Liveaboard Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

May 2009 Expeditions.

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4th - 7th May 2009 Great Barrier Reef and Cod Hole

Batfish at Challenger Bay

Fusiliers at Lighthouse Bommie

Steve's Bommie on the Ribbon Reefs

Conditions

20m / 66ft

visibility

24°C / 75.2°F

water temperature

Guest Comments

Leanne Conn, South Africa	Beth Payne, Canada	Kevin Sanchez, USA
"Staff were excellent. Excellent information and communication. Great Vibe!"	"We are new divers and we were made to feel comfortable and safe...even when we screwed up. Thanks to Richard, Shea and Trent for making us welcome. The whole crew were friendly and helpful, see you on the slopes Jimmy James, keep singing Capt. Pete and Anita - you work too hard!"	"Everything was great. Best one ever...so far. Thanks for everything."

Mike Ball Dive Expedition Guests

Mike Ball Dive Crew

Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Ornate Ghostpipefish with eggs

2nd Place:

Moray Eel and Cleaner Shrimp

3rd Place:

Ornate Ghostpipefish

7th - 11th May 2009 Coral Sea Expedition

Cod and Diver

Giant Clam

Shrouded Coral

Conditions

25m / 82ft

visibility

27°C / 80.6°F

water temperature

Guest Comments

Bill Pottinger, USA	Robert Rand, USA	Vijai Ranawat, UK, Aust, India
"Professional operation, reasonable dive policies (individual dive plans, safety precautions, etc) Everyone was great!"	"The crew was outstanding. Sterling the Engineer was very helpful with a problem with my camera housing. All other crew were also very helpful."	"Friendliness, approachability of staff - all excellent. Kerrin in particular was very good."

Guests

Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video and Photo Pro Julia Summerling (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Cuttlefish

2nd Place:

Spinecheek Anenome

3rd Place:

Sweetlip

11th - 14th May 2009 Great Barrier Reef and Cod Hole

Conditions

25m / 82ft

visibility

27°C / 80.6°F

water temperature

Guest Comments

Dave Flemming, USA	Randa Chickakli, USA	Amy Hale, USA
"All Staff are class 'A' people"	"Boat was very well catered to divers - great dive deck, equipment and dive personnel. Food was great! I know I gained 5 pound!!"	"Crew were phenomenal. Always helpful and friendly. These guys never stop working. Kerrin was a phenomenal guide - best ever! Pointed out everything. Rich and Shea were very, very helpful - it would be hard to find better staff. Food was amazing too. And of course, you can't beat the sea and the sights. I learned a lot too!"

Guests

Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video and Photo Pro Julia Summerling (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Giant Potato Cod

2nd Place:

Colourful Nudibranch

3rd Place:

Bumphead Parrot Fish

14th - 18th May 2009 - Coral Sea Expedition

School time in the Coral Sea
School time in the Coral Sea

Up close and personal...
Up close and personal...

Soft Coral
Soft Coral

Conditions

20m / 66ft
visibility

24°C / 75.2°F
water temperature

Guest Comments

Gong Wei (Singapore) - "Great diving experience, especially the Shark feeding part!"
Hamish Baird (Scotland) - "Apart from the superb diving, enjoyed the informative "mud maps', liked the encouragement to independently buddy dive. Very impressed with the teamwork in your crew - they all lend a hand to help each other out. Great team. Hard to improve - exceptional service."
Jesse Krauss (USA) - "The diving - being able to do 14 dives over a 3 day period. Exhausting but incredible."

