dive trips australia

Diving in Australia

The Big Reef, and Beyond

There are reefs and there is THE REEF. Australia's Great Barrier Reef remains at the top of many a diver's bucket list, and with good reason. Named as one of the seven wonders of the natural world, it is the largest coral community on the planet and one of the ocean's most biologically diverse habitats. It's all here, from the tiny and the exotic to the largest fish in the sea. Explorations can begin at land-based resorts in Cairns or on Heron Island, while liveaboards give access to renowned sites on the Ribbon Reefs and the Coral Sea. Ashore, all the natural and cultural discoveries of the Land Down under await.

• Best for: Intermediate to advanced divers, photographers and underwater naturalists
• Best season to visit: Year-round, May to October are most popular months for liveaboard trips, and June and July for minke whale encounters
• Weather: Cairns has hot, humid summers and cooler, dry winters. Temperatures typically drop a few degrees as you move offshore. Cyclone season runs from November to May

Things to Do

• Cultural Activities
• Spa and Wellness

Australia Information

About diving in australia.

All dives on the Great Barrier Reef will involve a boat ride. Day trips originating in Cairns and Port Douglas feature fast, spacious motor yachts and catamarans. Liveaboards provide the best access to many prime areas such as the Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef. A stay at Heron Island provides shorter boat rides combined with land-based accommodations. Conditions can range from calm and current-free on locations inside the reef to swells and surge when diving exposed sites. Depending on season and location, water temperatures range from 75 to 84 degrees.

Diving in Australia Tips

Months from September to February provide the calmest sea conditions, while the best visibility occurs in the cooler months from June to September. Summer algae blooms may reduce visibility to a degree, but also attract more marine life. The “shoulder season” months of April and November offer a combination of favorable sea states, good water and lesser numbers of divers.

Best Places to Dive in Australia

The internationally-known Cod Hole deserves a space on the bucket list. Equally memorable are the manta cleaning stations at Around the Bend, the migrating minke whales at Lighthouse Bommie, shark dives at North Horn, drift dive at False Entrance and the macro life at Split Bommie.

What to Pack for Diving in Australia

Skin suits to 3mm are ideal in summer, but some divers may need a 5mm in winter. Pack a waterproof cover-up for breezy surface intervals and an extra layer—vest or headgear—for longer liveaboard itineraries, as body core temperatures drop after days of diving. On liveaboards, there's no need to dress up for dinner, so pack light on topside clothing and use a soft bag that can be stowed easily in the cabin. Remember motion sickness meds if susceptible.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Spoilsport

From AUD $5,233 (approx. USD $3,575) per person double diver

Heron Island

Liveaboards.

Spirit of Freedom

Some 1,200 miles in length and encompassing more than 13,000 square miles of ocean, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park harbors an astounding variety of marine life, including more than1,600 species of fish, 600-plus types of coral, and more than 6,000 known varieties of invertebrates. Six of the world's seven species of sea turtle swim here, along with 30 species of whales and dolphins, giant black marlin and 133 species of  sharks and rays . Diving activities take place all along the reef, with the northern areas generally considered the best sites. Some reefs are accessible by day trips from either Cairns or Port Douglas, but many of the best sites are reached only via a stay at offshore dive resorts such as Heron Island, or aboard a liveaboard dive vessel. A favorite liveaboard itinerary includes the Ribbon Reefs, where delicate soft corals grow to the size of a Christmas tree and starfish are electric blue. Big animal attractions include mantas, whales and sharks, and noteworthy finds include  blue ring octopus , sawfish, ribbon eels, giant clams, harlequin tusk fish, wobbegong sharks and the giant potato cod. At the Cod Hole, groupers weighing up to 500 pounds interact with divers. Nearby Pixie Pinnacle has an incredible concentration of marine life for one small site - it’s all here - mantis shrimp, leafy scorpion fish, clownfish, lionfish, soft corals, giant fans, a proliferation of crinoids, nudibranchs and much more. Walls hold masses of chevron barracuda, dogtooth tunas and jacks swarm, with passing sharks always a possibility. In June and July, migrating  dwarf minke whales  pass through the Ribbon Reefs, giving divers a rare opportunity to view and interact with these fascinating marine mammals, A rare but not-to-be-forgotten sighting on outside reefs are the black marlin of up to 10 feet in length that will sometimes appear out of deep water. The reef continues north into the Coral Sea, offering some of the most exciting diving in the world. Spanning more than 1.5 million square miles of ocean, the  Coral Sea  contains hundreds of separate reefs, atolls, cays, and seamounts. This region is known for its vertical walls, enormous sea fans, multi-colored soft corals, sharks and amazing water clarity, which routinely exceeds 100 feet.

Passport and/or Visa Requirements

American citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport to enter Australia with at least one blank page for the entry stamp. An Australian Visa is required, or if eligible, an electronic visa, through Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) at  www.eta.immi.gov.au . The ETA replaces a visa and allows a stay of up to 90 days. The ETA may be obtained from their website for $20 AUD. Airlines and many travel agents in the United States are also able to apply for ETAs on behalf of travelers. Please note that American citizens who overstay their ETA or visa, even for short periods, may be subject to exclusion, detention, and removal.

Read about Australia's entry/exit requirements  here .

Immunizations

There are no required immunizations for U.S. citizens to enter Australia, but we would always suggest checking with your doctor and the Centers for Disease Control on recommended vaccinations for travel to Australia at Traveler's Health CDC Australia .

Culture and Customs

For visitors from North America, Australia may seem like a favorite cousin who talks a bit funny and never met someone they didn't like. Portrayals of the Land Down Under often include a “no worries” attitude, which is an accurate representation of the hospitality visitors can expect. But laid back can be far from boring. In stark contrast to the cosmopolitan coastal cities to the south, Cairns is not only the gateway to the  Great Barrier Reef  but also the nation's epicenter for outdoor sports and adventures. Big game fishing charters, speedboat runs, jet ski tours and parasailing adventures take place in warm tropical waters, while on land, skydivers, climbers and bungee jumpers shun their fear of heights. Forays into the rainforest take place on foot, aboard motorcycles and mountain bikes or via offload vehicle. Aboriginal parks provide a glimpse of Australia's cultural heritage; zip line canopy rides spice up rainforest tours and crocodile-spotting cruises along the  Daintree River  provide bucket-list bragging rights.

Electricity, Phone and Internet Access

Standard electricity in Australia is 230 volts, 50 cycles. When coming from the United States an adapter will be needed for U.S. items and a step-down transformer could also be required to convert 220/240 Volt to 110/120 Volt. The power outlets use 3 flat pin plugs in a different configuration than U.S. sockets.

The  international access code  for Australia is 61. Please check with your cell phone provider for international data and calling plans.

Many hotels, restaurants and bars offer WiFi.

Water Quality

The tap water is safe to drink and bottled water is available for purchase.

Language & Currency

English is the official language of Australia.

The currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD) and consists of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 as coins and notes are $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. You can exchange funds at all international airports in Australia upon arrival or at any bank.

Major currencies can be exchanged at banks and many hotels, with some stores also accepting U.S. currency. Purchases may be made using cash or major credit cards. Check the current exchange rate  here .

Most of Australia uses 3 time zones.

Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (+10 GMT).

Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) in South Australia and Northern Territory, which is 9 1/2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+9.5 GMT).

Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) in Western Australia, which is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+8 GMT).

Daylight Saving Time is observed in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the beginning of October to the beginning of beginning of April, at which point AEST becomes AEDT and ACST becomes ACDT daylight savings time and moves by 1 hour. The Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland don’t observe Daylight Saving.

Location, Size and Population

Australia, sometimes referred to as the island continent, is the only country that is its own continent as well. Australia is very large - similar in size to the United States at almost 3 million square miles. The continent of Australia is located between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.

Australia's population is 24,17 Million (2016).

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Best Diving in Australia - Top 10

Scuba diving in Australia, the Land Down Under

Scuba diving in Australia, especially liveaboard trips to the  Great Barrier Reef  and the  Coral Sea ,  offers tremendous volume and diversity of marine life, well managed marine parks, professional dive operations and diving suitable for all experience levels. There is great diving at every depth and a variety of marine life including sharks, minke whales, and large potato cod (potato grouper). In South Australia you can experience great white shark cage diving and there is some exceptional diving off jetties, where you can see the  leafy sea dragon  and giant cuttlefish. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Ningaloo Reef all offer their own unique animals and experience. Australia waters hands-down offer some of the best scuba diving in the world, and is worth many trips back.

Interested in diving in Australia?  View the  live availability of some of the best liveaboards in Australia  and book online at the best price or check out our sidebar for specials and land-based options.

AUSTRALIA'S BEST dive sites & DIVING DESTINATIONS

Here are some of the best scuba diving destinations in Australia:  

1.  The Great Barrier Reef  -  World's biggest coral reef system

2.  Ningaloo Reef -  Beautiful coral and best place to swim with whale sharks

3.  South Australia   -  The spot for cage diving with great white sharks

4.  New South Wales  -  Dive sites with unique marine biodiversity

5.  Victoria  -  Unique piers and great wreck dives

6.  Western Australia  -  Lesser visited sites and home to some rare species

7. The Yongala Wreck - One of the best wrecks to dive in the world

8. Port Lincoln & Rapid Bay Jetty  - Meet the weedy sea dragons

9. Osprey Reef - Best for diving with sharks

10. Fish Rock Cave - Best cavern and cave diving

1. The great barrier reef

World's largest coral reef system.

On many scuba divers bucket lists, the world's biggest coral reef system boasts plenty of amazing scuba diving opportunities. With much of the reef protected and rich in marine life, it is not just one of the best scuba diving spots in Australia, but has become one of the top diving destinations in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is home to many shark species, including wobbegong, tiger, and hammerhead sharks. The reef is also a great place to spot whales like dwarf minke whales, humpbacks, and sperm whales. Other marine life encounters include barracudas, giant groupers, manta rays, eagle rays, blue-spotted rays, turtles, parrotfish, sea snakes, coral cod, and whale sharks. Besides big pelagics, the Great Barrier Reef has some beautiful healthy coral and surprising macro critters, including mantis shrimp, leaf scorpion fish, porcelain crabs, and glass shrimps. Great visibility and numerous dive sites for different levels of divers round out this destination. Although it is highly popular among scuba divers and snorkelers, there are some great dive sites that are rarely visited, particularly the Far North, Great Detached Reefs, and the Southern Islands of the Capricorn Bunker Group like Heron Island and Lady Musgrave and Elliot Islands. 

Interested in diving with whales? Check out our list of the Best Places to Swim With Whales ?

Want to know more about diving the Great Barrier Reef? Read all about it in our  Great Barrier Reef Dive Guide .

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• Diving Season:  Year-round, with summer months having warmer waters and better visibility but winter months are best to see large marine mammals
• Difficulty:  Beginner to Advanced. 
• Nearest Airport:  Cairns International (CNS)
• Topside Activities:  Plenty of options like hiking, wildlife parks, water rafting, and more.

2. Ningaloo Reef

Whale shark encounters.

Located on the west side of Australia, the Ningaloo Reef is home to the second-largest coral reef and an area not to be missed. The Ningaloo Marine Park has also been listed as a world heritage site , why it offers good competition for the Great Barrier Reef. This area is not only great for its amazing coral, but it is one of the  best places to swim with whale sharks . The highest chance of seeing these creatures is during the months of April and May. During the winter months, you can even see manta rays. Humpback whales, turtles, and dolphins can be seen very often. The Ningaloo Reef is also one of the best spots in Australia for macro as it is home to many beautiful critters. 

Check out this article of  Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef  by Christine Shepard.

• Diving Season:  Year-round. Summer months are rainier, spring is best for seeing whale sharks, and the winter season is best for spotting big pelagics like mantas, dolphins, and even dugongs when lucky!
• Nearest Airport:  Learmonth Airport (LEA)
• Topside Activities:  Explore gorges or it's gorgeous beaches. 

3. South Australia

Great wrecks, migration of cuttlefish, and great white sharks.

Diving in South Australia offers true pleasure to all the wreck divers. Throughout the area, there are many shipwrecks to explore. This generally less visited dive area, it is great for escaping the crowds and discover some true gems. South Australia does not only have some nice boat dives but also some very good shore dives. The marine life is wonderful and you can even see some seals and leafy sea dragons in this dive destination. Besides that, from May to August you are able to witness a spectacular event, the migration of the Australia Giant Cuttlefish .

Moreover, this is the spot where adventure lovers come to scuba dive with the great white shark. South Australia is considered among one of the  world's best places to shark cage dive  and the only place in Australia where you can meet these majestic creatures. For a thrilling adventure of meeting the ultimate apex predator of the seas, visit the Neptune Islands with Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions , the pioneer of shark cage diving. You can get real close with great white sharks and have the opportunity to surface or floor cage dive.  In Neptune Islands you can experience shark diving like never before. 

• Diving Season:  Year-round. The Australian Giant Cuttlefish can be spotted during the summer months only.
• Nearest Airport:  Adelaide International Airport (ADL)
• Topside Activities:  Visit national parks or try wine tasting!

4. New South Wales 

Rare coral and fish species.

Like the above-mentioned areas, New South Wales does not lack options for scuba divers either. One of the most popular holiday destinations, Byron Bay with some of the best beaches, great waves for surfing , and of course great scuba diving, is located there. Another UNESCO heritage site , the Lord Howe Island with rare coral and fish species offers absolutely amazing dives. The most southern coral reef with a mixture of currents of different temperatures has brought scuba divers some unique endemic species that cannot be seen elsewhere. The marine life and flora and fauna is truly wonderful. What is even better, only a limited number of tourists are allowed there, which means you are very likely to have the dive site for yourself! Some of the exciting marine life you can encounter in New South Wales are leopard sharks, cuttlefish, rainbow runners, moray eels, pufferfish, and sea spiders among many.

• Diving Season:  Year-round. During the winter season, the water temperatures can get quite low and reach around 50F (10C).
• Nearest Airport:  Sydney Airport (SYD)
• Topside Activities:  Visit Sydney, beautiful beaches or the Blue Mountains.

5. Victoria

Unique piers and great wrecks.

Fantastic variety of marine life brings you octopuses, seals, seahorses, eels, nudibranch, weedy seadragons, and plenty of others. Victoria has also some great dive sites for wreck divers. Some of the piers in Victoria have created some unique dive sites with a mystical atmosphere for marine life seeking shade and shelter. Flinders Pier is also a great dive site to spot stingrays and eagle rays, cuttlefish, crabs, and different sponges. Unlike other piers, Flinders has a grass bottom that attracts plenty of life, including the weedy sea dragon. There are also many islands offshore where the underwater world is very beautiful and you can see plenty of colorful reefs. 

• Diving Season:  Year-round. 
• Nearest Airport:  Melbourne Airport (MEB)
• Topside Activities:  Visit museums & galleries or go hiking and discover its amazing nature

6. Western Australia

Spot some rare endemic species.

Down from Ningaloo Reef, the rest of Western Australia is rich in marine biodiversity. As a lesser-visited area, many rare and endemic species like to call it their home. Some of the marine life you can see in the area are sharks, cuttlefish, octopus, trevally, mackerel, squids, turtles, dolphins and the list goes on. There are more than a hundred islands there where the underwater world is waiting to be explored. Not only diverse marine life, while diving in Western Australia, scuba divers can also discover some amazing wrecks. Additionally, the marine reserve protects the area from fishing or development, which is why the dive sites are well preserved and truly beautiful. Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands expeerience an annual crab migration and spawning, which attracts whale sharks and manta rays.

• Diving Season:  Year-round. The water temperatures are the coldest during fall and go under 67F (20C), while early spring is the warmest and the temperatures rise above 74F (23C).
• Nearest Airport:  Perth Airport (PER/ YPPH)
• Topside Activities:  There are great museums and galleries to visit, beautiful beaches to enjoy and you can go and explore the outback.

7.   The Yongala Wreck

Explore one of the best wrecks.

One of the best shipwrecks to dive in the world , located near Townsville in Queensland. You can spot giant groupers, eagles rays, manta rays, sea turtles, sea snakes, huge schools of Barracudas, giant trevallies, and various species of sharks. Sometimes, during the summer months, some lucky divers have even spotted minke or humpback whales! Excellent hard and soft coral and gorgonians sea fans can also be found here. The bottom of the wreck reaches 108ft (33m) and the dive site has often strong current, which is why it is recommended for experienced divers. The wreck is still in great condition and thus, many scuba divers call it their favorite wrecks to dive. 

