News

15th July 2010 and excited passengers boarded Spoilsport in Cairns, along with a few special guests.  Travelling onboard this expedition with the passengers were special guests Ty Sawyer (Edit

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Minke whales are incredible, being able to join them in their own environment, and on their terms is sensational.  Now imagine seven days on a dedicated Mike Ball Dive Minke Whale expedition w

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 Papalagi Diving School dive with Dive 7 Seas and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions 

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The Great Barrier Reef is famous for its diversity and at Mike Ball Dive Expeditions our liveaboard Spoilsport is lucky enough to visit one of the most prized regions of this reef system: the Ribbo

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The winner has been decided!  During 2009-2010 Mike Ball Dive Expeditions and Dive Log Magazine have been running a joint competition.  The lucky winner of this competition wins a spot on a weeklong Mike Ball Dive Expedition...

 

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Congratulations to Troy Mayne who is the overall winner of this year’s onboard photography competition.

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On Thursday 14th April at 8.50am, the first minke whale of the season was spotted.

Spoilsport crew recorded the sighting at Steve’s Bommie on the Ribbon Reef section of the Great Barrier Reef and researchers from James Cook University’s Minke Whale Project were informed. While it is regarded as an early sighting, researchers’ earliest recorded spotting occurred on April 9, 2003.

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AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY - Minke Whale Expedition - ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT

Join the Eye to Eye Marine Encounters Team...on an Official Australian Geographic Expedition as they get up close and personal with the world’s friendliest marine mammal, the Dwarf Minke Whale. Snorkel and dive the remote northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef between educational and awe-inspiring encounters with these inquisitive animals. Interpretive lectures on whale biology, behaviour and identification by Minke Whale Project researchers will enhance your experience and allow you to connect with nature as never before…

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Frog Dive group report on their Coral Sea Safari.  The expedition visited: Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea, the Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs.  Great fun was had by all, with everyone loving the Cod Hole and the Shark feed, and the 40meter visibility at Osprey was unbelievable. Highlights were the Mantas, Captains Petes singing and Oliver winning the photo comp. Thanks for a great trip we will definitley be back again next year.

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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions were featured on the Undewater Channel at the NEC in Birmingham for Dive Show 2009.  The Underwater Channel.tv were at the Dive Show to film exclusive coverage of the exciting Dive Show weekend. Check out Mike in action...

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In mid-February a team of divers walked into the Mike Ball office looking to head out to the Coral Sea. The shark population at Osprey Reef has received a lot of attention recently and the team from Shark Revolution were here to check it out. Shark Revolution is a communication project "from the shark's mouth". Through imagery and writing the team aim to educate through their website, a series of children's books and a body of photographic works.

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Renowned shark research Richard Fitzpatrick, Eye to Eye Marine Encounters and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions are once again teaming up to bring you a weeklong shark expedition.  For more information visit our Extraordinary Expeditions, contact us or view the expedition report and photos from John Rumney (Eye to Eye Marine Encounters) of last years expedition, which sold out well in advance and was a great success.

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The Cairns Underwater Festival is now in its 4th year and is growing in popularity.  This year, a new and exciting addition to the successful Festival will be the Cairns Underwater Photo Competition, which will include 'macro', 'fauna and flora', 'man and the sea' and 'young photographer' categories.  Here are the details...

 

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I first met Mike Ball in Connecticut on a cold winter night in January 2007. Snow was piled up about three feet, around the local dive shop. About thirty of us ventured out to hear about diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. And we weren’t disappointed. His presentation to the dive club stirred the imagination, and raised the desire to make a journey to that far off land down under. There was no question about it, we were going to Australia... read on...
 

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Merry Christmas from the team at Mike Ball Dive Expeditions. 

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Mike has just returned from six weeks visiting friends and divers in Australia, UK and USA. During this time Mike also attended Dive 2009 (UK) and DEMA (USA).

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Win an Exotic Critter and Big Animal Expedition valued at $3462. Aboard Spoilsport with Barry Andrewartha and Mike Ball.

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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions have once again teamed up with Underwater Australasia to sponsor an underwater imagery competition.  This time the inaugural Video Competition.

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Join the Eye to Eye Marine Encounters Team...on an Official Australian Geographic Expedition as they get up close and personal with the world’s friendliest marine mammal, the Dwarf Minke Whale. Snorkel and dive the remote northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef between educational and awe-inspiring encounters with these inquisitive animals. Interpretive lectures on whale biology, behaviour and identification by Minke Whale Project researchers will enhance your experience and allow you to connect with nature as never before…

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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions were recently awarded 'Travelling in Australia's - Best Dive Experience' award and ranked as one of Australia's '20 Best Experiences'.   Here is what Travelling

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Congratulations to Aaron Smith who won this year's onboard photo competition.  Mike deliberated on the winner for quite some time as there were many great photographs in the running to win.&nb

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On the 6th November 2007 Mike Ball Dive Expeditions was awarded an Advanced Ecotourism Certification through the Nature an

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It started to get a bit repetitive. People glancing at their watches to check that it wasn’t April the 1st, or waiting for a punch line. “Sorry, you fair dinkum Trev?

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Writer, Viarne Mischon, came aboard Spoilsport for a Minke Whale Expedition in June this year. Her article featured in "Ecos" magazine, the publication of the Commonswealth Scientific and Industrial Reseach Organisation.

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In 2004, at Grand Cayman Island, Mike Ball joined diving great like Jacques Yves Cousteau and Hans Hass as an inductee into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.

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Fodor’s Travel, the foremost name in travel publishing, has named Mike Ball Dive Expeditions as a 2008 Fodor’s Choice selection. This distinction recognizes a remarkable achievement and the team at Mike Ball are very pleased to have their efforts recognized in this way...

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