club$3100
Budget$2700

Environmental Management Fee $7.00/day

Rates include:

  • Accommodation in twin/double cabins
  • Delicious meals & snacks, wine and soft drink are included with the evening meal
  • Tanks, air fills and weight belt
  • Daily cabin service
  • Reef ecology programme
  • Dive computer workshop
  • Transfer to the airport or Cairns hotel after your expedition
  • Scenic flight Lizard Island to Cairns

Please note that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requires us to collect an Environmental Management Charge of $7 per day spent on the Great Barrier Reef.  This amount will be added to your bar bill at the end of your expedition. Click on the links here for extras such as dive courses, photo services and gear hire, plus discounts available. Premium – queen or double bed, private bathroom, ocean views. Standard – twin beds, private bathroom, ocean views. Club – twin bunk beds, private bathroom, no ocean view. Budget – twin bunk beds, share bathroom, no ocean view. Click here to find out more about accommodation.

Itinerary

Sample itinerary, subject to change based on conditions.

Thursday:  

  • Check in at our office (3 Abbott St, Cairns) between 8.30am and 4pm.
  • From 4.30 pm:  Make your own way to meet your fellow passengers. The meeting point for boarding is at 5:30pm, further details will be given at check-in.  Please note that dinner is not provided on the first evening so you may wish to eat before boarding.
  • 5.50 pm: Our crew will lead you to board Spoilsport.  Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing.
  • 6:30 pm:  Spoilsport departs Cairns
  • Time to organise any rental equipment and put your dive gear together on the dive deck.

Friday:  (4 dives + night dive) This is a sample of a ‘typical day’, however exact times may vary to optimise the prevailing weather conditions on the day.

  • 6:30 am: Wake up call, light breakfast available in dining room
  • 7:00 am: Dive brief & diving commences
  • 9:00 am: Full cooked breakfast
  • 10:30 am: Dive briefing & dive. “Open decks” accommodate 1-2 dives either am or pm
  • 2:00 pm: Lunch
  • 3:30 pm: Dive brief & diving
  • 4:30 pm: Afternoon tea
  • 6:30 pm: Night dive brief & dive
  • 8:00 pm: Dinner

Saturday:  (4 dives + night dive)

  • As per above

Sunday: (4 dives)

  • As per above. Exit last dive by 5 pm.
  • As the sun sets we pour the champagne, lay out the nibbles and get ready for an Aussie BBQ party night. Don’t forget to wear your loudest tropical shirt or dress and sing along to music played by our talented crew.
  • Overnight cruise to Lizard Island.

Monday:

  • 7:00 am: Light breakfast
  • 8:00 am: Disembark Spoilsport. Our crew will walk you to the airport on Lizard Island.
  • 9:30 am: Board a light aircraft for a low level flight over the reef back to Cairns (flight time approx. 1 hour).
  • 11:45 am: Land Cairns and courtesy transfer to inner Cairns city hotels, the airport or our office where we can store your luggage until 5pm if you have a later flight.

Important:

  • We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 5pm Sunday).
  • A luggage allowance applies to the flight from Cairns to Lizard Island:
    • 25kg / 55lb per person plus 3kg / 6.5lb – carry on.
    • An additional 10kg/22lb is allowed for professional photo/video housed systems.
Summary
Adventure Diving
Experience
Advanced, or 15 logged ocean dives inc. 5 in last 12 months
Embark
Thursday 6pm – Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
(Check-in before 4pm at the Mike Ball office.)
Disembark
Monday 11:45am - Cairns
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