Interested in diving with manta rays? Check out our article about the Best Manta Ray Diving in the World .

• Diving Season:  Year-round. The calmest conditions are in September. The best visibility is during the winter months. The summer months are the wet season.
• Difficulty:  Advanced. 
• Nearest Airport:  Townsville International Airport (TSV)

8. Port Lincoln & RAPID BAY JETTY

Meet the weedy sea dragons.

Don't miss these popular shore dives in South Australia for a chance to meet the peculiar  weedy sea dragons . These relatives of the seahorse are perfectly camouflaged amongst their kelp habitat. Rapid Bay Jetty may seem like an unassuming site on the surface, but below the waves the pier supports are a playground for schooling fish and home to some fascinating macro.

• Diving Season:  Year-round, but is weather dependent.
• Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced
• Topside Activities:  Visit Melbourne streets to see the fantastic street art, go shopping or see the national parks.

9.   Osprey Reef  

Best place to dive with sharks.

Located in the Coral Sea on a remote atoll called Osprey Reef, there are plenty of dive sites not to be missed.   North Horn is one of the most famous and is a proper shark hub. Grey Sharks, Silvertip, Great Hammerhead Sharks, and even the Tiger Shark can all be seen at North Horn. Besides diving with sharks, you can also meet other pelagics like barracuda, turtles, rainbow runners, trevallies, tuna, and sometimes even manta rays can be spotted here. Whales and dolphins can be also spotted by scuba divers. The conditions are generally calm, but the occasional mild current offers a great opportunity for a nice drift dive. With its remote location, Osprey Reef is only accessible by Great Barrier Reef dive liveaboards. 

Interested in diving with sharks? Check out our list of the Best Shark Diving in the World .

• Diving Season:  Year-round. The best visibility is from September to November.
• Difficulty:  Beginner to Advanced

10. Fish Rock Cave

Excellent cave diving.

If diving caves and caverns are something that interests you, you must add  Fish Rock Cave  to your list. The dive site does not only display a cave, but the cave itself is full of marine life. The caves are covered with gorgeous pink coral. Diving through the cave you can meet nurse sharks, wobbegong, morays, octopus, lobsters, and turtles. Scuba divers can always expect to see a lot of marine life, which makes this cave unique. Different sharks are also pretty much guaranteed to see during each dive. The cave has two different entrances, a shallow large entrance with a lot of light coming through and a deep entrance.

• Diving Season:  Year-round
• Difficulty:  More suitable for advanced divers

Other great dive sites in Australia

Some of the best dive sites in Australia:

Navy Pier -   Located in Exmouth, close to the Ningaloo Reef. Wobbegong shark, the grey nurse shark, whitetip reef shark, nudibranch, flat worms, frog fishes, scorpions fishes, and stone fishes are often spotted there.

• Shelly Beach  - This shore dive will take you through some great big boulders with gorgeous reef, seagrass, and beautiful white sand. You can spot some rays and even wobbegongs. 
• Cod Hole -  Located on The Great Barrier Reef.  Besides the large potato cods and Maori wrasses, you can also spot whitetip reef sharks, emperor angelfishes, and triggerfishes.
• Lonsdale Wall  - This great wall dive provides scuba divers with exciting swim-throughs where stunning soft coral, hanging sea fans and sponges have taken over. A variety of fish like to take shelter under the ledges, overhangs or undercuts. You can spot cuttlefish, seastars, nudibranch, blue devilfish among many others. 

AUSTRALIA LIVEABOARDS AND DIVE RESORTS

There are a few options for liveaboard trips in Australia. Most of them include the Great Barrier Reef. Joining a dive liveaboard will give you the ultimate diving holiday in Australia and will also show you some beautiful sites that dive boats are not able to visit. Australia also has a couple of dive resorts on Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island, which are isolated and only accessible by flight or sea ferry. A range of other accommodation options are available, from hostels to vacation rentals, enabling you to dive with local dive operators and also discover some of the great topside activities Australia has to offer. 

See our live availability to some of the best liveaboards in Australia.

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Australia Travel Information & Tips

About the country, view location on google map, intro to scuba diving in australia.

The continent located south of the equator attracts scuba divers all year round and mainly to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Nevertheless, the island itself is huge and offers countless of beautiful dive sites beyond the famous reef. The choices for scuba divers are endless from colorful coral reefs, wrecks, giant kelp forests, and big pelagics. You can even dive with the great white sharks! Besides enjoyable fun dives, Australia is also a great place to get your dive certification in the first place as it has dive sites for all levels of divers. More experienced divers can also upgrade their skills by taking some technical diving courses. 

Check out diving the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef from  Belize  or the  Yucatan  in Mexico.

DIVING INFORMATION   

MARINE LIFE

Most scuba divers go diving in Australia to see the world heritage area,  the Great Barrier Reef , that is home to more than 1500 fish species. Though Australia has a very diverse marine life, the destination is still best for seeing big fish rather than macro life. You can spot lots of different species of sharks like blacktip, whitetip sharks or wobbegongs. Whales are also quite common and you can see some humpback whales and minke whales. The Great Barrier Reef is also home to all the six of the whole world's seven turtle species.

Here are some of the marine life you are likely to see when scuba diving in Australia: 

• Giant Clams
• Maori Wrasse
• Leafy Seadragon

BEST TIME TO DIVE AUSTRALIA

The best time to dive fluctuates for what area of Australia you are diving. Numerous areas are accessible year-round, but the southern parts can have bad weather between May-October.  

weather & DIVING CONDITIONS

• Water Temperatures:  Can be anywhere between 70 - 87 degrees.
• Visibility:  Visibility on day trips will be between 50 and 100 ft. while further sites reached via liveaboard can be up to 150 ft. 
• Depth Range:  The majority of dive sites will be relatively shallow, 30 - 60 feet.

TRAVEL INFORMATION 

How to get there.

There are several airlines that fly non-stop between Australia and the US. Australia's largest cities receive international flights: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Brisbane has the closest major airport to the Great Barrier Reef, and Cairns - the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef - receives some international flights.

Continue your travels with a trip to neighbouring Thailand .

HOW TO DIVE AUSTRALIA

Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and Townsville/Yongala from liveaboards offering itineraries during select times of the year. Other locations host land-based dive operators offering shore diving or daily boat trips. Australia is a huge country, so consider what you want to see and where you want to dive when you plan your trip. 

TOPSIDE & NON-DIVING ACTIVITIES

Besides numerous underwater adventures, the country itself has great topside activities being home to some gorgeous beaches, unique wildlife, mountains, and rainforests. Due to Australia's size, it is near impossible to cover all the things you can do while visiting Australia.  It is also dependent on what areas you are visiting. But to touch on a few; no trip can be complete without learning of Australia's Aboriginal culture , try taking a hike to the sacred site of Uluru to catch the sunrise or sunset. For you city lovers, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge or see a show at the iconic  Sydney Opera House .  Or just take a drive along The Great Ocean Road - a scenic drive you won't forget. Australia is an inspiring place to visit,  find out all about it .

Liveaboard availability

The rates shown below are per person in USD. The actual rates provided by the operators are based in Australian Dollar (AUD). The pricing at the time of booking may vary depending on the latest AUD/USD exchange rate.

Other Useful Information 

Practical information.

• Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
• Electricity: 230V 50Hz
• Language: English
• Time Zones: Australia has 5 standard time zones: Lord Howe Standard Time (LHST) - UTC+10:30; Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) - UTC+10; Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) - UTC+9:30; Australian Central Western Standard Time (ACWST) - UTC+8:45; Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) - UTC+8.  
• Entry Requirements: You must have a valid passport and a visa to enter Australia. Most U.S. passport holders traveling to Australia for tourism or business purposes for less than 90 days can obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

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Reviews (12)

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Australia is definitely a bucket list dive destination. Yes, you can go scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, but that is not where my fiancee and I decided to go. Instead, we went to Adelaide, South Australia, and the diving was fantastic. Very unique, very cool, and not busy or crowded.

Rapid Bay jetty is an amazing shore dive with lots of cool fish, especially the beautiful leafy sea dragon. Every dive we looked for leafies there, we found them, including some juveniles!

Our other favourite dive site was a prime macro destination - Edithburgh jetty. The night dives were absolutely insane, just crawling with cool cephalopods with pyjama squid, bobtail squid, Southern sand octopus, blue ring octopus, and pygmy cuttlefish (we saw all of those on one dive).

We were there in December/January, meaning the water temps were at their warmest, but still chilly (20 degrees C). However, it was quite hot on land, up to 35 C +. Topside we went to Kangaroo Island, also nearby, and saw tons of cool stuff in the wild. We swam with bottlenose dolphins, and got up close to wild koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and echnidnas. It was awesome.

Also on our trip, we went scubadiving in Sydney. Surprisingly, the diving was very good there as well, with great encounters with a giant cuttlefish, Port Jackson sharks, and other fun critters.

Cost-wise, scuba diving in Australia is a bit pricy, especially if you rent gear. If you bring your own gear, it would be very affordable. So, if you are going to Australia, think outside the Great Barrier Reef for some unique diving experiences!

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Location: Byron Bay (Julian Rocks)

Byron Bay is probably my favorite place in Australia. Byron Bay is an amazing little beach town in northern NSW. It is somewhat of a surf town, and it is popular among young backpackers. Byron Bay has a wide selection of accommodation from camping, and cheap hostels, to bed and breakfasts, and beach side hotels. It also has a great selection of bars and restaurants that are open late into the night.

Cape Byron is the most eastern point of the Australian mainland. All of the scuba diving in Byron Bay is concentrated on a large rock formation just off shore, known as Julian Rocks, and is easily visible from the beach. During the summer months tropical species can be found out at the dive sites, and during the winter, colder water species are found. During the winter months the rocks host a large population of the endangered Grey Nurse sharks. The winter months also bring migrating humpback whales. Although you will probably not see a humpback on a dive, it is common to hear them, and come across them on the short boat ride out or back from the rock. During the summer months when the water warms, the tropical species move in, and it common to see Leopard sharks, as well as manta rays. Other tropical species such as eagle rays, lion fish, bat fish, and colorful reef fish can also be found. Year round inhabitants of the rocks include two species of Wobbegong shark, green and loggerhead turtles, massive bull sting rays, guitar fish, king fish, and big friendly Blue Gropers. Being a temperate dive location, visibility and conditions can vary greatly and change quickly. Visibility can range from just a few meters to 25+ on a great day.

The most commonly visited site at the rocks is called the nursery. The nursery is a shallow site that bottoms out around 12 meters at the deepest. It is the most sheltered dive site, and this is where any classes are usually held. The needles is on the south side of the rock and is about 15 meters in depth. The currents are stronger at this dive site. The currents draw large schools of fish, and lots of rays. One of my favorite dives is to start in the nursery and end in the needles. Hugo's trench is on the opposite side of the rock from the nursery. This site is more exposed and not visited nearly as much as the nursery side. The site is about 15-20 meters deep. The trench runs perpendicular to the rock and is home to a huge amount of life, and interesting rock formations.

Byron Bay is great town, and should not be missed in Australia. Few travelers go there just for the diving, but if you do visit, I highly recommend doing a day or two of diving.

Location: HERON ISLAND (Great Barrier Reef)

Heron Island is a small coral island located about 90 km off the coast of Gladstone in Queensland, AUS. The island is amazingly beautiful, and looks like a postcard. The island is also very small, you can walk around the entire island in about 20 minutes. Heron Island is home to one resort, and the University of Queensland's Great Barrier Reef Marine Research Station. I have not stayed at the resort so I cannot comment on the resort itself, but I was lucky enough to stay at the Marine Research station for 2 weeks while I was studying at UQ. The resort is small and so is the marine research station, so you will never have to worry about crowds or busy dive sites. The island is home to 100,000+ nesting sea birds, as well as a nesting site for green and loggerhead turtles between the months of March and October. Whales can be seen moving through the deeper water off the island during the winter months. The island is surrounded by an unbroken picturesque white sand beach and a shallow coral reef shelf.

There are several options for getting to the island. There is a boat that runs from Gladstone a few days a week. There is also a helicopter pad on the island if you wish to use a faster (and much more expensive) travel mode. Sea plane is the other option.

The resort dive operation is the only dive operation open to the public on the island. The diving on Heron Island is absolutely amazing and it's safe to say the island offers some of the best scuba diving experiences in Australia. Most of the dives are relatively shallow, very few are below 20 meters. The reefs around the island are very healthy; I have never seen so much healthy stag coral anywhere else. The reefs have an abundant amount of marine life. I will never forget that I saw my first Manta ray here, as well as my first tiger shark. Turtles, sharks and rays were seen on pretty much every dive I did. White tip sharks, Grey reef sharks, the occasional tiger shark, manta rays, green turtles, logger head turtles, barramundi cod, coral cod, huge numbers of rays, barracuda, sea snakes, countless colorful reef fish, coral trout, octopus, spotted eagle rays etc. are all found at the sites around the island. The currents at some of the sites can be swift, so there are a number of drift dives done around the island. For the non-divers in your group, the shallow reef surrounding the island is also perfect for snorkeling. There is also a channel cut through the reef to allow boat access to the dock. Snorkeling in this trench in the late afternoon after any boat traffic has stopped is great. In this trench in the evening it is common to see large number of white tipped reef sharks prowling the trench, as well as sleeping turtles, and schools of small bait fish. At the end of the trench is a large intact ship wreck, the HMAS Brisbane, that is only partially submerged, most of the wreck is above water. This island truly is a divers paradise, and I cant recommend it enough.

LOCATION: Lord Howe Island

I've been fortunate enough to have several trips to Lord Howe Island and do a fair bit of diving there. Lord Howe is a World Heritage listed area and regularly features as one of the best holiday destinations in the world. It is a truly unique place. The Island is located about 600km (370mi) east of Port Macquarie on mainland Australia. So it's part of Australia, but a long way from anywhere. The whole island is about 10km long and between 0.3 and 2km wide. No more than 400 tourists are allowed on the Island at any one time and it's accessible by flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Port Macquarie. There is no mobile phone coverage and limited internet access so it's really an escape from everyday life. A dozen people in the one place is a big crowd for Lord Howe Island. It's relatively expensive. Flights and accommodation are relatively expensive. There are very few shops on the Island but they can supply all your basic needs. But once you are there you are in paradise, above and below the water. There are great walks, beaches, lot's of birds, fishing. It's not an action adventure destination, it's a relaxing laid back place.

There is great snorkelling right off the beach, particularly at Ned's Beach. You can also do some real nice snorkelling sites in the lagoon but they are better done via a tour with one of the local operators. They are all good. There are two dive operators on the Island. There are a range of boat dives you can do, mostly a short trip away. Some of these are just outside the lagoon, others off the Malabar headland or the Admiralties (a group of rocks and very small Island now far from the main island). Diving around the Island is generally in 12-18m. There is a lot to see and around the Island you can take your pick with wide-angle or macro photography. Arguably the best diving is at Ball's Pyramid which is about 23km SE of the Island and when the weather is good boats head out there for a days diving. Ball's Pyramid is a 562m high rocky outcrop which is the tallest volcanic stack in the world. Diving at Ball's is in around 30m plus and is like swimming in an aquarium. A good day there is the equal of just about any dive site in the world. Bring your wide-angle for Ball's because everything is scaled up!

The dive shops have all the equipment you need but it's basic diving only (i.e. no nitrox or rebreathers etc that I'm aware of). They will have very basic spare parts and items for sale (mask's, snorkels, things for basic repairs) and they will go out of their way to fix a problem with your gear. But because the Island is so remote and everything comes in via plane or the small cargo ship that supplies the Island they keep it pretty simple.

The Island is the southern most reef in Australia and has an interesting mix of tropical and temperate conditions. You'll need a wetsuit to dive even in summer, and definitely in winter. The marine life is incredibly diverse as there are over 90 species of coral and 500 species of fish inhabiting the reef: turtles, reef sharks, morays, lobster, clown fish, angelfish, nudibranchs and more. I was even lucky enough to be on a trip that swam with a young whale shark we encountered on the way to Ball's Pyramid several years back.

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Dive Australia - Dive Trips

Dive Australia! Get ready to dive Australia on your dive trip of a lifetime! Australia is famous for the Great Barrier Reef, and the Great Barrier Reef is best known for its vast diversity in marine life. Dive the Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs, maybe spot some sea turtles, or even venture out to dive the Coral Sea. Whether you want liveaboard diving, day-boat trips or shore diving, Australia has it. And no matter your level of diving skill, we can find the perfect trip for you.

