Australia - GBR: Ashmore Reef Exploratory Expedition

### Ashmore Exploratory – Far Northern Reefs – Coral Sea

7 Nights – 27 Dives. A rare opportunity to visit the remote and pristine reefs of Ashmore Reef. Dive with hundreds of turtles at Raine Island & descend on the historic wreck of the Quetta.

Highlights:

• Remote rarely visited reefs with incredible coral.
• Raine Island – See hundreds of turtles at the world’s biggest green turtle nesting site. Tiger sharks are attracted to the nesting turtles.
• Ashmore Reef – Plunge into the unknown, spectacular and remote.
• Boot Reef – The single most remote place that MV Spoilsport visits.
• Great Detached Reef – Big fans, hard and soft corals & pelagics.
• Quetta Wreck (Tidal dependant) – Jewel of the Far North.

Horn Island
Embark at Horn Island 4:00pm.
Options for further travel vary. Daily scheduled flights from Cairns to Horn Island are available & should be arranged by the individual.

Ashmore Reef
Mysterious, isolated, rarely visited. The graveyard of a dozen 19th century ships. Still not fully explored, Ashmore Reef lies literally on the sea border with Papua New Guinea. Help unlock the many secrets of this final frontier. A place that has already given us arguably the greatest drift dive in Far North Queensland…’The Flight of the Cassowary”. Dive into the unknown and uncover the hidden wonders of Ashmore Reef.

Boot Reef
Miles and miles of unbroken sheer-drop sea wall. Sharks, giant Qld grouper and magnificent fans create a symphony of colour and live action. Lying nearly 300 kilometers east of Thursday Island, Boot Reef is the single most remote place that MV Spoilsport visits. Almost anywhere you dive, you’ll be the first to have been there. Diving dreams are made of this.

Raine Island
Between 40,000-100,000 green turtles visit Raine Island each year to lay their eggs in the warm sands. The island is not accessible to the public, but the reefs surrounding it are excellent for diving. The pristine coral here is some of the best we’ve seen anywhere.

Great Detached Reef
The 46km of fringing reef here give us some great sites to choose from. See fields of hard coral down to 30m at Turmoil, plus beautiful soft corals, fans and whips at Twin Peaks, Oh My Bommie, Cracker and Big Woody. This reef is home to masses of marine life, large & small.

RMS Quetta (tide dependent)
The RMS Quetta sank on the night of 28 February 1890, after striking an uncharted rock. At the time, it was Queensland’s worst maritime disaster. Today, the RMS Quetta lies on her port side in 18m of water and is an excellent dive site in terms of wreck, reef and fish. The wreck diving jewel of the far north.

Itinerary - Ashmore Exploratory Itinerary (Horn Island to Horn Island – 27 dives)
Boarding The Spoilsport, this expedition embarks and disembarks at Horn Island - commercial flight to Horn Island is not included and must be arranged by each person.

All itinerary details are subject to change, specific marine life cannot be guaranteed. Please note - there are no courses offered on this itinerary. This information is based on the scheduled 2024 itinerary and will change as this reef is explored and the itinerary is refined.

Thursday:

• 4:00 pm board Spoilsport at Horn Island Pier
• 4:30 pm depart for Great Detached Reef.

Friday: (3 dives + night dive) Great Detached Reef + Raine Island.
Saturday: (4 dives + night dive) Pandora Wreck, Cocoon depart after night dive to Ashmore Reef.
Sunday: (4 dives + night dive) Ashmore Reef, stay overnight.
Monday: (4 dives + night dive) Ashmore Reef, depart to GDR overnight.
Tuesday: (4 dives + night dive) GDR vicinity, depart to Quetta.
Wednesday: (4 dives) Quetta/Cape York Tip visit.
Thursday: Disembark art Horn Island.

Important: We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 5 pm Wednesday).

Raine Island
Raine Island is a small, remote sand cay on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, around 620 km northwest of Cairns in Queensland.

Raine Island is uninhabited by humans. However, the Wuthathi people of the eastern Cape York Peninsula and the Meriam Nation people of the eastern Torres Strait have been regular visitors for tens of thousands of years. Both groups identify as holders of native title for Raine Island and make decisions about the management of the island. Management decisions are made through the Raine Island Recovery Program Reference Group. This group works in collaboration with the Queensland and Australian governments.

Vegetation on the island primarily consists of low shrubs. These grow over the island’s rocky center, fringed by sandy beaches and reef.

Raine Island is the largest nesting site for Green Turtles in the world. It is also the only known Australian breeding site for the critically endangered Herald Petrel. The island is the most important seabird rookery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

For complete trip details, go to, https://coloradodivetravel.com/trips/pacific/australia/gbr-northern-exploratory-expedition-ashmore-reef/

##### Mike Ball Dive Expedition includes - daily serviced, a/c accommodation in twin/double cabins, delicious meals & snacks, complimentary soft drink or wine with evening meal, tanks, air fills and weight belt, reef ecology program, dive computer workshop, Transfer to either our office, the airport or inner-city hotel after your expedition.

##### Mike Ball Dive Expedition does not include - international Airfare Denver (DEN) to Horn Island (HID), anything not mentioned on inclusions above, rental dive gear, scuba training, nitrox $150, crew gratuities.

COMPLETE PACKAGE RICE – starting at $5280 AUD ($3408 USD), prices in AUD, based on double occupancy. Prices are subject to fluctuation and will always be satisfied by the AUD rate, at time of final invoice. $1000 AUD = $645 USD (as of May 2025).

· Budget Cabin - $5280 AUD ($3408 USD)
· Club Cabin - $6153 AUD ($3972 USD)
· Standard Cabin - $7007 AUD ($4523 USD)
· Premium Cabin - $7606 AUD ($4910 USD)

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requires all visitors to pay an Environmental Management Charge of $7.00 per day spent on the Great Barrier Reef - this amount will be added to your onboard bar bill.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
· Deposit: $1000 to reserve your space (deposit is non-refundable)
· Subsequent Payment: $1500 is due on March 15, 2026
· Final Payment: Balance is due on September 15, 2026

Passport requirement – must have 6 months remaining until expiration date upon return to USA.

For all dive trips, consider purchasing travel insurance, and dive accident insurance. Both are highly recommended and are made available to purchase!

To purchase DAN dive accident insurance, scroll to the bottom of this page, and click on the DAN banner link, Join DAN Today!, then follow the prompts on DAN’s website.

** AIRFARE SOLD SEPARATELY **

Prices are per person and based on double occupancy and items specified. Space is subject to availability, price subject to change without notice and not guaranteed until deposit is received. Cost for airfare cannot be guaranteed until paid and ticketed.

Some restrictions may apply. All payments via the PayPal invoice can expect 3.5% (5% International) to be added to the final invoice for all payments made via the invoice. This fee covers the cost of PayPal. Venmo (to @Andrew-Skuntz), Zelle, and checks are always welcome.

If interested, please contact Andy Skuntz, at Colorado Dive + Travel Adventures, email to askuntz@yahoo.com, or call 719-322-6941.

Trip flyer, terms/conditions, and trip application will be provided. Once application is complete, return to Andy via fax or email, then an invoice for deposit will be provided.