Reef Reports
1 - 4 July 2019
3 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JC
Conditions Report
Visibility
35m / 115ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Kevin Bauer - United States
The crew took us to world class dive sites filled with every type of coral, fish and vertebrate I have ever dreamed of seeing and of course the minke whales.
Nicole Tooby - Australia
Such an incredible experience - all the staff on our trip were amazing and very helpful.
Cristina Gutierrez - Spain
We loved everything! It was amazing to swim with the whales, an incredible experience I will always remember.
THE BEST
From the dive deck – Kristy O’Neill
What an incredible week we have had! With 24 encounters, over 100 individual whales where identified. This week marks the best Minke Whale encounters for Mike Ball Dive Expeditions to date. We spent 32 hours and 22 minutes with these beautiful mammals over the course of the week. Having 10 in water interactions, with 15 whales spotted at one time!
4 - 8 July 2019
4 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JC
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Steve Atkinson - Australia
Without doubt, the minke whale experience is the best thing I have ever done!
Jim Varmer - USA
The whole dive experience with the Spoiksport crew was very professional. The confort of the vessel and the crew and dining were great!
David and Kristen - USA
The lovely crew, the delicious food, spectacular diving, thankyou for making everything so easy and fun!
MINKE WHALE SEASON CONTINUES TO DELIVER!
From the dive deck – Kerrin Jones
Minke whale season continues to exceed expectations, with guests experiencing some of the best whale encounters of the season this week. One easily recognisable whale was seen at three different dive sites over a period of several days and seemed to get more friendly with each encounter. As well as the whales, divers also enjoyed some of the best diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
8 - 11 July 2019
3 Night - FLY DIVE MINKE WHALE EXPEDITION - JC
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Nicholas & Kathryn Curzon - New Zealand
The crew were all so cheery, helpful and dive-safety conscious. It made the diving so easy and so fun!
Jim & Barb Whitaker - Canada
There was a great feeling of comradery between all the guests and the staff. Everything was extremely professional with a very positive attitude.
Helmut & Andrea Krebber - Singapore
Very well organised, 100% safety features, great service and excellent crew.
Photo Competition
1st
Nicholas Curzon (Compact)2nd
Thorsten Jaeckel (Compact)3rd
Candice Chang (Compact) 11 - 18th July 2019
7 Night - CORAL SEA MINKE EXPLORATORY - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
50m / 164ft
Water temperature
23°C / 73°F
Guest Reviews
Simon Theuma - Australia
The whole experience was excellent. Safety was always of importance. The food and crew hospitality was phenomenal!
Bob & Karen Godwin - USA
We love the safety, service and friendliness of the crew. The Spoilsport setup is awesome!
Greg Rutledge - Australia
Professional service by both dive deck and crew. The vessel design and loyout was great.
BACK OUT TO THE CORAL SEA!
From the dive deck – Kristy O’Neill
After an amazing 4 weeks of dedicated minke expeditions, we were back in the Coral Sea, diving the incredible Bougainville and Osprey reefs on a 7-night exploratory expedition. The shark feed was amazing and back on the GBR we delighted our guests with more dwarf minkes and the somewhat smaller, but incredibly cute, pygmy seahorses :)
18 - 22 July 2019
4 Night - FLY DIVE CORAL SEA EXPEDITION - JC
Conditions Report
Visibility
40m / 131ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Nora and Guido Tenbrock - Australia
How well organised everything is to allow guests to make the most of their trip.
Gina Schinkel - Australia
Amazing and mind blowing dives. Great explanations and beautiful map drawings. Thank-you whole team.
Jason Fliestra - United States
Great diving! Shark feeding was fun to experience. Food was all good and plenty of it.
CORAL SEA WALLS AND MINKE WHALES!
From the dive deck – Kerrin Jones
Great weather allowed Spoilsport to spend three days in the Coral Sea, diving Bougainville Reef’s coral covered walls, then travelling on to Osprey Reef with its healthy population of sharks.
Travelling south down the Ribbon Reefs from Lizard Island back to Cairns we encountered minke whales at Lighthouse Bommie, as well as turtles and sea snakes.
22 - 25 July 2019
3 Night - FLY DIVE COD HOLE EXPEDITION - JC
Conditions Report
Visibility
30m / 98ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Ben Hamme - United States
I really loved the first night dive. It was great having a guide to keep us orientated so we could relax and watch the reef sharks.
Barbara Nash - United Kingdom
Lighthouse Bommie is the pillar of sea life. Everything was so organised. The crew made the experience such a delight.
Nicole Smolinske - United States
The dive briefs and dive masters were excellent! The crew helped set the tone for a fun and social trip.
25 - 29 July 2019
4 Night - FLY DIVE CORAL SEA EXPEDITION - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
45m / 148ft
Water temperature
24°C / 75°F
Guest Reviews
Kim & Jereon - The Netherlands
The crew were amazing! Everything was done to provide us with a good time.
Adrian Gridley - Australia
The diving was amazing but the best thing was the way we were looked after by the amazing crew.
Selwyn Auster - Australia
Well organised, excellent service, friendly staff and great diving.
Magic
From the dive deck – Kristy O’Neill
It was just magical! With two days diving at the Coral Sea, around Osprey Reef with brilliant visibility and manta rays dancing through the water column. Hammerhead sharks and a crazy free-swimming moray eel were highlights of the week! Topping it off with two minke whales and 4 pygmy sea horses on the south bound journey.
29 July - 1 August 2019
3 Night - FLY DIVE COD HOLE EXPEDITION - JS
Conditions Report
Visibility
24m / 79ft
Water temperature
25°C / 77°F
Guest Reviews
Marit Huenlein - Germany
Beautiful dive sites, staff were super nice and funny. I had a fantastic time.
Sophie Kesteven - Australia
Enjoyed experiencing my first night dive on this trip. Loved Steve's and Lighthouse Bommie.
Alejandro Reyes-Morales - United States
Very smooth well organised operation allowed me to focus on enjoying the diving.