Along with our famous Great Barrier Reef you might consider the Leafy Sea Dragons off Kangaroo Island, Ball’s Pyramid at Lord Howe Island or for the very brave, Great White Shark cage diving in South Australia.  There’s a reason why the waters surrounding our great country are world-famous.  Come scuba dive Australia and explore our under water world and you’ll soon see for yourself what everyone is talking about.  Remember, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  Start planning your Down-under dive trip now.  Come dive Australia!

View More Australia Dive Trip Specials

Destinations: Australia – Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Spirit of Freedom (Liveaboard Dive Boat)

Activities: Scuba Diving, Iconic Landmarks, Beaches, Great Barrier Reef, Rainforest, Snorkeling, Local Markets, Rest & Relaxation

Tour Type: Independent Travel

Class: 3 - 4 stars

Destinations: Australia – Port Lincoln (Great White Shark Cage Dive), Sydney

Activities: Active, Scuba Dive (Great White Sharks), Thrill-seekers, Wildlife, Iconic Landmarks

Destinations: Australia – Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island, Brisbane

Activities: Scuba Diving, Culture, Active, Adventure, Beaches, Island Stay, Snorkeling, Stunning Landscapes, Short Walks, Wildlife, Wine & Dine

Destinations: Australia – Sydney, Lady Elliot Island (Great Barrier Reef), Brisbane

Activities: Scuba Diving, Great Barrier Reef, Island Stay, Restaurants, Reef, Wildlife, Nightlife, Iconic Landmarks, Local Markets

Destinations: Australia – Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea (Mike Ball Liveaboard), Sydney

Activities: Scuba Dive, Great Barrier Reef, Rainforests, Wildlife, Iconic Landmarks, Sightseeing, Local Markets

Destinations: Australia – Sydney, Lord Howe Island

Activities: Beaches, Scuba Dive, Iconic Landmarks & Museums, Island Stay, Wildlife, Local Markets, Active

Destinations: Australia – Brisbane, Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef)

Activities: Scuba Dive, Island Stay, Rest & Relaxation, Reef, Wildlife, Local Markets, Restaurants

Activities: Scuba Dive, Great Barrier Reef, Wildlife, Active, Hiking, Snorkel, Historical Landmarks, Museums, Restaurants

Destinations: Australia – Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reef, Coral Sea, Osprey Reef, Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard

Activities: Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef, Wildlife, Active, Beaches

Destinations: Australia – Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea (Mike Ball Liveaboard)

Activities: Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef, Rainforests & Wildlife

Destinations: New Zealand – Tutukaka, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef (Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard Dive Boat)

Activities: Active, Beaches, Scuba Dive, Great Barrier Reef, Rainforest, Wildlife, Landscapes

Destinations: Australia – Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs (Mike Ball Liveaboard), Ayers Rock, Sydney

Activities: Scuba Diving, Active, Beaches, Aboriginal Culture, Iconic Landmarks & Museums, Outback, Reef, Rainforest, Shopping & Local Markets, Wildlife

Destinations: Lord Howe Island, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Ribbon Reefs, (Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard Dive Boat)

Activities: Active, Beaches, Scuba Dive, Island Stay, Great Barrier Reef, Rainforest, Wildlife, Local Markets

Destinations: Sydney, Ayers Rock, Brisbane, Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef)

Activities: Active, Beaches, Aboriginal Culture, Scuba Dive, Iconic Landmarks & Museums, Island Stay, Outback, Rest & Relaxation, Restaurants, Reef, Shopping & Local Markets, Wildlife

Destinations: Sydney, Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef), Brisbane

Activities: Active, Beaches, Scuba Dive, Island Stay, Rest & Relaxation, Restaurants, Great Barrier Reef, Wildlife

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Home > Destinations > Australia

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Lady Elliot Island – Hottest Diving Deal

Lady Elliot Island is known for its abundance of manta rays, turtles, amazing array of spectacular marine life and unspoilt coral reef.

Stay 5 nights, pay only 4!

Australia Destinations

Read about some of our top places and things to see

Christmas Island

Cocos Keeling Islands

Great Barrier Reef

Lord Howe Island

Rowley Shoals

South Australia

Top australia resorts / liveaboards.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions: Spoilsport

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

Great Escape – Rowley Shoals

Dive Lord Howe

Diving in Australia is incredibly diverse, from the stunning coral vistas of the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo and Rowley Shoals, to world-famous wrecks like the Yongala, and encounters with whale sharks, manta rays – you can even come face to face with great white sharks.

Most people immediately think of the Great Barrier Reef when thinking of scuba diving in Australia. But, being a continent, there’s more to diving in Australia than one reef (even if it is the size of Italy).

Australia has tropical diving in the east along the Great Barrier Reef and in the west along Ningaloo Reef, the Rowley Shoals and Christmas Island. It also has temperate diving in the south, characterised by kelp rather than coral landscapes, but often teeming with marine life from leafy seadragons and cuttlefish, to rays, seals and great white sharks.

Here we’ll share with you what we consider to be the best liveaboards in Australia, Australia’s very special islands, and the best dive holiday destinations in Australia.

What to see when

Australia is a vast continent crossing several different climate zones, and your diving expectations will depend on the weather as well as seasonal marine life migration. In tropical climes, generally the best time to dive for the best visibility is the dry season (May to November) and in temperate climes, in autumn (February to May).

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Northern Great Barrier Reef. Diving the reef from Cairns or Port Douglas is available all year round, but the calmer seas and clearer water are from August to January, with the rainiest months of the year usually February and March. Dwarf minke whale season is in June and July, and turtle nesting season is November to February.

Southern Great Barrier Reef. Peak season on the Southern Great Barrier Reef is over the Australian summer months during turtle nesting season, however the best visibility, and best time to see mantas at Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island is mid-winter in July and August. Humpbacks can be seen between August and October.

Lord Howe Island, NSW

For warmer water the best time to dive Sydney, the New South Wales Coast and Lord Howe Island is between January and May, with the visibility increasingly better into June. Suitably dressed, (like the locals), you can dive NSW all year round.

Western Australia

On Ningaloo Reef, whale shark season runs between mid-March and mid-July and humpback season is between July and October. On Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands, the best visibility is between May and November, and whale shark season on Christmas Island is November to April. Rowley Shoals can only be dived in September and October.

South Australia.

While it is possibly to see great whites at Port Lincoln all year, historically the best time of year for viewing white sharks is from April through to June. The giant cuttlefish aggregation in Whyalla is from May to mid-July.

Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia

Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia

Ningaloo, Western Australia, Australia

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Getting There

Getting there.

Being an island continent, Australia is well connected into the global airline routes. Arrive in Perth for Ningaloo, Rowley Shoals, and Australia’s Indian Ocean Islands: Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Island; Sydney for Lord Howe Island, and Brisbane for all destinations on the Great Barrier Reef.

Getting around

Australia has several domestic airlines servicing major and regional hubs including Qantas, Qantaslink, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Rex. Train, coach and bus travel in Australia is comfortable, efficient and reasonably priced. All of Australia’s major cities have reliable public transport options however if you want to explore further afield it’s useful to hire a car. More information including travel times can be found here .

Adrenalin Dive & SeaEsta

Cocos Dive, Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Dive Ningaloo

Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo

Extra Divers Christmas Island

Heron Island Resort

Wet n Dry Adventures Christmas Island

All of Australia’s dive ‘resorts’ are on islands dotted around Australia’s coast – and each one is completely different. (They are not all strictly resorts either).

To the west, far out in the tropical Indian Ocean are the sandy Cocos Keeling Islands – consisting of two atolls and 27 coral islands, looking just like a lost paradise.

North of Cocos is Christmas Island – the tip of an extinct volcano – whose near-vertical sides slope down to the seabed 3000 m below. A magnet for pelagics from whale sharks to mantas, and well and home to a plethora of colourful reef fish on its fringing reefs.

To the far east, is Lord Howe Island , sitting on the confluence of 5 ocean currents, it has both tropical and temperate species in abundance, and well as a variety of interesting underwater terrain from a lagoon, to small islands, to the Arches, to Ball’s Pyramid – a monolithic slab of rock that sticks out of the ocean over 500m high!

In the middle of the Great Barrier Reef is Townsville, with Adrenalin Dive offering day trips and 3 to 5 night liveaboard trips to the local colourful reefs and the famous Yongala Wreck.

On the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef are two coral cays offering both excellent colourful coral reef diving, plus, being on the very edge of the reef, encounters with passing pelagics from Mantas to whales (in season). Being surrounded by sand, both Lady Elliot Island and Heron Island are also nesting grounds for turtles – meaning it would be a rare dive if you didn’t have an encounter with a turtle. Lady Musgrave Island now has a pontoon moored close by – so that you can do multiple nights stays and pack in 4 dives per day on the surrounding reefs.

In the west of Australia is Ningaloo – most famous for the whale shark swim – but there are also excellent dive sites on Ningaloo Reef, on the nearby Murion Island, and famously under the Navy Pier. All of which can be dived with Ningaloo Dive and Exmouth Dive .

Rodney Fox Expeditions Great White Shark Cage Diving

Divers Den Oceanquest

Dive Ningaloo: Lady Ningaloo

Sail Ningaloo: Shore Thing

Odyssey Expeditions

Pro Dive Cairns Scubapro

Spirit of Freedom

The most popular liveaboards in Australia are those, like Mike Ball Expedition’s Spoilsport out of Cairns, and the Spirit of Freedom , that visits the Coral Sea – servicing the area of the northern Great Barrier Reef. Offering various packages from regular 3 and 4-day trips which can be taken back to back as a luxurious 7-night trip that includes all the best sites.

There are other liveaboards in the Great Barrier Reef area which visit the Ribbon Reefs – those easily accessible reefs north of Cairns. An excellent example of these are Pro Dive’s three Scubapro liveaboard boats .

Finally, for those with only a few days to spare, you can still spend a few nights out on the Great Barrier Reef on the Divers Den Oceanquest Liveaboard . Moving between different moorings on the Outer Reef it is serviced daily by the day boat Seaquest – so you can spend as many or as few days diving as you like. Another liveaboard offering shorter trips to the central Great Barrier Reef from Townsville is the SeaEsta Liveaboard based in Townsville.

If you plan to visit Australia for diving around October or November, a fantastic but little known alternative would be a trip to the Rowley Shoals – a chain of three spectacular pristine coral atolls – each covering 80 square kilometres and rising up to 400 meters (130 ft) from the ocean floor on the very edge of the widest continental shelf in the world. Comparable to the Coral Sea on the East coast, the stronger prevailing currents make this a unique underwater environment.

Here you dive amongst the giant clams, shellfish, Giant Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse. Discover over 200 species of coral and over 650 species of fish. As the Rowley Shoals is about 100 miles offshore visibility is often in excess of 60m (200 ft).

Two liveaboards – the MV Great Escape and The Odyssey – offer 7-night itineraries in season from Broome in Western Australia, but be aware you may need to book in advance for the next season.

Also on the west coast, out of Ningaloo, is the Sail Ningaloo liveaboard, offering trips of different lengths and taking combinations of divers and snorkelers, or divers only.

And finally – for something completely different, you might like to get face to face with a Great White Shark. Rodney Fox Expeditions offers 3 and 4-night itineraries to the Neptune Islands from Port Lincoln in South Australia. On these trips, you can spend time in either the surface or ocean floor shark cages and experience these magnificent apex predators up close.

Due to the huge size of the country, Australia has several different climate zones. The northern section of Australia, including WA’s Coral Coast and Queensland, has a more tropical influenced climate, hot and humid in the summer, and quite warm and dry in the winter, while the southern parts, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, are cooler with mild summers and cool winters. In summer (December-February), average maximum temperatures are around 26°C/79°F It can also be humid at this time with an average humidity of 65 per cent.

Australia’s public health care system is called Medicare, and Australian hospitals provide world-class medical facilities and standards of care. The Australian Government has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with a number of countries, which entitle travellers to some subsidised health services. It’s best to check your eligibility before you leave home, and it’s always important to have appropriate travel insurance to cover your stay in Australia. More information .

Where is the nearest decompression chamber? Check the Database link on this site.

Power sockets

Power sockets are Type 1 – three flat pins in a triangle.

Banks and Banking

Australia’s national currency is Australian dollars (AUD), which comes in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. Coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent and one and two dollar denominations.

Currency exchange is available at banks, hotels and international airports. Australian banks offer the same range of services typical in other western nations, and ATMs are widespread. EFTPOS is widely available in most Australian shops, restaurants and hotels. Fees may be charged on transactions, particularly if withdrawing from an international account, so it is advised you check with your bank before travelling. More information .

The outgoing IDD (international direct dialling) code from within Australia is 0011.

Mobile phone network coverage is available across Australia, however coverage may be limited in some remote areas. Internet access and free WiFi is widely available at internet cafés, resorts and libraries.

Visa & Customs

Unless you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you will need a valid Australian visa to enter the country. New Zealand passport holders can apply for a visa upon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa before leaving home. You can apply for a range of visas, including tourist visas and working holiday visas, at your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate. You can also apply for certain types of visas on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. More information .

Other Activities

Visit the Tourism Australia website for a wealth of information about travelling to Australia and the many attractions and activities to experience, from climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge to exploring the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest or iconic natural features such as Uluru Kata Tjutu National Park.

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The Coral Sea, Osprey Reef

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Swim with manta rays.

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Popular - Great White Shark Cage Diving, Port Lincoln - South Australia

Need help planning your Australian diving holiday?

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Guide to Australia’s Best Scuba Dive Sites

• Adrian Stacey
• on August 26, 2020
• at 12:56 am

In this article, we look at just some of Australia's best dive sites

As lockdown restrictions relax and state borders open up, and with international travel still a little way off, it is time once again to be thankful that we live in Australia.

Few, if any countries in the world can boast such a varied assortment of diving. From the vivid corals of the Great Barrier Reef to the spectacular kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef, from whale sharks at Ningaloo to leafy sea dragon at the Mornington peninsular. You can dive with great white sharks or swim with humpback whales.

Perhaps witness the mass migration of the spider crabs, visit one of the many beautiful islands or dive one of the hundreds of wrecks that litter the shores of this diving Eden called Australia. The list of places to go to, and of creatures to see is almost endless. For a little inspiration, we have compiled a selection of world-renowned heavyweights and some lesser-known gems of Australian diving.

Where better place to start than in Queensland home of the iconic Great Barrier Reef. This fantastic living structure is over 2300KM long, is comprised of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands and can be seen from space. But diving is not just limited to the GBR, with some amazing wrecks and spectacular dives around the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Northern Great Barrier Reef  –  Cairns

Cairns is the most popular location to access the northern areas of the reef. Divers have the option of day trips out to the likes of Norman, Saxon or Hastings reefs or Liveaboard trips to the more remote Ribbon Reefs and Osprey reef. I was lucky to be on the Spirit of Freedom for their final voyage before the lockdown came into effect. The waters were teeming with life, the hard corals on the Ribbon Reefs were pristine, and the soft corals at Osprey Reef were spectacular.

Mike Ball is currently operating 5-day minke whale trips and will be running 5-day tours to Osprey Reef & Cod hole from August. World class scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea on Australia's most awarded liveaboard , Spoilsport.

Divers Den are open for courses and day trips to Norman Saxon and Hastings Reefs. The experts since 1974. Day trips, overnight trips and 5-star PADI Dive School

Photo Credit: Adrian Stacey

SS Yongala – Townsville

Speaking of the spectacular, the SS Yongala is often touted as one of the best wrecks in the world, and with good reason. Resting on the sand at a depth of 30 meters, it is a beacon for marine life. Immense schools of fish swarm the coral-encrusted hull, huge rays, sharks and turtles frequent this oasis of marine life, while huge nudibranchs and numerous other critters call the Yongala home.

Adrenaline Dive are once again taking divers to the SS Yongala from there Townsville base. With over 30 years in Marine Tourism, you can relax knowing they have the skills, knowledge and experience of the best spots on the Great Barrier Reef.

Southern Great Barrier Reef – Gladstone to Bundaberg

At the southernmost reaches of the Great Barrier Reef are the Capricorn and Bunker Group of Islands. Not quite as well-known as their northern counterparts, the diving in this region is every bit as stunning. Some of the region's highlights include Heron island. This is a tropical paradise with a wealth of beautiful dives, including Heron Bommie which Jacques Cousteau even listed in his top ten dive sites. Lady Musgrave Island boasts pristine reefs set against the backdrop of a vast turquoise lagoon bustling with life. While Lady Elliot Island has become synonymous with the majestic Manta Rays which inhabit these waters year-round.

