Reef Reports
1 - 5 June 2017
4 Night - FLY DIVE CORAL SEA EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
20m / 66ft
Water temperature
26°C / 79°F
Guest Reviews
Christine McKeiver - United States
Gotham City night dive was my first night dive & boy was it epic! Also loved Cracker Jack & Steve's Bommie.
Steven Furlong - Australia
Third time on Mike Ball & staff always excellent. Special mention to Darren the Chef.
Courtney Sikora - United States
Coral Kingdom! It was so colourful! Exactly what you picture diving to be on the Great Barrier Reef. Once in a lifetime experience!
5 - 8 June 2017
3 Night - FLY DIVE COD HOLE EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
20m / 66ft
Water temperature
26°C / 79°F
Guest Reviews
Clive Lam - Australia
Very comfortable & spacious, great food, helpful crew & enjoyed the ability to explore at own pace.
Eric Krejci - United States
Diving the Bommie sites was incredible, spiraling up through the different types of life was beautiful.
Jennifer Mills - United Kingdom
Dive highlights were seeing dolphins, minkes, sharks, sea snakes & the the team onboard making sure I had the best experience.
8 - 12 June 2016
4 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Ken Stegall - Australia
Minke whale experience is so unique, food & accommodation are excellent. Lighthouse & Steve's Bommie are very beautiful.
Meizi Zhu - China
There are so many whales! Food is awesome! Staff are super nice! Thanks everyone!
Sarah Oberholtzer - United States
My first liveaboard & I know I will be back to Mike Ball. My first experience on the GBR couldn't have been spent better with anyone else.
Minke Spectacular!
From the dive deck, Kiana Saltarelli, 8-15 June
Minke season started with a bang! We had twelve sightings this week and guests had up to seven encounters; the longest lasting three hours! They put on a spectacular show, with several belly presentations, spy-hops and some motor boating. A curious cod sat in on the orientation skills at the Cod Hole, while three marble rays thrilled divers at Gotham City.
12 - 15 June 2016
3 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
35m / 115ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Liam Osborne - Australia
Love the liveaboard feel. Spending a few days with people from all different walks of life sharing the same enthusiasim.
Katie Osborne - Australia
Biodiversity was amazing! Seeing whales, sharks, eels... The group & staff were all so much fun.
Izabela Sajdok - Australia
Diving sites & service on Spoilsport was incredible. Also seeing whales was a life experience.
15 - 19 June 2016
4 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
20m / 66ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Stan Kenton - Australia
The whole experience was above our expectations. The staff extremely friendly & professional. Highlight without a doubt were the minke whale encounters.
Lauren Harrell - United States
Everything about this trip was fantastic! The crew professional & fun, dive sites great, food superb. The minke whale experience was incredible.
Katie Marcar - New Zealand
The staff were great. We swam with minke whales, absolutely incredible! Dived with turtles, nudibranchs & the coral was fantastic.
All about the Minkes
From the dive deck, Jelle Kolet, 15-22 June
For all the guests on board Spoilsport this trip has been a once in a lifetime experience. During this expedition the Minke whale interactions have been incredible. Up to 20 whales at one time making close passes and breaching directly next to exhilarated guests. Having these large marine mammals looking you in the eye is an indescribable special experience. Photo Competition
1stJames Lauder (Compact)2ndPeter O'Donoughue (Compact)3rdGregory Marcar (Compact)
19 - 22 June 2017
3 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Scott Atwood - United States
The crew warm, friendly, knowledgeable & helpful. The peak of lifetime experiences were the absolutely amazing minke whale encounters!
Bruce Hendry - Australia
Minke whale encounters were an overload of my senses!
Nicole Smelson - United States
Everything was amazing & exceeded all expectations. Could not have been better!
22 - 26 June 2017
4 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
25m / 82ft
Water temperature
25°C / 77°F
Guest Reviews
Sarah Schmidt - United States
Minke came super close! Incredible diving & loved party night with the singing.
Carly Magier - United States
Amazing whale experiences! The whales kept on coming unbelievably breathtaking! The crew were wonderful & helpful.
Sam Hanzalik - Australia
Customer service without a doubt the best I've ever come across!
Minke season is going strong!
From the dive deck, Kiana Saltarelli, 22-29 June
Minke season continued its magic this week; guests were surrounded with more than ten minke whales at one time! In water encounters got as close as a metre, including belly presentations and bubble blasts. They were even spotted breaching from the deck of Spoilsport! An octopus and cod became hunting buddies at Lighthouse Bommie, while turtles made multiple appearances during dives.
26 - 29 June 2017
3 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - GF
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
25°C / 77°F
Guest Reviews
Suzy Claxton - Australia
The whales were an epic experience! Such a diverse range of marine life on the different dive sites.
Mimi Raleigh - United States
I don't dive but the minke encounters definitely took the cake! Dive staff did an excellent job of making sure everyone had an awesome time.
Cornelia Szustka - United States
Minke whale encounters. The crew and everything in between. Again I fell in love with the minke whales.
29 June - 3 July 2017
4 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
20m / 66ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Brian Fanning - USA
We had multiple minke whale encounters. The huge turtles and minkes we encountered at Snake Pit were a highlight.
Ellie Hunt - Australia
I wasn't expecting the vibrancy of the coral given the bleaching reports. Amazing wildlife - minkes; sharks; turtles; snakes; cuttlefish, etc.
Laura Schick - USA
Interacting with the minkes and learning about them directly from Dr Alastair Birtles was awesome. The crew genuinely cared about providing a positive experience.
75 Whales!
From the dive deck, Jelle Kolet, 29 June - 3 July
Dr Alastair Birtles of the Minke Whale Project enthralled the guests with his minke presentations. The minkes were attracted also as 75 unique whales were recorded by ecstatic divers and snorkelers during 26.36hrs over the expedition. Steve’s Bommie was once again the most popular dive site.
Photo Competition
1stCameron Springett (compact)2ndCameron Springett (compact)3rdCameron Springett (compact)