Shark Shooter Expedition - Coral Sea

Improve your photography techniques. Join underwater photographer Damien Siviero on his daily underwater photography workshops.

Shark Shooter 7 nights – 26 Dives  – Combines 4 nights in the Coral Sea with a focus on sharks and 3 nights on the Ribbon Reefs capturing the diverse macro opportunities.

Shark Shooter 4 nights – 14 Dives  – Adventure diving in the Coral Sea. Excellent visibility, exciting wall diving and shark action.

7 Night Shark Shooter Expedition featuring:

  • Daily workshops with award winning photographer Damien Siviero.
  • Weather permitting, our best selection of Coral Sea dives at
    Bougainville & Osprey plus the best Ribbon Reefs.
  • Bougainville – Plummeting clear blue waters, giant potato cod.
    Spectacular big fish action at Crystal Plateau.
    Explore the Dungeons & Dragons labyrinth of caves & caverns.
    Dive the scattered remains of MV Antonio Tarabocchia
  • Osprey – Big fish action in 40 meter visibility.
    Shark attraction dives. 100’s of sharks.
    Spectacular topography, visibility & pelagics at False Entrance.
    Witness the amazing Amphitheatre shark frenzy.
  • Ribbon Reefs Best fish & coral biodiversity.
    Cod Hole, Snake Pit, Lighthouse Bommie & Pixie Pinnacle.
    Goggle Gardens, Blue Lagoon, Flare Point & Trolly Shoals.
    Steve’s Bommie, best fish biodiversity.

3 Night Macro Shootout follows the 4 Night Shark Shooter Expedition. Damien Siviero runs daily workshops for you to capture that iconic macro shot. For more details click here Macro Shootout Expedition.

Get Spoilt

Spoilsport is Australia’s most awarded liveaboard.
Enjoy sumptuous cuisine and a superb combination of diver conveniences, space & stability.

Weather
Spoilsport’s favourite dive locations will be selected should weather force an itinerary change.

Shark Shooter Expedition

At Mike Ball we love sharks, so of course we aren’t shooting them! This expedition is a must-do for divers with a passion for underwater photography and sharks. Weather permitting, Coral Sea atolls of Holmes, Bougainville and Osprey.

Getting that iconic Shark Shot

Daily shark photography workshops by renowned shark shooter Damien Siviero. An accomplished technical and recreational diver with a passion for the underwater world, Damien will coach you on his techniques to achieve that iconic shark shot.

Amazing - Holmes Reef - Coral Sea

Pristine white sand slopes up from the depths until cut off by tall bommies that lead to the shallow reef wall patrolled by grey reef and silver tip sharks. The wall is peppered with beautifully arched passageways  big enough to fit a small car.

Nonki Bommie - Holmes Reef - Coral Sea

Nonki bommie thrusts to the surface from 35 meters with a big crack in the middle. The canyon in the middle is decorated with golden gorgonian fans plus giant yellow and red sponges. In the distance sharks circle the bommie to complete the recipe for an amazing dive.

Tarabocchia - Bougainville Reef - Coral Sea

Plummeting clear blue waters, giant potato cod. Spectacular big fish action at Crystal Plateau. Explore the Dungeons & Dragons labyrinth of caves & caverns. Dive the scattered remains of MV Antonio Tarabocchia.

False Entrance - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

False Entrance is another amazing dive site! Other than the resident schooling big eye trevally and barracudas, which make for a great photo opportunity, there’s colorful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Keep one eye out on the blue water for cruising hammerheads in the cooler months.

Admiralty Anchor - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

Into the Coral Sea! Glide past huge black coral trees, giant feathery soft corals, golden fans and red whips housed along the plummeting walls. Swim amongst schools of giant trevally and observe or be observed by the many shark species in the area.

North Horn - Osprey Reef - Coral Sea

Exciting shark action in the Coral Sea! Your Osprey Reef adventure builds to a climax with a spectacular shark dive at North Horn. You will see 10-30 grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks as well as other species. You can photograph these sleek high order predators at close- range, or not so close, you choose!

North Horn - Shark Feed! - Osprey Reef

This is one of the world’s best shark dives! Here you will have about 50 sharks swimming within meters of you. The main species are: grey reef sharks; white tip reef sharks; a family of silver tips and seasonal hammerheads. Fantastic photographic opportunity.

Snake Pit - Ribbon Reefs - GBR

We’ll also take you to the Snake Pit, one of the few places on the Great Barrier Reef where olive sea snakes are found. Sea Snakes are very curious and complacent, allowing the more adventurous photographer to get very close indeed! They are sometimes waiting for you at the surface.

Cod Hole - Ribbon Reefs - GBR

No trip to this part of world is complete without a dive stop at the Cod Hole. Underwater photographers will love the opportunity to spend time capturing amazing images of the ‘small diver size’ potato cod, before exploring the shallow coral gardens. May even see a turtle or two.

