Undersea
Explorer offers four expeditions to the remote far Northern Great Barrier
Reef each year in Oct and Nov. Australia's spring is the best time to dive
the outer walls, offering a great chance of encounters with megafauna -
Brydes Whales, Manta Rays and Whale Sharks are all regular visitors to this
region.
Tiger Sharks are also encountered, and Undersea Explorer has supported a
project in conjunction with documentary producers Digital Dimensions and
CSIRO, which involves tagging Tiger Sharks at Raine Island Reef.
Raine island is the largest and most important green sea turtle nesting area
in the world, with up to 14,000 turtles nesting on the small coral sand cay
in one night. The waters surrounding Raine Island are so active that seeing
over 250 turtles during an hour in the water is common. Due to it being such
an important environmental icon, the island is totally protected from
access, but diving in the deep oceanic waters surrounding the island is
superb. Undersea Explorer has a special permit for tourism here, and guests
from around the world join Undersea Explorer for the amazing experience of
tagging large tiger sharks and diving with turtles at this incredible
location.
A highlight of this expedition is the turtle watching. Our small group will
watch as the ancient female turtles move up the beach and laboriously dig
their nests and lay a clutch of eggs. This is a rare opportunity to observe
a timeless event in a quiet and unobtrusive way. Seabird watching is also
excellent with many species nesting in this region.
On these trips, almost every dive is a drop/drift dive. We pride ourselves
in offering the best diving considering the weather, which means we
regularly offer drift dives through the channels and outer walls of the
Great Barrier Reef. These sites may never have been dived before, and allow
enjoyment of a larger area than would normally be possible with a stationary
dive. Our dives allow enjoyment of a range of habitats, and finding the
'hotspots' of marine life such as schooling Hammerheads, barracuda, big-eye
Trevally, and fish mating aggregations.
These nine day expeditions involve a one way flight to or from Lockhart
river near the top of Australia to rendezvous with our vessel, adding
another dimension, and providing the perfect introduction or finale!