Heron Island Resort  is open for business and also operates trips to Wilson island for snorkelling. Experience nature at its best on Heron Island, world famous for its spectacular coral reef and a sanctuary for an extraordinary variety of marine life. This natural coral cay provides a genuine eco-experience and the unique opportunity to witness the magic of the world’s largest coral reef. 

Lady Elliot Island  is open once again at a time when the mantas are most active. Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay located at the southern tip of the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef.

Lady Musgrave Experience   are operating day trips out to the island and will soon be opening a dive platform on the lagoon that will even offer underwater accommodation. This will give guest easy access to all the surrounding reefs.

North Stradbroke Island – Brisbane

Accessible by ferry from Brisbane, North Stradbroke island attracts manta rays during the summer month and grey nurse sharks in the winter months. Deep gutters offer the ideal hiding place for loggerhead turtles and wobbegong sharks. If you are really lucky you might even see a humpback whale on its annual migration.

Manta Lodge   is now open for business and taking bookings. Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre is Brisbane’s premier dive facility for high quality, live-in scuba diving training . Located right on the beach at Point Lookout, we specialise in providing world-class scuba diving courses and dive trips to the Moreton Bay Marine Park on beautiful  North Stradbroke Island .

New South Wales

New South Wales is blessed with a vast array of excellent dives and offers a unique underwater experience as warm tropical waters collide with the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. It is probably one off the best places on the planet to dive with grey nurse sharks, it is home to plentiful wobbegongs, boast an annual whale migration and has some magnificent scenery both above and below the water.

Julien Rocks – Byron Bay

Just a 5-minute boat ride from Byron Bays main beach this great dive site is carpeted with, well, carpet sharks! Wobbegongs are everywhere. In the summer months, manta rays and leopard sharks can be found in abundance, and in the winter months, the docile but fearsome-looking grey nurse sharks lurk in the shadows of this rocky dive location.

Sundive   Byron Bay are once again operating trips out to Julien rocks. Established on 1988, Sundive is Byron Bay’s only PAD 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, a rating that represents the commitment to quality, safety and service.

Photo credit: Simone Caprodossi

Fish Rock Cave – South West Rocks

Grey nurse sharks, grey nurse sharks and then some more grey nurse sharks, plus wobbegongs, massive schools of fish the occasional school of hammerheads and did I mention grey nurse sharks, and a cave. A truly fantastic place to dive.

South West Rocks Dive Centre are taking divers out again to see the grey nurse sharks. The South West Rocks Dive Centre is a family owned and operated business leading dives to Fish Rock for the past 40+ years. We dive every day and have the most experienced dive staff in the area.

Jervis Bay – Jervis Bay

200 KM south of Sydney is the idyllic setting of Jervis Bay. Home to a vast marine park. Here divers are treated to sheer soft coral walls, multiple caves and swim-throughs, wrecks including planes and ships, shark nurseries, macro life and miles of rocky coastline. Not to mention a resident fur seal colony and the elusive weedy sea dragon.

Dive Jervis bay  offer day trips to all of the area’s best dive sites. Scuba Diving and Padi Courses .

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mueller

Above the water, Victoria is perhaps best known for the Great Ocean Road scenic drive which includes the famous twelve apostles, Below the water is every bit as spectacular, with hundreds of wrecks and numerous jetties that support a wealth of weird and wonderful marine life. Plus the surreal spectacle of the annual giant spider carb migration.

Mornington Peninsula – Melbourne

The piers at Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay provide divers with all-weather diving opportunities, being on a bay there's always a sheltered side where divers can get in and enjoy interacting with resident critters. None more popular than the annual Spider Crab migration made famous by David Attenborough's Blue Planet 2 with the Rye pier as the famous “Go to” dive site. Additional to this annual event, there are an incredible array of colourful nudibranchs with the Blairgowrie pier/marina as a destination of choice for the sea slug fanatics. These aren't to be outdone by our state marine emblem, the Weedy Sea dragon commonly encountered around the Portsea Pier.

Bay Play   offer trips to all of the best dive sites in the area. Bayplay offers an array of amazing adventure activities and unforgettable experiences to suit everyone on the Mornington Peninsula.

Photo credit: Matt Krumins

Philip Bay Wrecks – Melbourne

If the pursuit of rusty metal floats your boat (or sunk it in this case), Melbourne has it all! From historic wrecks inside the bay such as the Eliza Ramsden through to a fleet of WW1 British J Class submarines, scuttled after decommissioning, to the more recent and purposely created artificial reef in the ex-HMAS Canberra. From 8 meters of depth to it's resting depth of 29 meters, the Canberra is a great fun dive for divers of all levels. With 138 meters of wreck to explore across numerous levels, this is a magnet for divers and marine life alike.

Scuba Culture offer regular trips to the area’s wrecks and the piers of the Mornington Peninsular. The biggest range of the best diving & snorkelling products, backed up by unrivalled multi award winning customer service and providing unsurpassed quality diver training to all levels, SCUBA CULTURE, the destination for the astute diver who will only settle for the very best.

Photo Credit: Matt Krumins

Tasmania 

With more than 4,850 km of coastline and 45,000 hectares of marine reserves, the clear coastal waters of Tasmania offer some of the best temperate diving in the world. From the Dramatic walls of at Bicheno to the impressive wreck of the SS Nord. Marine life is also plentiful, dolphins, seals and even penguins call the brisk waters of Tasmania home. Plus of course, the weedy sea dragon, the specimens found in Tasmania are the largest and the most colourful.

Tasman Peninsula – Eagle Hawk Neck

The Tasman Peninsula region offers huge caves, tunnels and canyons, particularly in Waterfall Bay, an area well known for its sea caves. The largest, Cathedral Cave, which is the largest sea cave system in Australia, consists of a massive entrance (maximum water depth 21m), extending back into smaller caverns with narrow tunnels and cross passages. The walls are covered with brightly coloured invertebrates typically found in much deeper water. In addition, there are stunning sponge gardens, the impressive wreck of the SS Nord and colonies of the ever-playful fur seals.

Eagle Hawk Dive Centre is open for business and are taking customers to some of Tasmania's favourite dive sites. PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is situated on the Tasman Peninsula in southeastern Tasmania at only 1 hour from Hobart.

Photo credit: Karen Gowlett-Holmes & Michael Baron

South Australia

Perhaps best known for cage diving with Great White sharks, this state has so much more to offer. The rugged coastline provides a host of excellent diving opportunities. There is the picturesque Kangaroo Island, the macro divers favourites, Port Hughes and Edithburgh jetties on the Yorke Peninsula, and unique to South Australia the amazing Giant Cuttlefish aggregation near Whyalla each winter!

Neptune Islands – Port Lincoln

The Neptunes are a pristine, wild and rugged paradise – an elemental tour de force – where the planet's most amazing prehistoric survivor congregates. Male great whites (up to 5-metres) inhabit the islands all year round. The seal pups are born in summer (December to January), but don't start entering the ocean until winter (April to August). That's when the giant female great whites (up to 6-metres) come to the Neptunes. That extra metre almost doubles their bodyweight. They are incredible creatures.

Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Have resumed their tours to see these magnificent creatures. Eco friendly great white shark cage diving in South Australia with the Fox's! From inventing the shark cage over 50 years ago to current day research based expeditions. The Fox Team are unrivalled in their passion and promotion of this still misunderstood animal. 

Photo credit: Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions

Fleurieu Peninsula   – Adelaide

The Fleurieu Peninsula offers a variety of shore dive sites, including Port Noarlunga Jetty, Second Valley, and The Bluff at Victor Harbor. However Rapid Bay is generally regarded as one of Australia's best jetty dives, and although you can dive it from the shore, the best part of this large dive site is nearly 500m offshore. It is therefore most easily accessed by boat. It is one of the best spots for sighting the unique leafy sea dragon. Rapid bay is also the site of the ex-HMAS Hobart a stunning coral encrusted wreck.

Underwater Sports visit all of the best dive sites in the Adelaide region. Underwater Sports Diving Centre is a family owned business in Holden Hill, Adelaide, South Australia.

Photo Credit: David Gordon

Western Australia

This vast state has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to diving. It is home the longest fringing reef in the world, Ningaloo, the untouched Rowley Shoals and the remote Abrolhos islands. In addition to this is highly regarded wrecks of the ex-HMAS Swan and ex-HMAS Perth, Rottnest Island, Murion island, Point Murat Navy pier an annual humpback whale migration and whale sharks galore.

Ningaloo Reef – Exmouth

Ningaloo Reef has it all! This sprawling reef offers pristine corals a remarkable amount of tropical fish and the chance of some spectacular, big animal encounters. This UNESCO world heritage reef is home to turtles, reef sharks and stingrays, manta rays, dugongs and humpback whales. Plus the biggest fish in the sea, the whale shark, feasts here for six months following the annual coral spawning.

Exmouth Dive operates daily trips out to the reef and for whale shark swims. Exmouth, Western Australia, is the gateway to Australia’s iconic Ningaloo Reef – a pristine aquatic wonderland that is home to an abundance of marine life including dolphins, manta rays, turtles, Humpback whales and of course the iconic whale sharks.

Photo Credit: Adrian Stacey (Whale Shark)

Rottnest Island – Perth

Rottnest Island is located a stone’s throw from the city of Perth. This beautiful island is home to a myriad of wildlife, including a fur seal colony, vibrant corals and numerous shipwrecks. The other very different feature of diving around Rottnest and surrounding areas is that the reef is mainly made of limestone.

This means lots of caves and swim throughs as well as a whole new range of marine species which come with this type of reef. Underwater caves which lead from cave to cave and cavern to cavern make some dives feel like you are in a different world. The limestone reef structure differs to the boulder type reef of the south west and it does offer some fantastic underwater landscapes and topography.

Perth Scuba is taking divers out the stunning Rottnest island once again. Perth Scuba is Western Australia’s largest dive centre. We teach PADI and TDI dive courses, have a huge range of dive and snorkelling equipment.

Photo Credit: Johanna Pool

I have only just scratched the surface of the wealth of fantastic dive destination that this diverse country offers. There has never been a better opportunity to experience this diving paradise, so now is the time to plan a road trip or jump on a flight, before the crowds of international tourist return.

Want to read about more great places to dive?

Top 10 Best Dive Sites in the World, Editor in Chiefs Pick

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

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Dive adventures

Search for your perfect dive holiday., this photo was taken in raja ampat (indonesia) ©papua explorers dive resort.

Liveaboards

Group Trips

Destination of the month, indonesia – raja ampat – west papua.

Raja Ampat is a world renowned diving hotspot. This ecologically diverse paradise is a hub of life. Raja Ampat’s vegetation covered rock islands sit like emeralds in warm, azure coral filled seas. Whether you’re looking to retreat into simple backpacker lodgings or home stays, or relax in beautiful dive resorts, there are a variety of accommodation options available. Wherever you decide to stay expect a high level of adventure and remoteness, a true escape from the ordinary. 

Biodiversity is mirrored on land and sea. Discover islands full of endemic species of flora and fauna, providing a home to rare orchids, birds of paradise and native marsupials such as tree kangaroos and possums. Beneath the surface you will find 75% of the world’s species of corals! This supports a huge array of marine creatures, and the area has become famous for it’s healthy population of apex predators, such as sharks, whales and dolphins. 

In the Spotlight

Indonesia – raja ampat – papua explorers resort.

Papua Explorers is an all-inclusive dive resort located on the south coast of Gam Island, surrounded by the most iconic dive sites in Northern Raja Ampat. All resort bungalows, the restaurant and the dive centre/pier with adjacent spa have been constructed the traditional way – over-water with individual walkways on stilts and glorious views sweeping Dampier Strait from Cape Kri to Mansuar Island.

Only 15 wooden bungalows line up along a massive house reef wall with miles of dense rainforest providing the daily soundtrack, complementing the sound of water lapping underneath every structure. The spacious and airy bungalow interiors lead to spectacular decks, each with sun chairs, hammocks and – most importantly- stairs for direct access to the house reef for swimming and snorkelling in medium and high tide.

The PADI 5 Star dive centre operates a fleet of small & medium-sized boats for 10-30 min excursions to all Dampier Strait reefs, extended tours to Batanta, Wayag and Fam Islands as well as the Passage between Gam and Waigeo Island for diving, snorkelling and waterfall hiking. Direct boat transfers between the resort and Sorong airport on Wednesdays and Sundays take 2 hours each way. Raja Ampat is famous for its exceptional richness of fish life and coral. Due to prevailing currents, the Dampier Strait reefs are best enjoyed by divers with advanced certifications. However, the dive team is very experienced, and with a high ratio of guides to divers, it is also possible to take beginners and open water students to more sheltered coves.

The Papua Explorers Foundation is dedicated to conserving marine life through science, education and awareness. The latest addition to all these projects, excursions and amenities is the liveaboard Coralia, a traditional Phinisi schooner built from scratch and cruising since 2019.

Papua Explorers provides a deluxe dive experience, comfortable yet sustainable amenities in remote, unspoilt nature – romantic and intimate with a fun multi-cultural vibe and a strong connection to their local indigenous community.

Liveaboard in the Spotlight

Fiji – Nai’a

About dive adventures.

Established in 1986, Dive Adventures is Australia’s leading diving holiday specialist. Our knowledge of the Pacific and Southeast Asia region with its abundance of world class dive sites is second to none. We provide for all levels of diving skills from beginners to experienced and special interest diving from coral reefs, prolific sea life through to specialized tech cave and wreck diving. Our experienced team of travel consultants are all qualified divers and offer expert advice in the planning and booking of each aspect of your diving holiday, including the flights, accommodation and the type of diving and conditions to suit your experience level. Dive Adventures only use the most reputable operators and our packages are thoroughly researched to provide the best value and unique diving experience to meet your individual requirements.

Follow us on Instagram @diveadventures.au

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Tour Highlights

• See the northern Ribbon Reefs of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, simply the most awesome liveaboard luxury dive tour 
• Swim with Dwarf Minke Whales June - July
• Dive with Giant Potato Cod at the Cod Hole on the Coral Sea
• Scuba dive with hundreds of Sharks above you fighting for food
• The big highlights of our Cairns dive trips is our exclusive adrenaline pumping dive with sharks and our dives with the family of giant potato cods.

Description & Tour Inclusions

Included in price.

• Transfers to/from your Cairns city hotel
• Opportunity for multiple Dives
• Chef prepared gourmet meals - Australian style
• Australian wines and soft drinks with evening meals
• Low-level scenic flight – Lizard Island to Cairns on the 3 & 4 Day Cruise
• En-suite cabin with daily service

This is the premier liveaboard scuba diving tour on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Our luxury liveaboard dive boat travels out to the Ribbon Reefs, Osprey Reef and the famous Cod Hole where open water divers have the chance to experience some of the most diverse coral and marine life on the reef.

Our   Cairns based luxury liveaboard dive boat caters to only 26 pampered dive guests with its 11 spacious air-conditioned cabins which include ensuite bathrooms and a daily housekeeping service.

The boat is manned by a highly skilled crew of 10 service staff who look after your every comfort and need. 

Liveaboard cabins and facilities

Each premium-style cabin has its own flatscreen television and DVD/CD players whilst other guests can use the communal lounges for relaxation and entertainment amenities such as televisions and internet.

The Top Deck is the place for some time out to catch some rays or watch the sunset in the evening and there is no better place to be in the evening than the ships bar so you can swap your Coral Sea underwater scuba diving stories.

There are three entertainment areas on the vessel where passengers can kick back and relax; the dining saloon, lounge bar and sundeck where you have the occasional barbeque under the stars.

Visit the onboard library and have usage of the on-site computer with CD burner where you can download your stunning dive photos.

3 and 4-day liveaboard trip

During your 3 and 4-day liveaboard scuba diving trips you will get a bonus low-level scenic flight from Cairns airport to Lizard Island  for the 4 Day Liveboard and from Lizard Island to Cairns on the 3 Day Liveaboard where you can travel 500 metres above the world's largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef .

View the vastness and beautify of the reef from above while spotting turtles, manta rays, sharks whales, dugongs and many other sea creatures. 

For your low level scenic flight please ensure that baggage weights don't exceed 20 kilos and that only soft-sided baggage is taken.