Guests

Guests

Crew
Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video and Photo Pro Julia Summerling (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Potato Cod
Potato Cod
© Mark Wilson

2nd Place:

Silvertips
Silvertips
© Mark Wilson

3rd Place:

Flowery Cod
Flowery Cod
© Wilson Ng
18th May - 21st May 2009 Great Barrier Reef and Cod Hole

Blennie on an Ascidian at Steve's Bommie

Schooling around the light at Steve's Bommie

Diving Steve's Bommie
Diving Steve's Bommie

Conditions

25m / 82ft
visibility

27°C / 80.6°F
water temperature

Guest Comments

KIM BLAKESLY, USA - "The crew were attentive without being over bearing. Excellent job by all :o)"
CLIVE NETHERSOLE, UK - "Getting to dive the Great Barrier Reef on reefs that were in good condition. I have dived the Great Barrier Reef 7 years ago in the south areas. It was over dived and the coral was broken. This was much better!"
JAYNE MILLICAN, UK - "Everything was great - people, weather, dive sites - everything!"

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video and Photo Pro Julia Summerling (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Trumpetfish
Trumpetfish
© Rudy Van Der Korput

2nd Place:

Sweetlip
Sweetlip
© Albert Schwartz

3rd Place:

Yawning Sweetip
Yawning Sweetip
© Rudy Van Der Korput
21st - 25th May 2009 Coral Sea Expedition

Camoflaging Hawkfish
Camoflaging Hawkfish

Reef scene at Steve's Bommie
Reef scene at Steve's Bommie

View from Lizard Island
View from Lizard Island

Conditions

25m / 82ft
visibility

26°C / 78.8°F
water temperature

Guest Comments

STEVEN BURNS (USA) - "Great staff and diving with the perfect weather. Detailed dive instruction. Everything was great!"
YAP CHIE GHEUNG (NETHERLANDS) - "The atmosphere on the boat and the great, ever happy crew with the amazing food!"
CELIO SANTOS (BRAZIL) - "To be so very close to the sharks"

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video and Photo Pro Julia Summerling (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Big Eye Jacks
Big Eye Jacks
© Mark Kirkman

2nd Place:

Reef Scene
Reef Scene
© Jeff Peters

3rd Place:

Squirrelfish
Squirrelfish
© Mark Kirkman
25th May - 28th May 2009 Great Barrier Reef and Cod Hole

Thorny Oyster
Thorny Oyster

Coral Walls
Coral Walls

Regal Angelfish
Regal Angelfish

Conditions

25m / 82ft
visibility

27°C / 80.6°F
water temperature

Guest Comments

NATHAN MULHOLLAND - AUSTRALIA: The diving was great, food was awesome and crew amazing!
GEOFF PETERS - NEW ZEALAND: The friendliness of all staff members and the care they took with planning the dives.
MIKE CLINGEMPEEL - USA: A complete experience. Unity of crew, competency of crew, rally a complete, enjoyable, safe and fun experience.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video & Photo Pro Laurence Buckingham (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Green Turtle
Green Turtle
© Sue Barns

2nd Place:

Cod and Diver
Cod and Diver
© Sue Barns

3rd Place:

Lionfish
Lionfish
© Sue Barns
28th May - 1st June 2009 Coral Sea Expedition

Shark Feed at North Horn
Shark Feed at North Horn

Vibrant Coral
Vibrant Coral

Shark and divers
Shark and divers

Conditions

20m / 66ft
visibility

24°C / 75.2°F
water temperature

Guest Comments

CAM FI LAW - U.K: Fantastic dive sites, excellent service from warm, friendly crew.
EMILY CORKHILL - AUSTRALIA: Professional staff, amazing food, great gear, fab diving, comfortable boat, everything exceeded expectations. Thankyou!
DENNIS JUNO - USA: Service by the crew - did all they could to make you happy. Very accommodating, crew worked very well together. Kerrin did an excellent job of managing the trip.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Guests

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Crew

Guest Photo Competition - Judged by Video & Photo Pro Lawrence Buckingham (Click on images to enlarge)

1st Place:

Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
© Sara Guselli

2nd Place:

Red Lionfish
Red Lionfish
© Andrew Henderson

3rd Place:

Green Turtle
Green Turtle
© Karleen Smith