Cairns diving and snorkelling · Diving and snorkelling in Cairns
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Diving and snorkelling in Cairns
Diving and snorkelling in Cairns
A number of Cairns operators run day and liveaboard scuba diving trips from Cairns. For seeing the Great Barrier Reef, the smaller dive boats provide the best experience, both for diving and for snorkelling. The larger operations have more amenities - better food, larger and faster boats, more activities, but sometimes provide a poorer underwater experience, as the underwater areas that the larger boats visit are heavily overused, and somewhat barren of coral and fish. Your mileage may vary.
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, 143 Lake Street, ☎ +61-7-4053-0500 ( ), . Dive sites suited to serious divers. Allows solo diving and rebreather diving if you provide appropriate equipment. Cabins with private bathrooms are available. 3 night trip from $1,480, 4 night trip from $1,678 and 7 night trip from $2,938, rental equipment and courses extra. �
Passions of Paradise, ☎ +61 7 4041-1600 ( ), . A 25 m modern, fast sailing catamaran travelling daily to Michaelmas Cay, where the company holds a permit allowing passengers access to the beach. This is one of the most important bird nesting sanctuaries on the Great Barrier Reef with over 20,000 sea birds. The cay has white sand, warm shallow water and an abundance of marine life making it perfect for snorkelling, scuba diving, glass bottom boat tours or just relaxing on the beach. The second destination is the Outer Barrier Reef and a mooring at Breaking Patches. There you will find the hard coral gardens that the Outer Reef is famous for. The day includes a hot and cold buffet lunch, all snorkelling equipment and sailing on one of the fastest catamarans travelling to the Great Barrier Reef. �
Tusa Dive Australia, cnr Shield Street and the Esplanade, ☎ +61 7 4031-1028 ( , fax: +61 7 4031-3141), . Tusa Dive Australia are a good small operator. Tusa Dive offer 2 dive day trips to the Outer Reef for $160 ($190 with equipment hire).. �
Pro Dive Cairns, 116 Spence Street, ☎ +61 7 4031-5255 ( , fax: +61 7 4051-9955), . Specialises in 11 dive/3 day 2 night liveaboard trips to the Outer Reef, departing every day except Tuesdays. Their dive sites are suitable for inexperienced divers: most trips will include one or more groups of students doing their checkout dives. The liveaboard trip is $580 for a twin share or double cabin (including all equipment). Pro Dive Cairns also offer several PADI courses which include the liveaboard trip: the basic Open Water course (2 days of classroom and pool work plus the trip), Open Water referral checkout dives, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver. The trip is $580 per person, twin share or double and equipment included. Additional fee applies of $35 per person, includes a $15 Government Environmental Management Charge as well as a Port Departure tax and administration costs. The trip is $560 per person, twin share or double, reef tax and equipment included. Open Water course $725, Open Water referral $630. �
New Horizon Sail and Dive, PO Box 5957, ☎ +61 7 4055-6130 ( , fax: +61 7 4055-6315), . New Horizon Sail and Dive operates two classic sailing boats, Santa Maria and Coral Sea Dreaming, to the outer Great Barrier Reef. They allow you to experience the reef in a smaller more intimate affair with a maximum of 10 passengers on each trip. The trip is from $380 per person for a two day liveaboard and from $540 for a three day liveaboard, all equipment included.. �
Taka Dive Adventures, 131 Lake Street, ☎ +61 7 4051-8722 ( , fax: +61 7 4031-2739), . Offer two liveaboard trips: a 5 day/4 night tour of Cod Hole and the Coral Sea (from $1,050 for a 4 share cabin and $1,175 for a twin cabin) and a 4 day/3 night tour of Cod Hole and the northern part of the reef (from $900 for a 4 share cabin and $1,000 for a twin cabin). The two trips can be combined into one from $1,850 (4 share cabin). �
Cairns Dive Centre, 121 Abbott St, ☎ +61 7 4051-0294 ( , fax: +61 7 4051-7531), . Offers both live aboard and day trips out to the Great Barrier Reef. �
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Cairns Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.