If you have other luggage that you need to be stored then please advise at time of booking.

Gourmet meals are prepared throughout the day for guests, and Australian wines and soft drinks are served nightly with dinner.

On this liveaboard dive boat, you will never go hungry, if anything you will be sitting out some of the freshly prepared gourmet meals by the chef on offer.

Whether you try the 3-day, 4-day or 7-day  dive excursion, be prepared for a life-changing experience, one that you will remember for a long time. 

Three-Day Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs Our Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs trip begins every second Thursday from Cairns and travels along the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs, finishing 150 miles to the north at the world famous Cod Hole. Over two and a half days you will encounter colourful tropical fish, an incredible variety of vibrant, healthy corals, giant clams, anemones, huge schools of cruising pelagic fish, and a family of giant potato cod. Your last night is spent on board the ‘Spirit’ in the bay at Lizard Island. Enjoy time ashore at Lizard Island the next morning, before boarding your return flight to Cairns, arriving on Sunday morning. • Departs Cairns 12pm Thursday • Returns Cairns 12pm Sunday • Opportunity for up to 11 dives • Includes scenic flight from Lizard Island to Cairns • Dive Level: Open Water Diver, minimum 10 ocean dives including 5 in last 12 months

Four-Day Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs This trip begins every second Sunday, with a flight along the coastline from Cairns, over the reef to Lizard Island. The first day will see you diving the very top of the Ribbon Reefs, before steaming overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Two days are spent diving the spectacular walls of Osprey Reef, an old volcanic atoll lying 225km (140mi) off the coast, including our famous shark dive at North Horn! The last day is spent at Ribbon Reef Number 3 before our overnight journey back to Cairns, arriving early on the Thursday morning. • Departs Cairns 8.30am Sunday • Returns Cairns 8am Thursday • Opportunity for up to 15 dives • Includes scenic flight from Cairns to Lizard Island • Dive Level: Advanced Diver, minimum 20 ocean dives including 5 in last 12 months

Seven-Day Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea Combine our 3 and 4 night itineraries into a 7-day, 7-night liveaboard dive expedition from Cairns and see the best of the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea in one amazing trip! Maximise your time in the water with up to 26 dives over this one week itinerary. Includes an overnight stay in secluded Watson’s Bay, with a couple of hours to explore Lizard Island, and two full days at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. In between dives, relax and enjoy the comforts of Spirit of Freedom's spacious cabins, welcoming lounges and sundecks, and hearty chef-prepared meals. • Departs Cairns 12pm Thursday • Returns Cairns 8am Thursday • Opportunity for up to 26 dives • Includes Lizard Island visit • Dive Level: Advanced Diver, minimum 20 ocean dives including 10 in last 12 months

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3-Day, 3-Night Cod Hole and Ribbon Reef Scuba Dive Adventure

Dive the world famous Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs of Australia's Great Barrier Reef where you will encounter giant Potato Cods, masses of colourful tropical fish, anemones, Moray eels, giant Napoleon Maori Wrasse, and pristine coral gardens.

This scuba dive adventure departs Cairns at 12.00 Noon on Thursday  and returns back to Cairns via a low-level scenic reef flight from Lizard Island at 10:00am on Sundays .

During your liveaboard scuba dive tour, you will have a chance to do up to 11 day and night dives .

Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Dive Itinerary

Day 1: Thursday

On Thursday you will be picked up from your Cairns holiday accommodation by a courtesy shuttle and taken to Cairns Marlin Marina to board the luxury liveaboard dive boat.

Before departure, you will meet the crew and undergo a simple orientation of the vessel.

Enjoy a gourmet lunch as you cruise to the Great Barrier Reef arriving in the first dive spot for an afternoon orientation dive and a twilight or night dive subject to the weather conditions.

After dinner, sit back and relax as you cruise on to the northern Ribbon Reefs where you will wake up to your new surroundings ready for a day of spectacular scuba diving, snorkelling and exploring the amazing underwater attractions of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Day 2 & 3: Friday & Saturday

After your first exciting day, you should be well rested and ready for Friday & Saturday as you will be these days diving the most northern ribbon reefs Number 9 & 10.

When you wake, be prepared for an adrenaline rush on Friday as you finally reach the Cod Hole, made famous by the legendary Giant Potato Cod that just love to interact with scuba divers.

The first dive will be at the monolith at Challenger Bay and the unforgettable Cod Hole.

This family of Potato Cod find you just as interesting as you find them and they love to receive a pat as they come up to you for a look.

Next, it is time to do a drift dive at Dynamite Pass which got its name because of the many species of sharks and other predators who hang around this channel waiting for dinner to pass between the reefs with the strong currents and straight into their mouths.

They do not even have to fight for their meal it comes straight to them so not may chances of them even noticing your presence.

At day's end, the boat will have reached Watson's Bay at Lizard Island where an Aussie barbeque dinner will be held on the top deck for your last evening.

A great time to say goodbye to your new found friends and maybe swap contact details so you can meet in another one of the worlds amazing scuba diving locations.

Day 4: Sunday

Sunday morning, after a satisfying leisurely breakfast, explore the brilliant blue beaches and bays at Lizard Island and have a snorkel or join the guided walk around the historical sites on Lizard Island.

At 10.00am, board the light twin-engine aircraft for your low-level scenic flight back to Cairns where you will be shuttled back to your holiday accommodation with a camera full of pictures and many amazing memories and stories to share with your friends and family back home.

4-Day, 4-Night Dive With Sharks on The Great Barrier Reef

This Coral Sea dive with sharks scuba diving adventure departs Cairns at 8.30am Sundays and returns at 8.00am on Thursday.

This exciting shark diving tour will take you to 16 diverse dive sites  and includes a scenic low-level flight over Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Experience a dive at the world famous Cod Hole and travel out 200km to the remote Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

It's here wher you will dive with a huge amount of  predatory sharks , manta rays and schools of pelagics with your backs up against sheer walls laced with Gorgonian fans and underwater visibility of an amazing 30 - 100 metres.

Our shark diving expeditions are guaranteed to get your heart racing and increase your attraction to these apex predators. 

Liveaboard Dive Itinerary

Day 1: Sunday

At 7.30am Sunday morning, a courtesy shuttle will collect you from your Cairns holiday accommodation and bring you to the Cairns general aviation airport.

From there you will board a light twin-engine aircraft for a wonderful  low-level scenic flight to Lizard Island where you can take some great images of the reef and sea creatures below.

As you discover Australia's Great Barrier Reef from the sky you will be more excited than ever to venture into the deep blue and discover all the magnificent creatures in the ocean below.

After arriving at Lizard Island you will be ferried across to your liveaboard boat by tender and introduced to the dive and service crew, and then taken on an orientation of your home for the next few days.

You are able to do four or five dives a day at some of the following sites: Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Wall and Pixie Pinnacle and a night dive on Friday evening.

After your first day's dives, settle in and get comfortable, enjoy some good meals and get to know your new dive buddies because it is now an eight-hour journey overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

Day 2 and 3: Monday and Tuesday

Monday and Tuesday are both spent at Osprey Reef (Weather permitting). Osprey Reef is packed with so much action two days hardly does it justice. The waters of the Coral Sea are renowned for their transparency and feature visibility of up to 100 metres.

It's the day for our Shark Attraction dive so get ready to be scared.Here at Osprey Reef, you will see a huge amount of sharks and the likes of Gray Whaler sharks, Silvertip sharks, reef sharks, schooling barracuda, trevally, other pelagics and even Hammerhead Sharks.

Be amazed at the fantastic coral at Osprey Reef that features sheer walls laced with Gorgonians, sea whips, and bright yellow soft corals rising from the ocean's floor thousands of feet below.

Saturday night you will be travelling most of the night to reach the Ribbon Reefs so tuck yourself in and enjoy the ride.

Day 4 and 5: Wednesday and Thursday

The itinerary for Wednesday and Thursday are weather dependent. You will spend Sunday at Ribbon Reef Number 3 diving the sensational spot at Steve's Bommie, The Temple of Doom and Flare Point.

If the weather allows, you will also go out to Bougainville Reef in the Coral Sea and dive an old shipwreck and underwater caverns. Wednesday night will be spent cruising back to Cairns whilst you are are peacefully sleeping in your comfortable cabin.

On Thursday morning wake up to enjoy your last breakfast onboard with your dive buddies as you return back to Cairns at approximately 6.30am and then catch courtesy transfers back to your Cairns holiday accommodation.

If you are a keen fan of scuba diving with sharks we have some more dedicated  shark diving tours  on offer.

7-Day, 7-Night Cod Hole/ Ribbon Reef and Coral Sea Adventure on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

This is the ultimate scuba diving experience in Australia that allows passengers to truly discover the vastness and uniqueness of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Australia.

During your seven days and nights of diving, experience the two diverse ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.

Your cruise will include the Ribbon Reefs, the Cod Hole, a chance to explore Lizard Island, Osprey and possibly Bougainville Reef in the Coral Sea.

This 7-day, 7-night  adventure departs Thursday  mornings at noon and returns the following Thursday  at 8.00am. During your trip, you will be able to experience up to 26 amazing dives!

Late Thursday morning a courtesy shuttle will pick you up from your Cairns holiday accommodation and take you to Cairns Marlin Marina where you will be introduced to the crew and your dive buddies, and given an orientation of your liveaboard boat, your home for the next seven days.

No time is wasted and soon you will be enjoying your first lunch while cruising out to the Great Barrier Reef coral gardens and your first taste of the scuba diving locations you are about to explore.

During the afternoon you will do an orientation dive and a twilight dive. Then it is time to settle in for some dinner as you cruise northwards to the Ribbon Reefs.

Day 2 and 3: Friday & Saturday

On waking you will see you have arrived at the beautiful Ribbon Reef Numbers Nine and Ten. On Friday and Saturday, you will get to experience several sites with up to four to five dives a day including a night dive on Friday.

Some of the spectacular scuba diving sites you will experience are Permission Bommie, Wonderwall, Pixie Reef Pinnacle, Lighthouse Bommie and the Clam Gardens. Be amazed at the abundance of giant clams and colourful coral.

In the afternoon you'll head to High Five where you do your first drift dive and then it is an evening dive at Georgie's Wall.

Saturday morning you will arrive at the Cod Hole, famous for its humongous Potato Cod. You will also get to do a dive at Challenger Bay.

If you are game, try a drift dive at Dynamite Pass; a renowned channel where sharks hang around to catch the fish that pass through the fast currents between the reefs.

In the afternoon you will have a dive in the Snake Pit full of Olive Sea Snakes. All scuba diving locations may vary according to the weather and ocean conditions at the time of the journey.

On Saturday evening you will arrive at Lizard Island where you will enjoy the much-anticipated rooftop sunset drinks and Australian barbeque.

Sunday morning you will have a great chance to explore the historical locations on exclusive Lizard Island before heading back to your liveaboard, then out to the coral reef gardens again before lunch for more scuba diving.

You will have a chance during the afternoon to do two or three dives on Ribbon Reef Number Ten, the Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Wall, and Pixie Pinnacle. Next, it is a ten-hour journey overnight to Osprey Reef.

Day 5 and 6: Monday and Tuesday

You will wake up Monday morning to find yourself at Osprey Reef where the waters are clear, giving you up to 100m of visibility in some dive locations.

Both Monday and Tuesday are spent diving at Osprey Reef at a multitude of different sites and this is the day you have been waiting for, our Shark Attraction dive! 

As you sit with your backs against the coral walls watch as Grey Whaler sharks, Silvertip sharks, reef sharks, and the occasional hammerhead sharks, schooling barracuda, trevally, and other pelagics all fight for food.

Tuesday night you will then sail to the Ribbon Reefs whilst you are enjoying a well-earned rest.

Day 7 and 8: Wednesday & Thursday

On Wednesday you will head to Ribbon Reef Number 3 and do three dives at Steve's Bommie, Temple of Doom, and Flare Point.

If weather permits, you will do a fourth dive at Bougainville Reef with its underwater swim thru caverns and submerged wreck.

After the final dive of the day, it is time to settle in for the final boat cruise back to Cairns.

On Thursday morning you will enjoy your final breakfast onboard before you reach Cairns at 6.30am. 

You will have the whole day back at your hotel accommodation ahead of you to rest, recover and reflect on the amazing scuba diving you have just experienced over the last seven days in Queensland Australia on the Great Barrier Reef.

Liveaboard Accommodation

The liveaboard accommodation offers eleven spacious air-conditioned cabins all contain their own private bathroom and are serviced daily. A range of cabin types is available and the three premium cabin types contain TV/DVD and CD player.

Entertainment facilities i nclude a widescreen TV Projector unit and DVD movie library. Passengers are also welcome to view their own digital images or videos through the projector. Computer and CD burner are available for digital image download. Digital cameras (Sony DCS-P9) and housings are available for hire.

The onboard chefs provide first-class restaurant quality meals and can cater to specific dietary requirements with enough advance notification. Australian wine and soft drinks are complimentary with the evening meal.

For more liveaboard scuba diving trips on the Great Barrier Reef see here    or for more specialised dive trips take a look at our swim with whales and dive with sharks expeditions.

Swim With Whales Great Barrier Reef - Australia

Our boat has an exclusive licence to  swim with Dwarf Minke Whales  when they are sighted on the Great Barrier Reef. This means that the boat will stop and a long line is put in the water and 10 people at a time are allowed to enter the water and wait for the Dwarf Minke Whales to approach and swim around them.

Swimming with whales is one of the most pure animal interactions you will ever experience, as these little 8 meter whales are so inquisitive and friendly and happy to interact and come close to have a good look at you.

Please note:  As whales are wild animals this interaction is just a bonus to the Great Barrier Reef tour if whales are sighted.

Read more here about whales on the Great Barrier Reef.

Tour Details

Departs from, departure instructions.

• Thursday tours depart Ex: Trinity Wharf, Cairns.
• Sunday tours depart Ex: Hinterland Aviation, General Aviation Airport.

Pickup Locations

Destinations.

• Great Barrier Reef
• Three-Day Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs
• Four-Day Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs
• Seven-Day Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Thursday, Sunday

Choice of 3, 4 or 7 Days

Available for Purchase / Hire

T Shirts, Polo, Caps, Jumpers, Jackets, Vests, Stubby Cooler plus more!

Fitness Level Required

Restrictions.

On 3 & 4 Day Cruise there are light aircraft restrictions, your total weight of your luggage is limited to 20 kilograms/ 45 lb per person, including your dive gear and carry on luggage.

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

• We will endeavour to adhere to the scheduled itinerary, but we cannot accept financial responsibility for cancellation or adjustment of advertised itinerary due to weather conditions or medical emergency. Trip itineraries are subject to change at the sole discretion of the Master of the Vessel. We do not accept responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged property. Trip fees will not be refunded should passengers be unable to board in time for the scheduled departure or be unable to complete all available dives.
• All passengers are required to complete an on-line Diver Information form which requires them to agree to our passenger terms and conditions, advise details of their diving experience, and complete our medical statement. A link to this on-line form will be sent at time of booking, this form needs to be completed at least 30 days prior to departure.
• Scuba diving on board our dive trip is only available for Certified Divers. We do not offer Learn to Dive courses, “resort dives” or any form of scuba diving activities for anyone who is not a Certified Diver.
• We require divers to present a valid Certification Card and be equipped with a safety sausage, whistle and alternate air source (included in our Hire Equipment package).
• Some divers may be required to produce a current dive medical clearance from their doctor or specialist, to be able to participate in scuba diving. Our tours are subject to the risks and perils of scuba diving in changeable conditions in an open water environment. We reserve the right, for your client’s safety and/ or the safety of our crew or other scuba divers, to prevent your client’s participation in scuba diving if your client is deemed unskilled, or physically or medically unfit to do so, at our sole discretion. No compensation is offered if your client is unable to complete all offered dives. We strongly recommend a wait of 24 hours after your client’s last dive, before taking a flight.
• Diver Experience Recommendations:
• 3 Day Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef tour: Open Water certification with a minimum of 10 ocean dives, including 5 dives in the last 12 months.
• 4 Day Coral Sea and 7 Day Cod Hole & Coral Sea tour: Advanced Diver Certification with minimum of 20 ocean dives including 5 dives within the last 12 months
• Non-English Speaking Divers:
• The main language spoken on our dive trips is English, with Japanese guides available on request. Non-English speaking passengers are to travel with an interpreter. The interpreter must have a good understanding of English and scuba diving, and be able to accurately translate the safety and dive briefings. Standard tour rates apply for accompanying interpreters.
• Medical and Travel Insurance:
• We strongly advise all passengers participating in our tours to hold a comprehensive Travel Insurance policy that includes Trip Cancellation insurance, and Evacuation & Medical cover for Scuba Diving. For Far Northern Itineraries insurance for emergency evacuation is mandatory. In a Medical Emergency any evacuation, vessel relocation or medical expenses will be the financial responsibility of that diver.
• Luggage Restrictions: 
• For all itineraries that include flights, the total luggage weight is limited to a maximum of 20 kilograms (45 lb) per person. Secure storage is available at the Cairns office.
• Cabin Share Advice:
• Same gender cabin share is not guaranteed in twin and quad share cabins.
• Ocean View cabins contain Double beds only and rates are based on double occupancy. The Stateroom contains a Queen bed only and rates are based on double occupancy.
• Snorkelers:
• Snorkelling is in waters which are exposed and not ‘calm sheltered waters’.  Our itinerary is to suit Scuba Diving and you may not be able to snorkel at every site.  There are opportunities to snorkel as the reef top of the Ribbon Reefs are relatively close to the surface. Most of our guests are scuba divers, however experienced snorkelers with a good level of fitness are welcome to join this tour. Please note that a snorkel buddy may not always be available, you may be required to snorkel alone and to wear our floatation equipment.  You will be safe under the watchful eye of the 'look-out' crew.

