Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

Liveaboard Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

  • 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole Expedition 3 - 6 October

    Conditions

    35m / 115ft
    visibility
    25°C / 77°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Dain Van Schoyck - USA Malou Axelsten - Sweden Jessica Rocha-Gonzalez - USA
    The dive sites we visited were fantastic but next to that was the care of the crew. All the crew members were always friendly and eager to help. Steve's Bommie and the last night BBQ party were memorable highlights. Everything was great. I don't dive but I must say that snorkelling at the dive site Snake Pit was great - I could see the sea snakes and turtles from the surface. The diving was absolutely amazing, Steve's Bommie in particular was extraordinary! The vessel was impeccable. The staff were extremely friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend this experience.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Marcel Scherzer (compact camera)

    Marcel Scherzer (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Marcel Scherzer (compact camera)

    Marcel Scherzer (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Doug Taylor (compact camera)

    Doug Taylor (compact camera)


  • 4 night Fly Dive Coral Sea 6 - 10 October 2011

    Conditions

    20m / 66ft
    visibility
    24°C / 75.2°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Travis Ball - USA Mark McLaughlin - UK Jason McClure - USA
    It was great to be treated like all of the other divers even with lesser experience. The shark feed was great as was the Cod Hole, although I would have liked to have done a 3rd dive on it. The staff were very friendly and willing to help out and answer questions, they are a credit to the company. I also liked the fact that Mike Ball came onboard and said hello. The shark feed & Cod Hole were the reason I booked this trip & I was not disappointed. Everything was truly world class. The crew stands out as the factor that makes it spectacular. Osprey Reef was amazing - although all dive sites were epic - with the shark feed truly shining as far as professionalism of the crew and the uniqueness of the experience.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Jason McClure (compact camera)

    Jason McClure (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Jason McClure (compact camera)

    Jason McClure (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Travis Ball (compact camera)

    Travis Ball (compact camera)


  • 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole 10 - 13 October

    Martin Reiser (compact camera)

    Martin Reiser (compact camera)


    Ben Bryne (compact camera)

    Ben Bryne (compact camera)


    Conditions

    20m / 66ft
    visibility
    24°C / 75.2°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Damian Frith - Canada Marla Murphy - USA Andrew Shirzad - Australia
    Awesome experience! Great dive sites and local knowledge of both sites and local marine life. Crew were fantastic to share experience and knowledge. Diving in board shorts was great! From the time of booking the communication was great. From DJ & Craig to the airport to the Trip Director and dive staff  - they all work hard and know how to make someone's holiday.The boat set-up is amazing - the crew & boat rocks, we'll be back! The attitude and helpfulness of the crew. They consistently helped when required and offered advice for problems we had without seeming to lecture. Excellent all around. Steve's Bommie was incredible. Night dives at Challenger Bay and Pixie Pinnacle were also fantastic.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)

    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)

    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)

    Sidney Smith (SLR camera)


  • 4 night Fly Dive Coral Sea 13 - 17 October 2011

    Conditions

    50m / 164ft
    visibility
    25°C / 77°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Glenn Hovermann - USA Akiko Murakami - Australia James Yoachim - USA
    High level of courtesy & professionalism - including staff being supportive when I did not wish to dive. Also very important as a new diver - I appreciated the ropes, bar & lines to keep me orientated & feeling safe. It was great to buddy up with fun & experienced divers and having the freedom to dive long dives. Also, sounds contradictory but it was great to get my solo diving qualification. The shark feed at North Horn was absolutely thrilling! The crew are absolutely the best. Spoilsport is a clean, well designed vessel but the crew make the trip. Spectacular weather, great food, wonderful people - top quality all the way. 

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Paulo Silva (compact camera)

    Paulo Silva (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Peter Harris (compact camera)

    Peter Harris (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Peter Harris (compact camera)

    Peter Harris (compact camera)


  • 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole 17 - 20 October

    Conditions

    25m / 82ft
    visibility
    26°C / 78.8°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Kenneth Whitlock - Australia Laura Marchitto - Canada Gonzalo Giribet - USA
    Bougainville & Osprey Reefs were both amazing! I am so glad we went to Bougainville Reef. Seeing cuttlefish, the shark feed, sea snakes, and the small stuff like crystal shrimp was fantastic.I got to improve my scuba diving skills at the most amazing dive sites! As a brand new diver I really appreciated the guided dives, they greatly enhanced my diving experience. The crew really made this trip great! The shark feed, Cod Hole & Steve's Bommie were stand-out dives. You should be very proud of your crew, I have never seen such a happy crew, including the volunteers. Every dive site was a highlight!

