Ashmore Exploratory – Far Northern Reefs – Coral Sea

2023 Departure dates: 30 November.

7 Nights – 27 Dives. A rare opportunity to visit the remote and pristine reefs of Ashmore Reef. Dive with hundreds of turtles at Raine Island & descend on the historic wrecks of the Pandora and Quetta.

Highlights
Dive Site Map
Itinerary
Prices

Highlights:

Remote rarely visited reefs with incredible coral.
Raine Island – See hundreds of turtles at the world’s biggest green turtle nesting site. Tiger sharks are attracted to the nesting turtles.
Pandora Wreck – Historic wreck sunk in 1791 with 35 crew and mutineers from HMS Bounty.
Ashmore Reef – Plunge into the unknown, spectacular and remote.
Great Detached Reef – Big fans, hard and soft corals & pelagics.
Quetta Wreck – Jewel of the Far North.

Horn Island

Embark at Horn Island 4:00pm.
Options for further travel vary. Daily scheduled flights from Cairns to Horn Island are available & should be arranged by the individual.

Ashmore Reef

Mysterious , isolated, rarely visited. Thought to be the graveyard of dozens of 19^th century ships, Ashmore Reef lies further north than many parts of PNG. The reef was not officially named until the 1960s, and remains largely unsurveyed. Be part of a genuine voyage of discovery, and help unlock the secrets of this final frontier.

Pandora Wreck

HMS Pandora is a dive into history like no other. This Royal Navy ship sank in 1791 in 33m with the loss of 35 crew and mutineers from HMS Bounty. Much of the wooden structure has perished however the anchor and stove are the highlights of this historically important site.

Raine Island

Between 40,000-100,000 green turtles visit Raine Island each year to lay their eggs in the warm sands. The island is not accessible to the public, but the reefs surrounding it are excellent for diving. The pristine coral here is some of the best we’ve seen anywhere.

Great Detached Reef

The 46km of fringing reef here give us some great sites to choose from. See fields of hard coral down to 30m at Turmoil, plus beautiful soft corals, fans and whips at Twin Peaks, Oh My Bommie, Cracker and Big Woody. This reef is home to masses of marine life, large & small.

RMS Quetta

The RMS Quetta sank on the night of 28 February 1890, after striking an uncharted rock. At the time, it was Queensland’s worst maritime disaster. Today, the RMS Quetta lies on her port side in 18m of water and is an excellent dive site in terms of wreck, reef and fish. The wreck diving jewel of the far north.

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

See best detail!

Expedition prices, per person in Australian dollars.

Ashmore Exploratory – Far Northern Reefs - 7 Night
Cabin	Price
Premium	$6272
Standard	$5778
Club	$5074
Budget	$4354

Environmental Management Fee $7 per day (subject to change)
Horn Island flight not included.

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

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requires us to collect an Environmental Management Charge of $19.50. 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.

Itinerary

Ashmore Exploratoryt Itinerary (Horn Island to Horn Island – 27 dives)

Sample itinerary, subject to change based on conditions.

Please note: Boarding this expedition is ex Horn Island onboard Spoilsport, (commercial flight to Horn Island not included and to be arranged by yourself). Disembarkation is Horn Island.

Thursday:

4.00 pm board Spoilsport at Horn Island Pier.
4.30 pm depart for Great Detached Reef.
Time to organise any rental equipment and put your dive gear together on the dive deck.
7.00 pm Dinner

Friday: (4 dives + night dive) Great Detached Reef and Raine Island.