Eco Certifications

What to Bring

Personal items and toiletries, swimwear, hat, and sweatshirt in the winter (May - September).

Child Policy

• A minimum age of 16 and full fare applies. All children must be accompanied by a parent at all times, including when diving or snorkelling.
• We cannot guarantee that a crew member will be available to dive with a Junior open water diver (limited to 12m depth) on all dives.
• Spirit of Freedom does not supply child sized scuba equipment or wetsuits. Diving in ill- fitting equipment is not allowed.

Cancellation Policy

Our T&Cs:

All cancellations must be in writing.

Please note that all cancellations will incur an administration fee.

Please see our terms and conditions for details prior to booking.

Tour Operator's T&Cs:

An administrative fee of AU$100 per person will apply for your cancellation of more than 60 days.

20% cancellation fee applies with cancellations received within 21 - 60 Days of departure.

Full price forfeiture (100%) with cancellations received within 21 days of departure.

We strongly recommend Travel Insurance. Your travel insurance should cover evacuation/diving.

au $1,712.00

Prices are AUD, per adult and include all levies fees and taxes.

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Liveaboard Diving in Australia

Diving in Australia is literally immersing yourself in an underwater paradise.

Liveaboard diving in Australia is a must for many divers', and when anyone considers Australia as their next holiday destination, it's impossible to overlook what is on offer underwater. With a coastline of over 25 000 kilometres, much of it in tropical and sub tropical waters, the 'lucky country' is blessed with outstanding diving, guaranteed to please all levels from a novice up to the most experienced. Diving in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Queensland is deservedly on many people's bucket list, with countless stunning reefs to explore from the many dive tours available from Cairns and the surrounding area.

The best way to truly appreciate the World's largest reef system, is to set sail on one of many Cairns based liveaboards, which will propel you to areas of the outer reef, allowing you to avoid the sometimes crowded inner reef, and view beautiful unspoilt coral and a wide variety of stunning marine life. Dive cruises from Cairns will also take you to parts of the GBR situated in the aptly named Coral Sea, where the visibility (on average well over 40 metres) and diversity is simply breathtaking. Then there is the wreck of the SS Yongala, widely recognised as one of the World's best dive sites, combining history with marine life to an unparalleled level.

The main draw is, of course, the GBR. However, Australian diving and liveaboard diving are not limited to this corner of the country. Many divers head to the opposite coast in Western Australia, where the diving opportunities are again almost endless. Liveaboards here make it possible to dive into the less well-known and remote areas of Mermaid and Clerke Reefs in the Rowley Shoals, allowing access to some of the country's most pristine and thrilling marine parks.

Liveaboard Dive Trips in Australia

Liveaboard.com offers various vessels in Australia, from modern purpose-built dive boats to sleek, fast catamarans. Each boat has its own unique feel, ranging from 24m to 37m, and is able to host 20-48 guests. They all include A/C. and electricity, and several of our boats feature free internet, but please check this before booking.

Itineraries range from 3 day/2 night trips to the Outer Great Barrier Reef to the all-encompassing 8 day/7 night tours, which will sail you through much of what Queensland has to offer. Some itineraries even include a return scenic flight, allowing you to witness the route you have taken from the air.

Tours start in the early morning of the first day, and most operators offer a complimentary pick-up from your accommodation. To ensure maximum safety and comfort, the first dive is often a 'check' dive, enabling the crew to establish the group and individual diving level and, from there, tailor the trip to cater to everyone's needs. Don't worry; even this first dive will be on a beautiful and unspoiled reef, giving you a taste of what to expect in the following few days! Diving from an Australian liveaboard will introduce you to the vast biodiversity not found near shore, and regularly includes sightings of families of Potato Cod, Grey and Silver Tip Whaler Sharks, Hammerheads, Manta Rays, Humpback Whales, and Maori Wrasse, along with a stunning array of hard and soft corals. Depending on your choice of dive cruise, you may even be able to partake in Minke Whale monitoring!

Every effort is made to accommodate individual requests, and often itineraries can be adapted to include extra sites - although, as always, the crew will adhere to strict safety standards, and so each trip will depend on weather conditions and diver experience.

Dive Sites And Areas of Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is the World's largest coral reef system and the largest living organism, stretching for 2300km along the coast of Queensland. It consists of over 2900 reefs and 900 islands, including the stunning sites of the Osprey Reef, Ribbon Reef, Milln Reef, Flynn Reef, Cod Hole, Lizard Island, Bougainville Reef, North Horn, and the SS Yongala wreck. Most of these locations are only accessible via a liveaboard tour departing from the port of Cairns.

Osprey Reef is in the Coral Sea section of the GBR and accessible via liveaboard from Cairns. Famous for its 40m+ visibility, the reef features many small caverns, swim-throughs, and almost guaranteed sitings of several shark species at North Horn.

Ribbon Reef is a 175km line of 10 individual reefs lying to the north of Cairns, which are quite isolated and only reachable via a few liveaboards. Due to their remoteness, these reefs offer sheltered, warm waters and are in pristine condition.

Milln Reef is located around 60km offshore from Cairns and includes 3 large coral pillars known as the three sisters. The area is great for snorkeling and diving; your crew may arrange a night dive for you, where you'll likely see sleeping turtles and crabs.

Flynn Reef offers diving for all levels and is best known for its coral garden - one of Australia's finest, featuring a stunning array of hard and soft coral.

Clerke Reef offers an opportunity to explore the underwater world of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park, where crystal-clear waters and abundant marine life create a diver's paradise. This remote reef system, accessible only by liveaboard, promises dive sites featuring pristine coral gardens, wall dives, and encounters with diverse marine species.

Cod Hole lets you get close to the huge but friendly and docile Potato Cod, which has a habit of posing for the camera! Other attractions here include Maori Wrasse and Moray Eels. This dive site is located north of the Ribbon Reefs and will often form part of a Ribbon Reef liveaboard.

Lizard Island is an island of the unspoiled national park and the most northerly resort on the GBR. Our liveaboards often involve a scenic reef flight either from Cairns at the start or back to Cairns from Lizard Island.

Western Australia diving is arguably as spectacular as that on the East Coast and may interest those divers interested in a less visited area of the planet. Liveaboards leave Broome in the state's northwest to access the truly unspoiled Clerke Reef and Mermaid Reef in the Rowley Shoals.

Rowley Shoals are a series of three coral shelf atolls 250km west of Broome that attract divers from all over due to their uniqueness. Along with their stunning coral gardens, there are over 650 species of fish, many of which are not found near the shore, so they can only be viewed from the luxury of a liveaboard boat.

Diving on the GBR is great all year round, with water temperatures ranging from 24c in the winter (July/August) to 30c in the summer (December/January). Minke and Humpback whales can be seen between June and November, whereas the summer offers the best visibility and warmest waters to take advantage of the array of life on the reef.

The best time to visit the Rowley Shoals in Western Australia is September to December. Early booking is advised because diving via liveaboard is the only way to explore these pristine reefs.

Tips For Travelers

• English is the native language of Australia, although many liveaboard operators have crews capable of communicating in many common languages.
• The local currency is the Australian Dollar, and most major international credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are readily available (although not on board!)
• Electricity is supplied via 3 pronged sockets of 230 volts (50Hz) - make sure you acquire the correct adaptor!
• Most liveaboards can rent full equipment, but you must bring your certification and log book as part of the safety protocol.

How To Get There And Ports Of Departure

Most liveaboards to the GBR and the Coral Sea depart from and return to Cairns. Conveniently, Cairns has an international airport that is serviced by many carriers, offering direct flights to a huge number of international destinations. In the unlikely event you are unable to fly directly to Cairns, there are regular daily domestic flights from the well-known hubs of Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne.

On the West Coast, Broome is the main port for liveaboard trips to the Rowley Shoals and associated reefs. Due to its remoteness, direct international flights are less common. It does have an international airport serving a handful of destinations, but it is more likely that you will fly into the state capital of Perth, where you can easily catch a connecting flight to Broome.

Cairns and Broome are holiday destinations in their own right, each offering world-class hotels and resorts. From Cairns, you can easily access the stunning tropical Daintree rainforest and waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands (Peter Andre filmed his famous 'Mysterious Girl' video here!).

Broome is on the edge of the world-famous Kimberley region, one of the most remote and spectacular areas.

Considerations

Australia diving liveaboards cater to all types of travelers, from the budget-conscious to the luxurious, with prices ranging from around US$150-300 per person per day/night. Please check with your chosen operator for any extra charges, as some areas of Australia require marine park fees, reef taxes, port fees, a fuel levy, and an environmental management charge.

Australia requires most international visitors to have a passport with 6 months validity and a valid visa. Please visit https://www.abf.gov.au/ to find out how to obtain the correct visa.

As always, appropriate travel insurance should be purchased before traveling.

Australia Diving Reviews

• 388 Verified Reviews
• 9.6 Exceptional

Diving Australia in December on the Ocean Quest

• 10.0 Exceptional

Diving Australia in January on the Pro Dive Cairns

• 8.8 Fabulous

First time and great time

• 8.0 Very good

Mmm the coral is better in Indonesia

Diving Australia in January on the Spirit of Freedom

The diving, equipment and crew were of an extremely high standard. Very professional and intuitive at all times.

Diving Australia in January on the Ocean Quest

Always love diving in Australia.

Super fun and memorable

Amazing variety and abundance of fish and corals

Very good, only complaint I would have is that it’s so expensive I can’t do more...that said the 3 day/2night trip is very good value.

Diving Australia in February on the Pro Dive Cairns

The Australian diving experience was exceptional. We may been returning to dive more reefs within the Great Barrier Reef system.

pretty awesome!

We were very pleased. Well worth it. Great memories.

Diving Australia in February on the Spirit of Freedom

Would like to do more.

Safely undertaken with a friendly young crew.

Diving Australia in February on the Coral Sea Dreaming

It was so good, I’m definitely coming back one day

Diving Australia in March on the Ocean Quest

Diving Australia in March on the Spirit of Freedom

Uno de los mejores lugares para bucear del mundo

V Good. Visibility sometimes less than expected but could be time of year.

Great. Next time will come innon cyclone season and clearer water.

Hard to compare, cause I have little experience from other places, but like before: amazing

As incredible and ‘once in a lifetime’ the diving is, the Spirit of Freedom and it’s crew make it unforgettable

Fantastic! Definitely a must-do if visiting Australia

Diving Australia in September on the Shore Thing

Outstanding. Breathtaking!!! Untouched by human presence.

Diving Australia in September on the Pro Dive Cairns

Australia diving is a bit different to other places in the world that is because you can dive without a dive guide as long as you have the certification and follow the rules it is great you get to do your own thing and don't have to follow a group so a bit daunting if you are new but overall a great fun way to dive

I have only enjoyed diving on the Great Barrier Reef due to the abundance of life underneath. However, live aboard only made the experience more amazing.

Great! Nice warm water.

Diving Australia in December on the Pro Dive Cairns

Rich variety and abundance of marine life

Very good except I was disappointed that there weren’t more sharks and rays. I hadn’t done this trip before but really enjoyed it.

Diving Australia in April on the Pro Dive Cairns

• FRANCESCO G

Diving in Australia in very good overall but overseas is much better value for money

Diving Australia in July on the Spoilsport

Amazing. There is so much diversity in what can be seen.

Diving Australia in November on the Ocean Quest

• Iman Daniel J

Great. Warm tropical waters

• 8.4 Very good

Some of the best diving we've done. Very safety conscious.

Better than expected and also the reefs looked really healthy.

I was on a Pro Dive trip to the same dive sites about 14 years ago, and suspect the intensive dive activity over many years has had a toll on the reef. It is relatively safe to dive in the lea of the reef but I would have lovely the chance to dive on the outer edge.

Diving in Australia is great except it does lack macro so if there isnt much in large fish then reef is all you see

Diving Australia in April on the Spoilsport

Awesome! Really enjoyed diving in the Ningaloo reef area in particular.

Diving Australia in April on the Ocean Quest

Good but not great because of weather and water quality.

Diving Australia in May on the Coral Sea Dreaming

Impressive safety standards

Diving Australia in May on the Spirit of Freedom

Safest I've known. Thorough checks of dive buddies, sites and equipment. Lovely bunch of staff from all over the world. There's a reason everyone comes to the Reef.

Diving Australia in June on the Ocean Quest

Overall amazing experience and highly recommend

Diving Australia in August on the Ocean Quest

So many things to see and the people you meet are amazing.

Beautiful healthy reefs.

We dove near Brisbane prior to the trip with The Spirit of Freedom. Visibility was low because of recent storms, but even so, the experience was full of amazing sitings and a wonderful experience. I feel so fortunate that I was able to go to the outer reef and less accessible areas and the experience is unforgettable. I will do it again given the opportunity!!

Diving Australia in October on the Spirit of Freedom

Great experience diving in Australia! It was so fun to experience a whole new subset of fish and coral than what I'm used to! A live aboard is definitely the way to do it!

Snorkeling only, however seas were a bit choppy

I am Australian and have dived on many overseas liveaboards. This was my first Aussie experience and it was the best organised charter. I loved that we could all go off and do our own thing and didn’t have to be guided on the dives unless we wanted that service

Diving Australia in November on the Spoilsport

So beautiful and diverse. Worth the money and distance traveled.

Diving Australia in November on the Pro Dive Cairns

Disappointing in Perth and in the Whitsundays - diving with the Pro Dive Cairns crew around Flynn and Mills reef as part of the Great Barrier Reef was the best of any other diving experience we have had.

Odyssey crew were super friendly, attentive and enjoyable.

Diving Australia in November on the Odyssey

It was even better than I expected, and the reefs looked great. Can’t count how many fish/animals I saw, and the dive briefs and prep were spot on. Rental equipment was also very good. Bravo!

Diving Australia in December on the Spirit of Freedom

Very nice! I hope enough is being done to protect the sea life. Australia truly has a treasure.

Australia is a risk-conscious country that emplaces regulatory policies in place to ensure the safety of its citizens and guests alike. Australia is a perfect location for new or rusty divers to get in the Ocean and see amazing things with the peace of mind that you are safe and the necessary precautions in place that reduce the risks associated with diving.

Clear visibility, healthy coralles

it's fabulous as the water is crystal clear with nature very well preserved.

Good variety of dive sites

Diving Australia in January on the Spoilsport

Friendly people and fantastic natural environment are the blessings of a trip to Australia.

Would 100% recommend diving while you are here

Diving Australia in February on the Spoilsport

Unfortunately the visibility was very poor due to a recent major storm.

Underwhelming. It was not as colorful or full of sea life as I expected. The visibility was limited.

A dive guide does not go on each dive. You'll test your navigation skills (compass headings are provided at each dive briefing. Worst case, you'll surface a little further from the boat than expected but currents aren't usually strong so no big deal. Lots of safety checks to make sure everyone makes it back on board but missed having a reef expert pointing out the good stuff.

Diving Australia in March on the Pro Dive Cairns

This is an amazing opportunity for people of all ages. The reef is so large you could spend a lifetime diving and never see it all.

Excellent first class service care for the reefs and concern for your safety. Would definitely recommend.

