________ THE ________
GREAT BARRIER
________ REEF ________
One of Australia's most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world's largest coral reef. The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space. The marine park stretches over 3000km (1800 miles) almost parallel to the Queensland coast, from near the coastal town of Bundaberg, up past the tip of Cape York. The reef, between 15 kilometres and 150 kilometres off shore and around 65 Km wide in some parts, is a gathering of brilliant, vivid coral providing divers with the most spectacular underwater experience imaginable. A closer encounter with the Great Barrier Reef's impressive coral gardens reveals many astounding underwater attractions including the world's largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old.
_____________
D AY 1 _____________ O u r t r i p b e g a n w i t h a s p e c t a c u l a r ‘ fl y i n g s t a r t ’ t o L i z a r d I s l a n d . O n t h e way we had a birds-eye view of the Great Barrier Reef. Half of our 150 m i l e fl i g h t w a s a t a v e r y l o w 1 8 0 m e t r e s ( 6 0 0 f t ) a b o v e t h e s i t e s w h e r e w e would soon be diving along the Great Barrier Reefs continental shelf. A truly spectacular beginning to our expedition. At Lizard Island we boarded our boat ‘Spoilsport’ and made our way to the turquoise chain of Ribbon Reefs. This 55 mile chain of reefs from Lizard Island to Cooktown is the most prized dive region of the Great B a r r i e r R e e f . T h i s i s w h e r e y o u c a n s e e m o r e o f t h e R e e f s 1 5 0 0 fi s h a n d 400 coral species than elsewhere. The currents that channel between t h e r i b b o n r e e f s a t t r a c t l a r g e fi s h p o p u l a t i o n s . Marine life encounters ranged from pygmy seahorses to manta rays. The G r e a t B a r r i e r R e e f h a s 9 s p e c i e s o f a n e m o n e fi s h , 4 3 s p e c i e s o f b u t t e r fl y fi s h , 1 0 0 1 s p e c i e s o f n u d i b r a n c h , a n d 6 o f t h e w o r l d s 7 t u r t l e s p e c i e s . We were treated to one of the Great Barrier Reefs most amazing phenomenons - the Cod Hole. Here we got to swim with ‘small diver s i z e ’ a n d ‘ g i a n t fi s h s i z e ’ p o t a t o c o d . T h e d i v e w a s a m o n g s t s h a l l o w sunlit coral gardens of acropora coral. We could venture deeper into the parallel gullies forming the front of the reef where huge Queensland groupers face into the current. A n o t h e r h i g h l i g h t w a s a n i g h t d i v e a t C h a l l e n g e r B a y, h o m e o f B a z a t h e b a r r a c u d a a n d m a n y m o r a y e e l s a n d c l e v e r l i o n fi s h , w h o , a r e v e r y a c t i v e a t n i g h t a n d h a v e l e a r n t h o w t o u s e t h e l i g h t o f a t o r c h t o fi n d t h e i r s u p p e r.
Challenger Bay
_____________
D AY 2 _____________ On day 2 we scuba dived at Lighthouse Bommie, a pinnacle rising from the sand at 30 metres, and Acropolis Plateau. The Acropolis is a new hot site, shrouded in spectacular corals and festooned with baitfish, predatory fish and critters. At Pixie Pinnacle we searched for harlequin ghost pipefish, leafy scorpion fish and lace scorpion fish. Vertical Gardens is a natural amphitheatre, and home to a herd of large green bump head parrotfish. They make an awesome procession crunching their way through the reef! Clam Beds is a beautiful shallow coral garden where dozens of giant clams show off their majestic mantles. Andy’s Postcard is an isolated bommie rising from 80 metres. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract trevally and barracuda to these photogenic sites.
Lighthouse Bommie
Lighthouse Bommie
Pixie Garden
The Acropolis
_____________
D AY 3 _____________
At Steve’s Bommie, hiding amongst the coral we found lion fish, frog fish and leaf scorpion fish. Fluorescent anthias amass on the reef edge. Here we could scuba dive amongst large schools of blue-lined snapper, big-eye trevally and barracuda circumnavigate the pinnacle. Flare Point has beautiful pristine coral gardens where cuttlefish are regularly seen. Tomorrow morning we dock at Trinity Wharf back in Cairns. Our trip with Mike Ball on Spoilsport has been fantastic!
Steve’s Bommie
Steve’s Bommie
Steve’s Bommie
Steve’s Bommie
________ THE ________
GREAT BARRIER
________ REEF ________
WITH MIKE BALL CAIRNS | AUSTRALIA
Since starting the Great Barrier Reef's first dive school in 1969 Mike Ball has strived to provide the best dive service. Safety drills are undertaken on every expedition and crew training and professional development is fostered. Each crew member is hand picked - the result is a crew who truly give every customer the best experience possible, whether you are a novice or a seasoned diver. The photos on the following pages are Mike Ball’s ‘Best of the Best’ taken by professional photographers. They display the Reef and it’s creatures in all of it’s beauty.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions | 143 Lake Street, Cairns, Queensland 4870 Australia p: +61 7 4053 0500 | e: resv@mikeball.com | w: mikeball.com
dragonflycustombooks.com.au