Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s best scuba diving destinations. A relaxing and comfortable option for cruising the Reef is a “live-aboard” experience on specially-designated cruise ships such as the Spirit of Freedom.
Red Lion Fish on Great Barrier Reef
The photo above is courtesy of Joel Simon, president of Sea for Yourself, a snorkeling tour operator focusing on educational snorkeling programs around the globe.
The aforementioned Spirit of Freedom cruise offers (among many other iconic diving sites) a three-day cruise from Cairns, Queensland, to Lizard Island. Throughout the trip, guests will enjoy a wonderfully unique bio-diversity display including dramatic soft corals , exotic aquatic life as well as whales and majestic manta rays.
On the first day of the trip, divers participate in an introductory check dive at Turtle Bommie followed by a second dive at Twin Peaks.
The second day is action packed with 5 dives in total. The first dive of the day takes place in the early morning at Cod Hole — which features a healthy cod fish population. The second dive is also at this same location, difference being that this time guests are provided with some food for the “gentle giants”.
The third dive of the day featured a new dive site called Scorpio Rising. In the afternoon, divers explore the corridors at Challenger Bay before ending the day with an evening dive there as well.
On the third and final day, the dive site at Pixie Pinnacle (also perfect for snorkeling) offers spectacular pinnacles and the picture-perfect Light House Bommie. The trip rounds off with two final dives at the diving site known as Snake Pit .
Cod Feeding in Cod Hole
More photos of this fantastic trip…
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