Diving Australia in April on the Spirit of Freedom

This was the best dive location I’ve ever been to. Swimming with sharks, stingrays, turtles, and millions of fish and corals. I feel like I was swimming in a giant well-stocked aquarium.

Exciting ! You don’t know what you’re going to get and every dive is so different - I’m obsessed !

• lene feltmann E

great, but don´t expect visibility or colors like the red sea. It was the "big" fish - sharks, cod fish etc. and the turtle that was fantastic. But also some corals that was amazing.

First rate. Saw so many verity of fish and coral. Outstanding

Diving in Australia in general is not for the faint of heart. Conditions are usually cold, and more often than not you'll find other challenges such as bad visibility, currents, and rough seas. Also prices are pretty steep. However, there are some pretty cool spots overall that make it worth the visit.

Diving Australia in May on the Ocean Quest

It was new experience in new environment. Diving in Great Barrier Reef ( Norman, Saxon and Hastings Reef) wasn't that impressive. Yes if you want to see corals/reef but not if you are expecting to see fishes and big stuff

Stimulating - got to photo most of my target small species

Was relatively calm, high clarity, warm and a pleasant dive. With lots of fish, a couple turtles, sharks and rays

Diving Australia in May on the Pro Dive Cairns

The water was a bit rougher than I expected. It is so rich in marine life, diving is amazing

Diving Australia in May on the Spoilsport

Great to see so much coral and wildlife.

Diving Australia in June on the Spirit of Freedom

Really good, definitely recommend

It was so much fun and beautiful scenery

Diving Australia in June on the Pro Dive Cairns

• Guillaume J

Outside of Cairns, we had very low visibility in Maggie and Whitsundays

Diving Australia in July on the Rum Runner

• Catherine J

We were blessed with amazing conditions and a great boat and crew which made it easy to make the most of the fantastic diving!

It was amazing. .... My only suggestion is to be prepared for sea sickness... Just in case. That being said., I would do it again

Diving Australia in July on the Pro Dive Cairns

Amazing reefs and diversity of fish. Do not miss the night dives!

Diving Australia in August on the Pro Dive Cairns

Easy diving condition for any diver.

Better than expected, coral in very good condition

Diving Australia in August on the Spoilsport

I have loved all of my Australian dives, although Visibility can be a bit hit and miss

Diving Australia in September on the Ocean Quest

It was flawless, but I did expect to see bigger fishes and marine life.

Very clear waters and temperature at 18 meters of depth was moderate.

Other than lower than expected visibility… a great adventure

The water was a perfect temperature the entire time and the weather was stunning. This made the dives even more enjoyable

Diving Australia in October on the Rum Runner

Excellent - I saw everything I came to see!

Diving Australia in October on the Spoilsport

Water wasn't as clear as I expected. Sea life seemed a bit sparse.

It was a great trip. It's mass market so may not be as intimate as you are used to elsewhere, but it's highly organised, good quality and everything runs like clockwork.

enjoyed it very much, would do again, not every dive a success, but due to good and calm weather conditions all dives were nice

The most beautiful coral structures I’ve ever seen, beautiful animals, both large and small

Beautiful warm waters with not too much current, easy diving, beware of the jellies at certain times of the year!

It is hard to beat the Great Barrier Reef as it is just an amazing underwater wonderland to dive in with so many species and over 20 meters visibility. I would highly recommend 🤿

Nice visibility, super corals, a lot of life. Not a place for big stuff

Fantastic weather and amazing visibility!

Diving in Australia definitely exceeded my expectations. I was a little concerned at first given the recent weather patterns and the grey skies. However, none of that affected the stunning views I encountered below the water's surface. Marine and coral with the most vibrant colors that the slight feeling of motion sickness felt at the beginning of the trip was quickly replaced with feelings of amazment and enjoyment. I will definitely return to dive Australia again, especially with Pro Dive Cairns. I only hope that Perth yeilds the same type of views and enjoyment.

• Jacqueline C

Fantastic but important to get further out in February for good viz.

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Dive the Great Barrier Reef with Australia's best liveaboard

Spirit of freedom trips.

The best Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea itineraries to Spirit you Away

7 Night Liveaboard Trip

Combine our 3 and 4 night itineraries into a 7-day, 7-night liveaboard dive expedition from Cairns, visit the Ribbon Reefs and Cod Hole. You’ll also spend two days at the world-famous Osprey Reef in the remote Coral Sea.

4 Night Liveaboard Trip

Take a scenic flight to Lizard Island to begin your diving at the very top of the Great Barrier Reef's Ribbon Reefs. Suitable for the more experienced diver, this tour travels 200km offshore to Australia’s Coral Sea.

3 Night Liveaboard Trip

Dive the world-famous Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs. Encounter giant potato cod, clouds of colourful tropical fish, anemones, turtles, olive sea snakes, and pristine coral gardens.

Special Expeditions

Spirit of Freedom runs regular special dive expeditions to remote and largely unexplored dive sites beyond the Great Barrier Reef, into the Coral Sea and beyond. Join us for a rare opportunity to explore new sites with our amazing crew!

Swim with Minke Whales

There are few opportunities in a lifetime where you can experience the thrill of sharing the water with a creature as magnificent as a whale. Join us one on our limited availability trips for your chance to interact with Dwarf Minke Whales in the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

PADI Dive Courses

Further your scuba education by taking a PADI dive course during your stay on board Spirit of Freedom! Learn new skills and gain new confidence while you explore the spectacular Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea under the supervision of our expert instructors.Courses include Open Water, NITROX and more. 

Liveaboard Deals

Throughout the year you will find specials and promotions for Spirit of Freedom dive trips on the Great Barrier Reef. Stay up to date with current offers by joining our mailing list and be the first to know when we release liveaboard dive deals on the Great Barrier Reef. 

Ribbon Reefs

To the north of Cairns and Port Douglas, and finishing to the east of Lizard Island lies a 120km ‘string’ of 10 individual coral reefs, collectively called the ‘Ribbon Reefs’

Three times the size of the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef – the Coral Sea is spectacular  undersea world of ancient mountains, rising thousands of metres from the ocean floor.

Dive Safety & Styles

We are committed to diver safety and safe diving practices, at all times. Expeditions visit remote coral reefs, hundreds of kilometres from the coast, diver safety is critical. 

Testimonials

Outstanding service, excellent accommodation, beautiful diving, safe, organised and exceptionally professional.

Dive guides checked me over before every dive, even defogging my mask and putting my fins on for me!! The captain drove the ship overnight and during our meal times to ensure variety of sites whilst also maximising diving time.The staff were second to none. Knowledgeable, very helpful, kind, funny, and very, very professional.

I have been on other liveaboard trips but none come even close to the quality of this company. I cannot rate them highly enough.

OMG! What an absolutely AMAAAAZZZING 4 day, 4 night trip…starting with the low-level flight from Cairns to Lizard Island. Then transferred onto the boat and our adventure continued. Words cannot even begin to describe this liveaboard trip – Excellent, fantastic, awesome are only some that come to mind.

I’ve done a few liveaboard trips on the GBR and this one was outstanding!

So excited to get to Osprey, Bougainville and Holmes Reef – the Trifecta! Weather was kind and conditions fabulous.I’ll be back!!!

My wife, daughter and I did the 4-day Coral Sea adventure. The accommodations were comfortable and roomy, with daily turndown service and (very) hot showers. The Italian chef Giovanni, served amazing gourmet dishes 4 times per day plus snacks. Trust me, you will not go hungry on this trip. The diving was exceptional and world class. We had a great variety of walls, pinnacles, shallow reefs and coral gardens. The sea-life was outstanding and coral was beautiful. On my favorite dive I saw a Whale Shark and Manta!

The highlight of the trip that made it amazing, was the crew. They provided the most attentive customer service and provided whatever I needed. They helped with gear, food, stories, wildlife identification, safety and kept the ship running perfectly. And they did this with wonderful, fun attitudes that made the trip fun and relaxing. Captain Scotty and his crew were professional, and so so friendly and fun.

If you are looking to dive the Great Barrier Reef, this is the way to do it without having to make trips out to the reef and back each day. Also, this ship goes to great reefs that are less dived by other boats (we did not see another dive boat the entire trip). I highly recommend this trip.

Unbelievable – Amazing – Superb Crew

Best diving ever!

Drift diving, cave diving, shark feeding, and more. So many memories.

You’d be bonkers not to go.

This trip was a lifetime dream of a 50 year diving career.

The SOF experience was outstanding on all accounts. The vessel was well appointed with excellent facilities well set up to support sustained diving. All spaces were appropriate, comfortable and well maintained. The food was of gourmet caliber and well served. The cabin was first rate and well serviced.

The diving was excellent and well organized and tailored to suit the various levels of experience. The captain, master diver and crew’s ability to get into interesting dive locations in spite of cyclonic influenced weather was admirable. The professionalism co-operation and personal attention exhibited from all the crew was second to none. The dive research, briefings and conduct were of a military precision. SOF Captain Tony and Reef Dive Master Nick were an incredible professional personable and fun combination.

I would not hesitate to recommend this adventure to any serious diver. It proved the Great Barrier Reef to be alive and well.

What an experience! Thank you Spirit of Freedom team, including Scottie, Jared, James, Anne, Gio and all for an incredible trip.

The food was great, accommodation and arrangements organised like clockwork and dive sites were phenomenal.

So good to see that Australia still has such a diverse and alive Great Barrier Reef. And the whale shark coming up to the boat to play was just magical to top it all off!!

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3, 4 & 7 Nights Fly Dive & Coral Sea Safari Expeditions

5 Nights / 18 Dives Combines the best of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, Australia

7 Nights / 29 Dives Adventure Diving SS Yongala Wreck; Wheeler, Holmes & Flinders Reef

Exploratory Dive Trips Planned by divers, for divers in amazing locations

Liveaboard Diving on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions provides world class diving on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea.  Expeditions depart from Cairns aboard Spoilsport, Australia’s most awarded liveaboard dive boat.

Compare our dive expeditions here or click on the tabs above for detailed maps, itineraries and descriptions.

From time to time we operate special dive expeditions which may include traveling to remote areas of far northern Australia, a focus on unique marine life such as dwarf minke whales or visiting the world’s largest green turtle rookery, with a special focus such as photography. These trips are always promoted on our website so watch this page for updates and more information.

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OceanQuest Overnight Liveaboard Experience

Our liveaboard vessel OceanQuest is the ultimate Great Barrier Reef overnight experience from Cairns. Spend your days and nights exploring the best outer Great Barrier Reef dive sites aboard our floating accommodation, with snorkel , intro dive and certified dive options available.

When just one day at the reef isn’t enough, an overnight trip from Cairns gives you all the time you need. Visit our colourful dive and snorkel sites during the day, and at night everything from the air conditioned cabins with en suites, lounge and bar, are designed for your comfort.

Our three-deck, 35m catamaran is purpose built for a top class dive holiday, with a spacious dive deck, large open sundecks and hot, fresh water showers. All delicious meals are prepared by our onboard chef, including hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Enjoy a well-deserved dessert treat after your day in the water!

Choose to stay from one to five nights on board, with departures available seven days a week.

Overnight (liveaboard) Great Barrier Reef trips from Cairns are truly a remarkable adventure. With more than 14 permanent moorings at Saxon and Norman reefs, and selected sites at Hastings Reef, snorkellers and divers of all levels can explore the reef and its diverse marine life from early morning to night.

At night, relax in the lounge and bar. Or if you’re keen for more undersea adventures, try a unique night dive experience like Sharks in the Dark or Fluoro Diving to make your time on board our floating reef hotel truly unforgettable.

An overnight experience is also the perfect time to complete or enhance your practical dive training at the outer Great Barrier Reef. With our expert dive instructors, you’ll be in the best possible hands.

Haven’t experienced an overnight dive or snorkel trip before? Find out what to expect on a liveaboard .

Availability:

Dive sites:, accommodation options:, medical information:.

• Flexible itineraries (see below)
• Snorkelling (included for all passengers)
• Snorkelling and scuba equipment, including dive computer and air fills, with full tuition
• All meals on board, plus chilled drinking water, tea and coffee

Sharks in the Dark

• Transfers from Cairns CBD accommodation

Choose Your Activity

Please click the blue ‘More Info’ button under your preferred activity below to see multi-night pricing and booking options.

OceanQuest Snorkelling

Snorkel some of the reef's best sites, then stay overnight and do it all again tomorrow

OceanQuest Intro Diving

Try scuba diving on an overnight trip and enjoy extra opportunities to explore the underwater world

OceanQuest Certified Diving

For the ultimate Great Barrier Reef dive trip, choose our liveaboard vessel with its exclusive dive experiences

Take a night dive from our overnight vessel and encounter friendly reef sharks and other critters

• Fluoro Diving

With our special equipment you'll see coral and marine life like never before - an amazing night dive experience

PADI Advanced Open Water Courses

Already Open Water certified? Take the next step with our day trip and overnight Advanced course options

Minke Whale Expeditions from Cairns

Four-day minke whale trips offering close up interactions with these gentle giants

2 Day, 1 Night Itinerary

7.30-8am: Pick up from your city accommodation (if booked) and check in at our dive centre at 319 Draper Street before transferring to the marina

8.30am: Set off from Cairns Marina and cruise out to the reef on our day trip vessel SeaQuest with two dive/snorkel sessions before you transfer onto OceanQuest.

2.30pm: During the afternoon you’ll have the opportunity for more snorkel and dive sessions, and to relax on board.

6pm: Dinner is served

6.30pm: Sharks in the Dark

8pm: Dessert

10pm: Bar closes

7.30am: Breakfast time! Sit down to a full cooked breakfast to fuel you for the day ahead.

8.30am: Dive or snorkel session

10.30am: Dive or snorkel session

12pm: Check out of your cabin

12.30pm: Lunch

2.30pm: Our transfer vessel arrives to return you to Cairns

3pm: Depart Outer Barrier Reef

5pm (approx): Return to your Cairns accommodation

3 Day, 2 Night itinerary

7.30-8am: Pick up from your city accommodation (if booked) and check in at our dive centre on Draper Street, before transferring to the marina

8.30am: Set off from Cairns Marina and cruise out to the reef on our day trip vessel SeaQuest

10am: Arrive at the reef for your first snorkel or dive on SeaQuest

12pm: Enjoy lunch while we move to our second dive and snorkel site

12:30pm: Second dive or snorkel opportunity on SeaQuest

2.30pm: Transfer to OceanQuest and settle into your cabin

3.30pm: Third dive or snorkel session

6pm: Dinner is served!

6.30pm: Gear up for one of our unique liveaboard evening dive experiences, or simply chill out on board

8pm: Dessert is served

7.30am: Breakfast is served

8.30am: First dive and snorkel session

10.30am: Second dive and snorkel session

12.30pm: Lunch is served

3.30pm: Third dive and snorkel session

6pm: Dinner

6.30pm: Briefing and night dive/sharks in the dark/fluoro dive

7.30am: Breakfast

8.30am: Dive/snorkel session

10.30am: Dive/snorkel session

12pm: Check out

12.30pm: One final lunch before you board the transfer vessel for the trip back to Cairns

5pm (approx): Return to your accommodation

Additional info

• Digital camera hire
• Professional photos for purchase
• Guided dives – pre-purchase and save! ($15 per dive when you pre-purchase, $20 when you buy onboard)
• Extra dives (subject to availability)
• Nitrox fills
• Introductory dive package
• PADI Nitrox Dive Course
• Soft drinks, alcohol and snacks
• Quality souvenirs

Prerequisites

• Guests must be aged 18 or over to travel unaccompanied on our overnight trips.
• Anyone younger than 16 must be always supervised by an adult, which includes all in-water sessions and around the vessel.
• Guests of any age of guest are welcome to travel with us, however, please note we do not have amenities/accessories onboard that are suitable for infants.
• If you are planning to travel with an infant, please contact our reservations team for more guidance on what you will need to bring to be prepared for your stay onboard.

What to bring

• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Swimsuit and towel
• Overnight bag with changes of clothing, including warm clothing and socks for overnight wear
• Reusable water bottle

Bedding and bath towels are supplied on board. Excess baggage can be stored at our Draper Street office at check in.

“We stayed on OceanQuest for 2 nights and 3 days and it was truly an unforgettable experience. The staff were amazing – extremely friendly and professional at all times. The trip was well organised and the diving/snorkel spots were amazing. The boat itself was really clean and comfortable.”

