Cairns Dive Adventures

19 January 2011

The Great Barrier Reef’s far northern Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Coral Sea have not been impacted by recent flooding in south-east Queensland, reporting excellent water conditions and clarity this week.

Pictures taken on recent a Mike Ball Dive Expeditions liveaboard trip (13-17 January 2011) showcase the purity of water and quality of diving on offer at these stunning destinations, right now.

Contrary to some media reports, which state the Great Barrier Reef has been inundated with murky floodwaters from Cooktown to Bundaberg, we can report that Cairns and the far northern reefs remain open for business, with excellent conditions.  The flooding, which has affected much of south-east and regional Queensland, is 1,000km away from Cairns, having no impact on the local reefs.

Janine Lucas, Office Manager of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, recently spent four nights aboard their liveaboard Spoilsport vessel visiting the Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole and Coral Sea.  She reports visibility of over 25m on the Great Barrier Reef’s Ribbon Reefs and over 50m visibility on the Coral Sea dive sites.

“The conditions on the Great Barrier Reef Reef’s Ribbon Reefs and Cod Hole right now are just amazing,” Ms Lucas said.

“On Friday 14^th January, visibility on the Great Barrier Reef’s Acropolis dive site was 25m plus and the colours of the closely packed plate coral, branching coral and fish were just unbelievable, it was like we were diving on a promotional photo.”

“The Cod Hole, perhaps the most famous dive site on the Ribbon Reefs, is looking as good as ever with its friendly Potato Cods posing for photos and sharing their underwater world with the happy divers.  In fact, one very, very friendly, inquisitive and photogenic Potato Cod would not leave us alone, he was like a puppy dog shadowing our every move.”

“On Saturday 15^th January 2011 we travelled 75 miles out to the Coral Sea and dived on a site called False Entrance, where the visibility was over 50m,” Ms Lucas said.

“The clarity of the water was astounding and with the sun highlighting the coral, it was breathtaking and magical.  On deck every single passenger was raving about the visibility and what they’d seen, we were all wearing the goofy grin of a diver who just knows they’ve experienced something special,” she said.

All pictures featured with this story were taken during the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions’ 4 night fly / dive Coral Sea Expedition which departed Cairns on Thursday 13^th January and returned Monday 17^th 2011. As you can see, the water clarity is excellent with the Great Barrier Reef’s far northern Ribbon Reefs and Cod Hole continuing to provide world class dive experiences.

For more information on Great Barrier Reef Cod Hole tours and conditions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on info@cairnsdiveadventures.com