Spot: GBR (Great Barrier Reef)
Boat: Spirit of Freedom
Flight: scenic private planeovr the Ribbon Reef and later landing further north on the shore of Lizard island
Boarding: by tender/Zodiac from Lizard island
Water temperature: 26C degrees
Weather: mitigated, grey sky and sometimes rain
Dive days: 4
Number of dives: max 16 in total of which 2 days have been scheduled with 5 dives per day
The trip starts with a transfer to the boat by private civil airplane, so we enjoy a low altitude flight (300-1000m high from sea level)
We land on the coast and walk to the beach where all our gear is being loaded in a Zodiac style boat.
Is it useful to say that apart Dive-Eat-Sleep there is no time for anything else on the boat?
Having fun posing during the safety stop (5min @ 5m instead of the traditional 3min because of the remote places we are diving from)
"Dive time !" is indeed heard five times a day between 7am until 9pm for the night dive.
The unusual shark becomes the usual wildlife seen nearly during each dive.
Sharks, turtles, rays, cods, multi-colours fishes together with so colourful corals and underwater vegetation are pacing our dives.
Anecdote: Francois spent too long time topless on the deck after each dive and what must happen happens. Francois got a cold and feels ills (headache, sore throat) and has to give up one of the dives to hope feeling better for the following dive. Luckily he got better and can dive the last two dives... Next time he will pay a bit more attention ;-)
The hardcord wife hits the maximum dive number alone!
Anecdote: the sun deck has been only used once after the first dive for some hot tea/coffee and snacks but never ever after due to winter windy rainy conditions :-(
The tons of sun protection SPF bottles everywhere on the boat have never been used ;)
We also meet an experienced binome (150+ dives), a Swiss couple Fulvio and Antoinette and we somehow get along quite well. Fulvio is also a motorbiker creating some nice conversations between the boys. And Antoinette is a swiss beauty with Columbian origins.
We were supposed to ride to the Osprey reef - called the Outer Reef- but weather conditions are too difficult to allow safe diving over there and decision is taken to go to other spots in Ribbon Reef.
The captain told us that the drop-off of divers is never a problem; what is a risk is how to get divers back on-board safely given the expected high up-down movements of the rear platform where the ladder is fitted. So imagining the climb onto the ladder with about 10kg of gear on oneself when the ladder moves 3-5 meters up and down is probably close to killing yourself ;)
Here below is an idea of the conditions that were far to be what we could have met in Osprey:
The captain told us that the drop-off of divers is never a problem; what is a risk is how to get divers back on-board safely given the expected high up-down movements of the rear platform where the ladder is fitted. So imagining the climb onto the ladder with about 10kg of gear on oneself when the ladder moves 3-5 meters up and down is probably close to killing yourself ;)
Here below is an idea of the conditions that were far to be what we could have met in Osprey:
Weronika and Francois, always ready to go !
Each dive is an occasion to spot new types of wildlife as well as corals, or even play with a big cod a bit curious about our human activities. Elliot- Canadien instructor- fed the beast and it looked like the cod wanted more than just some pieces of dead fish...
Some macro life with a state-of-the-art camouflage... so cute ;-)
One of the highlights of this Liveaboard is the four Minke whales turning around the boat. With such animals spotted, everybody is back on the deck with mask/snorkel and fins, ready to jump into the water.
The crew throws a 60-80m floating line attached to the boat which we are instructed to grab and spread along not to scare the curious whales making closer and closer circles.
In the end, the two 7m-long Minke whales come as close as 5-6m from us: an amazing contact with such a huge mammiphere.
The overall experience was fabulous! We are gonna do it again!
Five dives a day makes us a bit mad and NITRO in our blood might be helping in the process?
Wake up, dress up, breakfast, gear-up 1st dive, change for dry clothes, breakie 2, gear-up dive 2, and so on until the dusk....and one more when you hope you are done ... Well you weren't!
Wake up, dress up, breakfast, gear-up 1st dive, change for dry clothes, breakie 2, gear-up dive 2, and so on until the dusk....and one more when you hope you are done ... Well you weren't!