– Hayley

“We wish we could’ve stayed one more night on the overnight liveaboard. The staff were really friendly and made it super enjoyable – Tobi was a great instructor – he ensured we were safe but also independent. I got my open water cert thanks to his good training. The rooms and food were great. I look forward to making it back one day.”

– Jessica

Medical and Altitude Info

All scuba participants must meet medical questionnaire requirements and some conditions or medications may prevent you from diving. These requirements can be found on our Can I Dive? page , and we strongly recommend reviewing before booking.

Queensland’s code of practice on diving states that for a single no decompression dive, you should not fly/go to altitude for at least 12 hours, or 24 hours if divers have had multiple dives per day for several consecutive days, or have made dives that require decompression stops.

Altitude is defined as 300m/1000ft above sea level. This includes going to the Atherton Tablelands (a popular local scenic attraction), so please be aware if booking tours to follow your dive trip. Under normal circumstances, you should be out of the water on your last dive at 12pm (midday).

Cancellation Policy

You can reschedule or cancel your trip any time up to 48 hours before departure with no penalty. Read our terms and conditions

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Best Australia Liveaboard Trips

What’s not to love about diving in Australia? This gargantuan continent has underwater landscapes like coral reefs, seagrass fields, caves, and more all hosting a variety of diverse wildlife. Think parrotfish highways, migrating whales, miniature nudibranchs , and much more. Of course, the best way to experience the versatility of this country’s underwater landscape is from a liveaboard boat. Of course, a great way to experience the versatility of this country’s underwater landscape is on one of the best Australia liveaboard trips.

No matter what type of diving you’re into, you’ll find it between the Great Barrier Reef on Australia’s east coast and the Ningaloo Reef outlining the west. If you’re looking to dive with large underwater life like Humpback whales, dolphins, and whale sharks, the coast of Western Australia is best for you. If you crave the brightness and life around technicolor coral, head to the Great Barrier Reef. Anywhere in between is sure to offer a unique dive experience seen by few others around the globe.

QUICK ANSWER – THE BEST AUSTRALIA LIVEABOARD TRIPS

OCEAN QUEST  →  Best Value

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CORAL SEA DREAMING → For Quick Trips

SPOIL SPORT   → For Extended Itineraries

SCUBAPRO III   →  For Groups with Non-divers

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SPIRIT OF FREEDOM   → For Photographers

BOAT REVIEWS

Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Ball Expeditions, used through Spoilsport Liveaboard

BEST FOR → EXTENDED ITINERARIES

Most boats in this region offer 3 to 5 day itineraries. But, adventure seekers will want more time in the world’s largest coral reef system. The Spoil Sport offers a variety of 8 day long adventures, perfect for a more in-depth exploration.

Options include expeditions in the Great Barrier Reef’s far north, the Coral Sea’s farthest flung sites, and citizen science programs studying minke whales. These trips are best for advanced divers, thanks to the remote nature of the destinations they visit. This boat also offers full support for technical and rebreather divers, and facilities for underwater photographers.

SPIRIT OF FREEDOM

Photo Credit: Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard

BEST FOR → PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographers can make the most of their time in the region aboard the Spirit of Freedom. Photo-friendly features include separate rinse bins, a camera table with blow dryers, and a workstation with charging points.

Plus, a selection of itineraries lasting up to 8 days takes diving on the Great Barrier Reef to the next level. Less visited areas like Tijou Reef and Raine Island are great for experiencing Australia underwater without the tourist crowds. Fewer divers always mean more wildlife! And, a range of cabins from shared to luxury make this boat an excellent choice, no what budget you’re working with.

OCEAN QUEST

Photo Credit: Ocean Quest Liveaboard

BEST FOR → OVERALL VALUE

Whether you’re a non-diver, a newbie, or a pro, the Ocean Quest is a great value for your money. This permanently moored vessel is the region’s most flexible option thanks to daily speedboat transfers and stays starting at just one night.

A full range of courses beginning with Discover Scuba make this a great choice for new divers. And, more experienced buddy teams can enjoy up to 5 self-guided dives per day. Extras like shark diving, fluorescent night diving, Nitrox, and specialty courses are sure to keep even the most seasoned liveaboard divers entertained.

SCUBAPRO III

Photo Credit: Scubapro III Liveaboard

BEST FOR → GROUPS WITH NON-DIVERS

If you are traveling with non-divers, this boat is your best bet. Daily snorkeling sessions, sun and shade decks for relaxation, and free internet keep guests of all kinds entertained. Plus, you can expect top-rated food, spacious cabins, and a super friendly crew onboard.

The Scubapro III offers special discounted rates for snorkelers, and equipment is provided at no cost. Scuba divers in your group will have plenty to do, too with 4 tanks per day including a night dive. And, upgrades like Nitrox and underwater camera rental are available to take your dives to the next level.

CORAL SEA DREAMING

Photo Credit: Coral Sea Dreaming Liveaboard

BEST FOR → QUICK TRIPS

This boat offers 2 day trips, perfect for weekend warriors and first-time liveaboard divers. After all, not everybody can get away for a week at sea! Flexible cabin options including a dorm, free dive and snorkel equipment, and different dive packages to choose from make this vessel a great pick for budget travel.

And, with a maximum of 12 passengers onboard, you’re guaranteed uncrowded dive sites and plenty of attention both above and below water. To top it off, non-divers in your group can experience a quick “try dive” at no cost.

CONSIDERATIONS – SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA

Beginner.  There are plenty of challenging dive sites to be found in more remote stretches of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. But, this region has plenty to offer newly certified divers, too. Most boats offer courses beginning with Discover Scuba. And, conditions around Cairns and Port Douglas are perfect for newbies.

2 to 7 days.  The Great Barrier Reef is a short boat ride from Australia’s east coast, making it an ideal for quick trips. If you can only get away for a weekend, plenty of liveaboard itineraries in this region last just one night! Experienced divers and adventurers can book longer expeditions lasting up to 8 days for a more thorough exploration.

Liveaboards visit the Great Barrier Reef all year round. But, when to visit depends on what wildlife you hope to see, and what conditions you prefer. Your best chances of spotting a whale shark or manta ray are between March and July. And, Minke whale sightings peak between June and August. But, these “summer” months are Australian winter and the coldest time of year for divers.

The Great Barrier Reef is a tropical destination, and liveaboard divers should plan for hot weather. But, ocean temperatures change dramatically throughout the year, ranging between 71 to 86° F (22 to 30° C). During Australian summer, a skin suit is plenty of protection, but winter months call for a 3mm or 5mm full suit for extra warmth.

Like water temperature, visibility in the Great Barrier Reef varies by season. This region’s water clarity is generally excellent, between 82 to 131 feet (25 to 40 meters). But, colder months can bring massive plankton blooms and reduced visibility. The water might not be crystal clear, but all that plankton increases your chances of diving alongside whale sharks, mantas, and minkes.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A visit to the world’s largest coral reef system is on every diver’s bucket list. And, the best way to visit the Great Barrier Reef is via liveaboard. This region is famous for its incredible coral cover and up close and personal encounters with wildlife. Sharks, rays, whales, macro, and more are all just a part of the package. Best of all, this underwater paradise is a quick 90 minute boat ride from Australia’s coast, making it accessible, even for the shortest of vacations.

Liveaboard guests in Australia can expect boats that focus on underwater activities, not luxury amenities. Buffet meals, small but comfortable cabins, and sociable sun decks are the norm. But, with one of the planet’s most biodiverse environments overboard, you’ll want to spend the majority of your time in the water anyway. In fact, most boats offer 4 or 5 tanks a day and unlimited snorkeling.

Whether you’re new to liveaboard diving or a seasoned pro, the Great Barrier Reef has plenty to offer. A variety of itineraries custom fit to photographers, adventurers, and newbies, are available throughout the region. And, plenty of onboard courses combined with ideal diving conditions make this a great place to learn, too.

HIGHLIGHTS – DIVING IN AUSTRALIA

Whale sharks.

Whale sharks are spotted in the Great Barrier Reef year-round. But, you are much more likely to find these ocean giants cruising in the shallows during months with cooler water. During Australia’s winter, they gather here to feed on their favorite meal, plankton. The sharks are often seen from the surface, but keep your eyes out in the blue, especially during safety stops!

Reef mantas are more common in these waters, but their giant oceanic cousins visit the Great Barrier Reef, too. Cleaning stations are the best place to spot these graceful filter feeders. But, don’t count out chance encounters in open water. You’ll have the best odds during the coldest months of the year when plankton is blooming.

MINKE WHALES

Dive sites beyond the Great Barrier Reef, in the Coral Sea, are best for spotting migrating Minkes. But, they make appearances all over this region during the coldest months of the year. Between June and August, the whales visit these waters to mate and feast on their favorite kind of plankton, krill.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Are you hoping to get scuba certified while on vacation? Or, are you looking to take your dive education to the next level? Most boats in this region offer courses beginning with Discover Scuba. If you’re already an experienced diver, conditions here are perfect for specialty courses like underwater photography and Nitrox.

ITINERARIES AROUND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Classic great barrier reef.

With 3,000 individual reefs, The Great Barrier Reef is a divers dream. This vast coral structure is visible from space, and one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. So, it’s no surprise that this is a liveaboard diving destination with something for everyone.

Many boats offer 3 day trips around Cairns and Port Douglas with 12 to 15 tanks in total. These itineraries are perfect for newbies and are a top pick for liveaboard first timers. Coastal sites often have the calmest conditions, so they are an excellent choice for Discover Scuba courses and snorkelers, too.

The top pick and best value for exploring the Great Barris an extended 4 to 5 day trip. This type of itinerary allows plenty of time to complete a dive course, visit a larger geographic area, and even venture out into the Coral Sea. Minke whale expeditions typically last at least 4 days, as do trips to the more remote outer reefs.

QUICK TRIPS

If you can’t get away for long, 1 and 2 day voyages to the region’s closest sites offer a small taste of what the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. These trips don’t go too far from the coast, so you won’t see as many pelagics. But, don’t be discouraged! There are plenty of awesome sites close to shore. You’ll still see schooling reef fish, incredible coral gardens, and maybe a shark or two.

If these quick trips aren’t enough adventure for you, choose a longer itinerary with up to 8 days at sea. These voyages head north into the Great Detached Reef and beyond, often stopping at secret and unmapped sites. Here, you have the best chances of coming face to face with sharks, whales, and magical manta rays. Thrill seekers can get their blood pumping with fast-paced drifts, caves, and plummeting walls. Underwater photographers are guaranteed a chance to snapshot Australia’s most beautiful marine wildlife.

VIDEO – SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA: ROWLEY SHOALS

BEST DIVE SITES AROUND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Some of the Great Barrier Reef’s best and most accessible sitesthe are off the coast of Cairns. Divers can expect vertical walls, swim-throughs, overhangs, endless fields of hard coral, and plenty of fish. The colorful reefs around Flynn and Milln are perfect for spotting reef sharks, sea turtles, and macro critters. These sites are excellent for night dives too, thanks to their calm conditions and easy to navigate landscape of bommies, pinnacles, and sand. Further offshore, Pellowe Reef promises more pelagic action. Schooling barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, and jacks make regular appearances. Manta rays and whale sharks are often spotted during colder months, as they migrate through the region.

PORT DOUGLAS

Further north, dive sites close to Port Douglas offer some of the region’s best conditions. Norman, Saxon, and Hastings reefs are popular stops for liveaboards thanks to their towering bommies and delicate coral gardens. These waters are home to plenty of big fish, too. Bottlenose dolphins, barracuda, reef sharks, and turtles are frequent visitors. Photographers should plan for macro and wide-angle shots, with tons of tiny creatures hiding out in the shallows. Nudibranchs, small crabs and squat lobsters, and rare species like the fire flame shell are favorite finds.

RIBBON REEFS

This long fringe of coral forms the outermost edge of the Great Barrier Reef. So, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the region’s most biodiverse areas. The Ribbon Reefs are shallow and well suited for beginner divers. But, there is no shortage of excitement here. The most famous dive site in the area, Cod Hole, is known for incredible encounters with giant cod and grouper. Whale sharks, manta rays, massive schools of pelagic fish, and reef sharks pass by in the blue here. And, lucky divers might come face to face with dwarf minke whales during Australia’s winter months of June and July.

BEST DIVE SITES AROUND THE CORAL SEA

Osprey reef.

Of the reefs in the Coral Sea, Osprey is the farthest north. And, because it sits just on the edge of the continental shelf, this reef is a hotspot for passing pelagics. Manta rays, reef sharks, sea turtles, and whale sharks all visit cleaning stations here, drawn in from the open ocean. Shoals of jacks, barracuda, and tuna gather close to the dropoff too, attracting rare predators like bottlenose dolphins and marlin. Most liveaboards visiting Osprey will make a stop at North Horn, hoping to spot reef sharks, silkies, and even the occasional hammerhead. Photographers should plan for plenty of wide-angle action and excellent visibility.

BOUGAINVILLE REEF

Plunging walls, strong currents and upwellings, and superb visibility define Bougainville Reef. Common sights include large schools of bumphead parrotfish, unicornfish, fusiliers, and jacks. Sharks, mantas, and turtles are easy to spot at cleaning stations and cruising along the reef’s edge. And, whale sharks migrate through these waters between March and September, so keep one eye out in the blue. This rarely visited hotspot for big fish also features some of Australia’s healthiest hard corals. The colorful backdrop and pelagics are perfect for landscape photography. Challenging conditions and a remote location make this area best for advanced divers and thrill seekers.

HOLMES REEF

Only visited by a handful of liveaboards, and only when weather conditions permit, this is one of the region’s least dived areas. Holmes Reef is known for fast-paced drift diving, vertical walls, and towering bommies. And, thanks to its far-flung location, this reef is home to many large pelagics, most notably silvertip and grey reef sharks. This challenging region isn’t for newbies, but experienced divers and current junkies will find a visit well worth their while. Technical divers can expect plenty of opportunities to dive well beyond recreational limits here. And, there are a number of caverns and caves to explore.

BEST DIVE SITES IN THE FAR NORTH

Tijou Reef is the gateway to the far north, visited first or last on every expedition in this remote region. And, if you’re diving in Tijou, you will definitely stop at the famous Shark City. This wall is a gathering point for big fish like tuna, barracuda, and trevallies. Of course, the real attraction here is the sharks. Silvertips, reef sharks, and the occasional hammerhead glide silently over massive bommies and pristine coral gardens. Like much of the far north, this area is only accessible to liveaboards, and only a few boats per year visit. So, you can expect an unspoiled reef and no other dive groups in sight.

GREAT DETACHED REEF

The Great Detached Reef offers some of Australia’s wildest diving. This fringe of coral sits atop ancient fossilized reef and remains one of the least explored places on the planet. Divers lucky enough to take the plunge in these remote waters can expect spectacular walls and pinnacles, teeming with life. Massive schools of reef fish and pelagics, macro found nowhere else on earth, and marine megafauna, are just part of the package. The most famous dive site here, Manta Wall, is named for its resident population of reef mantas. But, the real allure to diving in this area is taking the plunge in uncharted waters.

RAINE ISLAND

This remote and protected marine park is seldom visited, even by liveaboards. Home to some of the healthiest coral in the region, dive sites around this uninhabited atoll are picture perfect. Expect massive schools of reef fish, plenty of macro life, and passing pelagics like manta rays. But, at Raine Island, sea turtles are the stars of the show. This is the world’s largest nesting site for green turtles, and divers have reported seeing over 100 on a single tank. This abundance attracts large predators looking for an easy meal, too. Exhausted and injured turtles are the perfect prey for reef sharks, hammerheads, and tiger sharks.

OTHER LIVEABOARD DESTINATIONS

For more of our liveaboard recommendations, check out these popular articles: 

Caribbean  |  Bahamas  | Belize  |  Cuba  |  Turks & Caicos

North Pacific  |   Galapagos  | Guadalupe  |  Socorro |  Cocos

South Pacific  |  Palau  |  Fiji  |  PNG  |  Solomon Islands  |  French Polynesia

South East Asia  |  Raja Ampat  |  Komodo  |  Similan | Tubbataha  |  Burma

Red Sea & Middle East  | Egypt  |  Sudan  |  Oman  | Djibouti

Indian Ocean  |  Maldives |  Seychelles  | Visayas  | Truk Lagoon

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One Response

Nice blog! Australia is one of the most amazing places to travel with yacht. Thank you for letting me know about these great yachts and their rental availability. Keep sharing such helpful blogs.

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