Lighthouse Bommie - Ribbon Reefs - GBR

Big schools of brightly coloured yellow and blue snapper cruise the top of an adjacent reef, while numerous species of anemone fish have also made it their home. During minke whale season (June to August) this is one of the best spots to see these magnificent creatures.

Steve's Bommie - Ribbon Reefs - GBR

Steve’s Bommie is one of the Great Barrier Reef’s best and most popular sites. This site is a photographers dream! It’s hard to put into the words the quantity and variety of Great Barrier Reef fish and corals that you will see here.

Dive Site Guarantee!

Spoilsport’s outstanding stability minimizes disruption to your itinerary and your scuba diving experience. If weather forces an itinerary change we divert to the best, ‘safe, accessible sites’ to ensure you get the best scuba diving available. The Coral Sea may not be accessible in strong winds.

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

 

 

Expedition prices, per person in Australian dollars.

Shark Shooter Expedition: 7 Night Expedition: 6 - 13 August 2020
CabinPrice
Premium$5889
Standard$5410
Club$4726
Budget$4027

Reef Tax $7.00/day
Fuel Levy $0

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
  • Transfer to the airport or Cairns hotel after your expedition
  • Scenic flight Lizard Island to Cairns (only on 4 night expedition)

Please note that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requires us to collect an Environmental Management Charge of $7.00 per day spent on the Great Barrier Reef.  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

Sample itinerary, subject to change based on conditions.

Thursday:  

  • Check in at our office (3 Abbott St, Cairns) between 8.30 am and 4.00 pm.
  • From 4.30 pm:  Make your own way to Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf (200m from MBDE office) to meet your fellow passengers.  Please note that dinner is not provided on the first evening so you may wish to eat before boarding.
  • 5.50 pm: Our crew will lead you from Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf to board Spoilsport.  Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing.
  • 6.00 pm:  Spoilsport departs Cairns
  • Time to organise any rental equipment and put your dive gear together on the dive deck.

Friday:  (4 dives + night dive)

This is a sample of a ‘typical day’, however exact times may vary to optimise the prevailing weather conditions on the day.

  • 30 am: Wake up call, light breakfast available in dining room
  • 7:00 am: Dive brief & diving commences
  • 9.00 am: Full cooked Breakfast
  • 10.30 am: Dive brief & diving. “Open decks” accommodate 1-2 dives either am or pm
  • 2.00 pm: Lunch
  • 3.30 pm: Dive brief & diving
  • 4:30 pm: Afternoon Tea
  • 6:30 pm: Night dive brief & dive
  • 8:00 pm: Dinner

Saturday:  (4 dives + night dive)

  • As per above

Sunday: (4 dives)

  • As per above, however all diving is finished by 5pm. Spoilsport moors off Lizard Island for the evening.
  • As the sun sets we pour the champagne, lay out the nibbles and get ready for an Aussie BBQ party night. Don’t forget to wear your loudest tropical shirt or dress and sing along to music played by our talented crew.

Monday:  (2 dives + night dive)

  • 7.00 am:  Light breakfast
  • 8:00 am:  Bid farewell to passengers doing the 4 night Fly Dive Coral Sea Expedition who will disembark here.
  • 8.00 am:  Stay onboard or take a tender over to Lizard Island to stretch your legs and explore a little of this beautiful island.
  • 11.00 am:  New passengers join us here.  Champagne and light snacks provided.
  • 12.45 pm:  Dive brief and dive
  • 2.00 pm:  Lunch
  • 3.45 pm:  Dive brief and dive
  • 4.45 pm:  Afternoon tea
  • 6.00 pm:  Dive brief and night dive
  • 8:00 pm:  Dinner

Tuesday: (4 dives + night dive)

  • 6.30 am: Wake up call, light breakfast available in dining room
  • 7:00 am: Dive brief & diving commences
  • 9.00 am: Cooked breakfast
  • 10.30am: Dive briefing & diving. “Open decks” accommodate 1-2 dives either am or pm
  • 2.00 pm: Lunch
  • 3.30 pm: Dive brief & diving
  • 4:30 pm: Afternoon tea
  • 6:30 pm: Night dive brief & dive
  • 8:00 pm: Dinner

Wednesday: (4 dives)

  • As per above. Exit last dive 5pm.
  • As the sun sets we pour the champagne, lay out the nibbles and get ready for a final farewell party!
  • Overnight cruise to Cairns

Thursday:

  • 7.00 am:  Light breakfast
  • 8:00 am:  Disembark and courtesy transfer to Cairns inner city hotels, the airport or our office where we can store your luggage until 5pm if you have a later flight.

Important:

  • We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 5pm Wednesday).
Summary
Adventure Diving. Shark Encounters
Experience
Advanced or 15 logged ocean dives, inc 5 in last 12 months
Embark
Thursday 6pm - Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
(Check-in before 4pm at the Mike Ball office).
Disembark
7 Night Thursday 8am - Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
4 Night Monday 11:45am - Cairns
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