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Patrick Meyenberger (compact camera)

    Patrick Meyenberger (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Gonzalo Giribet (compact camera)

    Gonzalo Giribet (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Anne-Chantal Risold (compact camera)

    Anne-Chantal Risold (compact camera)


  • 4 night Fly Dive Coral Sea 20 - 24 October 2011

    Conditions

    70m / 230ft
    visibility
    25°C / 77°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Mark Savel - USA Steve Atkinson - Australia Steve Albon - Australia
    The shark feed was amazing, the crew did a great job setting it up. Overall the crew were helpful, energetic and a pleasure the whole trip. Great sites, big walls, sharks, great reef life and awesome food!

    Excellent level of organisation. Nothing left to chance and all possibilities covered. Very professional and knowledgeable staff who knew their stuff. The Cod Hole, shark feed at Osprey Reef and the Great Barrier Reef in general were amazing.

    A change in itinerary due to weather and we still had great alternate dive sites. All staff from the captain to volunteers were first class. Steve's Bommie and both day & night dives at the Cod Hole were spot-on.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Mark Savel (compact camera)

    Mark Savel (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Dave Longacre (SLR camera)

    Dave Longacre (SLR camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Russ Shoenhard (compact) Click for true format

    Russ Shoenhard (compact) Click for true format


  • 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole 24 - 27 October

    Conditions

    35m / 115ft
    visibility
    26°C / 78.8°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Fred Gebhardt - USA Lena Riebesehl - Australia Philip Clark - Australia

    Exceptional colours and  exceptional staff.  Challenger Bay, Clam Beds and Steve's Bommie were dive highlights.

    Great group!.Very welcoming, helpful and friendly staff. Great security dive wise - very safe & very strict in the dive rules (which is good). My first night dive was amazing. The Cod Hole, Lighthouse Bommie and Steve's Bommie were three great dive sites. The scenic flight was a highlight. The trip was well organised with a little bit extra compared to my previous dives out of Cairns.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Pat Longacre (SLR camera)

    Pat Longacre (SLR camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Paul Hallinan (compact camera)

    Paul Hallinan (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Dave Longacre (SLR camera)

    Dave Longacre (SLR camera)


  • 4 night Fly Dive Coral Sea 27 - 31 October 2011

    Josh Passenger (1st compact)

    Josh Passenger (1st compact)


    Tim Trim (2nd compact)

    Tim Trim (2nd compact)


    Chris Pohl (3rd compact)

    Chris Pohl (3rd compact)


    Conditions

    30m / 98ft
    visibility
    26°C / 78.8°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Marco Koepfli - Switzerland Pat Longacre - USA Susan Brown - Australia
    Amazing staff on the boat. I really enjoyed being part of this wonderful diving experience, thank you very much.  The shark feed at North Horn and Steve's Bommie were my favourite dive sites. The coral is beautiful and the reefs are great. You are very fortunate to have a great crew and volunteers, they make sure your trip is unforgettable. Highlights include the clown fish, corals, colours, potato cod, sea snakes, turtles and taking lots of photos. I love the open dive deck, the freedom on the dives and the lack of crowding on the boat and in the water.  Seeing the scorpion fish was great.

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Xanthe Rivett (SLR camera)

    Xanthe Rivett (SLR camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Dale Southern (SLR camera)

    Dale Southern (SLR camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Xanthe Rivett (SLR camera)

    Xanthe Rivett (SLR camera)


  • 3 night Fly Dive Cod Hole 31 October - 3 November

    Conditions

    20m / 66ft
    visibility
    26°C / 78.8°F
    water temperature

    Guest Comments

    Kim Endean - Australia Vanessa Walduck - UK Erika Barber - USA
    The staff were all so attentive with great customer service, I knew that they were 'all about the guest experience' and their teamwork was a pleasure to witness. The Pixie Pinnacle dive site was a highlight. The trip was seamless, everything was exceptionally well organised and as fairly new divers we felt very well supported. Diving the Great Barrier Reef was amazing - Steve's Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle, Pixie Gardens & Lighthouse Bommie are all stand out sites. I have never seen sea snakes before so that was a great experience. The Mike Ball staff went out of their way to accommodate all my needs - they got to know each guest personally. Captain Peter is awesome!

    Guest Photo Competition - (Click on images to enlarge)

    1st Place: 
    Dale Southern (compact camera)

    Dale Southern (compact camera)


    2nd Place: 
    Marco Koepfli (compact camera)

    Marco Koepfli (compact camera)


    3rd Place: 
    Dirk Zimoch (compact camera)

    Dirk Zimoch (compact camera)