Menu
Your crew have developed a unique understanding of the far northern reef systems and with more than 25 years experience, including 14 years of far northern charters, can put you in on the best spots at the right times.
Itinerary is always flexible based on local conditions & weather.
Kalinda is one of the few remaining live-aboard vessels with the capacity, fuel especially, to be able to safely conduct these long range trips. To be able to bring the adventure diver into this region and share some of these incredible natural experiences is the reason why.
Cairns
Thursday Island (cape York) for flights ex Horn Island
30th oct – 2pm embark cairns and depart
31st oct – ribbon reefs eg. Steve’s bommie
1st nov – lighthouse bommie, cod hole, lizard is
2nd nov – scooterboot, Stanley is (rock art)
3rd nov – Tijou reef, cat reef
4th nov – small detatched reef, fergusson reef
5th nov – mantis reef, wishbone reef (the cathedral)
6th nov – wood reef, the mad surgeon
7th nov – GDR (great detached reef) eg cow bommie
8th Nov – gDR, eg da phat, barry’s bommie aka 6mp
9th nov – gDR, eg captain bloods’ wall of terror
10th Nov – raine is eastern apex, dep for cape York
11th nov – rMS quetta shipwreck, 1 dive, slack water. Dinner at the pub, Thursday is
12th nov – disembark horn island for flights
All this for only $3950 twin share or $3750 quad share
That’s less than $100/dive on world class sites!!!
We all know ‘the reef’ is big, but access is limited, especially for divers, with limited trips to the Capricorn – Bunker group ex. Gladstone, the Whitsundays from Airlie Beach, or the Cairns reefs… The spectacular reefs off the Townsville Coast barely get a mention. Live-aboard access to the ribbon reefs off Cooktown has been a regular route since the 80’s but North of Lizard Island lies another whole third of ‘the reef’ the Far North.
Protected by remoteness, and the largest ‘blanket’ green zones, the Far Northern section of the GBR holds a special attraction. I am an explorer, studying charts, tides, currents, formations always searching for that ultimate diving experience. 14 years of charters into this remote wonderland has rewarded me with the most amazing natural spectacles that would make the Attenbrough team froth with envy…
60,000 Green Turtles dotting the surface waters like cobblestones surrounding Raine Island, 8 Whale sharks swimming in formation whilst transiting Wishbone Reef, A tornado of Reef Mangrove Jacks in the ‘deep V’ on Tijou Reef, A Minke Whale swimming around the boat in 5m of water whilst anchored near Mr. Walkers caves – in December! Sailfish and Thresher shark at Mantis reef, not to mention the Silvertips, Oceanic Manta’s, Tiger Sharks and we haven’t even got to Great Detached Reef yet.
Towering vertical walls, sandy lagoons full of coral gardens, ancient shipwreck remnants, front reef slopes teaming with sharks and boasting spawning aggregations of large fish species in our season, pinnacles rising from 40-60m to close to the surface covered in Fans and Soft corals with exotics to rival Raja Ampat, Pipefish, Long nosed Hawkfish, Rhinopias, Nudibranchs, dancing shrimp, name it and it’s on this reef somewhere.
Then, there is the reef passes, Dive sites like “Cow Bommie”, dropped ‘live’ in on the Apex, a quick swim down to 18m in front of the lead bommies, and you’re in the zone, that push zone, as the incoming tide brings clear water through the pass, you can easily sit in that push zone – like a dolphin riding a ships bow – with ALL the fish, schools of midnight snapper, Barracuda, Trevallies, rainbow runner with Reef sharks and Dogtooth Tuna carving through the lines of fish. Potato Cod, Mauri Wrasse, Qld Grouper and 10’s of Coral trout lying in ambush waiting for lunch to swim by.
