Rum Runner offers a trip for those who think they've dived the best, who want to be spoilt forever ... come with us to the mecca of diving - the remote wilderness of the CORAL SEA where great diving is made easy and exciting, adventurous yet safe. This is one of the last opportunities to see coral reefs, unchanged by man's interference.
HOLMES REEF and BOUGAINVILLE REEF lie 240kms from mainland Australia, one due east, the other north east from Cairns in North Queensland. Holmes Reef has 3 distinct reefs covering an area of 450 square kms.
Large pelagics, gorgonian fans, sharks and several species of tropical fish common to the Coral Sea, are not found on the Great Barrier Reef, making these reefs a truly unique dive location.
Being such large reefs, sand cays and large sheltered areas have formed over the centuries, with good anchorages and dive sites manageable for novice divers. The beauty of these Coral Sea Reefs is their diversity in dive sites and marine life, offering extremely good dive conditions and excellent visibility, leaving room for us to explore new realms of diving and keeping it adventurous, yet safe.
Rum Runner has the only vessels running regular trips all year round in this ocean wilderness and few people have ever dived these remote locations.
Itineraries
Coral Sea and Shark Feeding
DAY 1: Departure day - Our courtesy bus will pick you up from your accommodation in the Cairns city area and transfer you to our shop ready for boarding. All passengers are required to be on board by 3.00pm. for approximate 4.00pm departure. A light meal is served as you sail through the Greet Barrier Reef. Passehgers are briefed on the itinerary and the safety aspects of the trip and vessel. Guests can then relax, have a few social drinks and we get to know one another as we make the overnight sail to the CORAL SEA. Passengers are welcome to join in and grab a rope or hoist a sail along with the crew.
DAY 2: Arriving at HOLMES REEF, we start with a tropical breakfast, after which the dive supervisor will brief everyone on general dive safety and details of our first dive site. Diving will be tailored to suit individual experience levels and one of the experienced crew can accompany the diver on their first dive if they wish. Now for some of the best diving in the world, from shallow coral gardens, isolated pinnacles to caverns, caves and spectacular walls, then a fantastic night dive. Evenings are a relaxed affair, with videos or just a chat and a social drink on deck at a protected night anchorage.
DAY 3: An invigorating dive before a hearty breakfast sees the start of the day's diving, exploring swim-throughs, caverns and drift diving the fabulous "ABYSS", a sheer wall dropping 1000 metres and teeming with life. Maybe a relaxing lunch break at one of the coral sand cays, with time to explore, or just late in the sun. Then another Highlight - the "SHARK FEED" - you'll feel the adrenalin charge as you come face to face with these majestic creatures, from the safety of our shark viewing cage. The diver is not confined to the cage, but can enter and exit the cage to the boat at any time. The cage is 6 metres in diameter and 6 metres deep. After the shark feed at "PREDATORS PLAYGROUND", a final dive in the CORAL SEA before departing for an overnight sail to the GREAT BARRIER REEF.
DAY 4: Arriving at the GREAT BARRIER REEF for an early morning dive, leisurely breakfast, then a final dive. By diving both the CORAL SEA and the GREAT BARRIER REEF, guests have the opportunity to observe the vast differences between reefs close to land, similar to the Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs, which are all part of the Great Barrier Reef, and those remote pristine reefs of the Coral Sea, with their unsurpassed visibility and myriad of marine life, only found in these isolated areas. On our way back a tropical lunch is served, arriving back in Cairns at approximately 4.OOpm, from where our courtesy bus will take you back to your accommodation.
Bougainville Reef Coral Sea and Cod Hole
DAY 1: Departure day - Our courtesy bus will pick you up from your accommodation in the Cairns city area and transfer you to our shop ready for boarding. All passengers are required to be on board by 5.00pm. for approximate 6.00pm. departure. A light meal is served as we cruise through the Great Barrier Reef. Passengers are briefed as to the itinerary and safety aspects of the trip and boat, also dive equipment is organised ready for our morning arrival and start of some fantastic diving. Guests can relax over a few social drinks and get to know each other as we make an overnight passage to the CORAL SEA.
DAY 2: Arriving at BOUCAINVILLE REEF, a tropical breakfast is served then our dive supervisor will brief everyone on general dive safety and details of our first dive, Diving will be tailored to meet individual experience levels. If anyone is a bit rusty one of our experienced crew will accompany them on their first dive, if they wish. Now for some of the best diving in the world, isolated pinnacles, caverns, spectacular walls and then a fantastic night dive. Evenings are a relaxed affair with videos or just a chat on deck. During the night whilst everyone is sleeping we make our way to the RIBBON REEFS.
DAY 3: Morning sees us at the world famous COD HOLE for a spectacular dive before a hearty breakfast, a fantastic start to a days diving down the RIBBON REEFS. A day exploring the "RIBBONS OF LIFE", diving the very outer edge of the GREAT BARRIER REEF while we make our way further southward.
DAY 4: We are now down at the GREAT BARRIER REEF adjacent to Cairns where we do our final two dives in what can only be described as coral gardens, a myriad of fish life which abounds in the MARINE PARK, We then return to Cairns arriving at approximately 3.00pm.
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